Two types of system partitioning are:
Physical partitioning
With physical partitioning, a single server consisting of two nodes, such as the x440, can run multiple instances of an operating system in separate partitions. It can also run multiple versions of an operating system or even different types of operating systems.
This means that a server can continue to run an operating system in one node while you install and test another version of that operating system, or a different operating system entirely in another node on that server without having to take the entire server offline.
Physical partitioning includes two different types:
–Static partitioning, which can be implemented using IBM System Partition Manager, requires the nodes being adjusted to be taken offline. The remaining nodes in the server are unaffected and continue to operate normally. Static partitioning is performed on node or system boundaries. This means that a partition must have the hardware to function independently. Static partitioning also means that one node can't be subdivided into multiple partitions, but a partition can consist of multiple nodes.
–Dynamic partitioning has the same hardware boundaries as static partitioning, but it permits hardware reconfiguring while the partition's operating system is still running.
Logical partitioning
Servers using VMware ESX Server will be able to reconfigure a system partitioned at the individual processor level, without shutting down and restarting the virtual server. When workload demands change, you can also reassign resources from one logical partition to another by restarting the server.
If you intend to consolidate servers, system partitioning offers many benefits:
Multiple operating systems previously run on multiple servers could all be running simultaneously on one server in one location.
System partitioning enables you to set up different cluster types. Clustering delivers high availability, because multiple servers can be connected together with one server backing up the other. In the event that one of the servers requires maintenance or service, the second server can support the users and workload while corrective action is performed and the offline server is brought back online.
