Overview

HP-UX Containers provide multiple container types used to create an isolated operating environment within a single instance of the HP-UX 11i v3 operating system. HP-UX Containers allows the enterprise to host varied application workloads in secure individual operating environments on a single physical server, thereby better utilizing server resources (CPU, memory, and network access) and data center resources (power, cooling, and space).

All HP-UX Containers-enabled systems have a global view where the system level processes run. Processes running in the global have no additional access restrictions to resources on the system; with the possible exception of cores that have been dedicated to a container using PSETs.

System level administration functions such as container management, software maintenance with Software Distributor (SD), device management, network interface management, kernel modifications, and system management utilities such as smh(1M) should be done from the global. Any non-management or non-system-administrative applications on the system should be hosted in a container. Some tasks such as file backup and recovery can be done from the global view or from within a container.

HP-UX Containers utilizes Process Resource Manager (PRM) to set resource entitlements for containers on the system. By assigning a container a PRM group, administrators can assign the container CPU and memory entitlements. Resource entitlements consist of a guaranteed minimum amount of the resources and can optionally include resource caps, ensuring the container does not exceed a predefined limit for the resource. CPU entitlements can utilize the Fair Share Scheduler (FSS) in which multiple CPUs are shared across containers, each container having a guaranteed minimum number of CPU shares. Container CPU entitlements can also utilize PSETs, allowing a number of cores to be dedicated to that container and unusable by other containers or the global.

In addition to container type specific capabilities, all containers can utilize the following features:

•An isolated container home directory

•A dedicated network interface and IP address

•Container-specific login environment

•Isolated inter-process communication (IPC) and process view

•Dedicated per-container CPU and memory resource allocations

•Per-container initialization and shutdown capabilities

•Container-specific network security policies

•Import and export containers between systems to facilitate workload balancing

•Cloning to support high availability environments