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SPARC M10 helps maximize both system uptime and efficiency for system resource use by consolidation of servers using highly reliable virtualization platform.
SPARC M10-4S has a maximum of 16 Building Blocks, where hardware partitioning is available. Each hardware partition becomes a single system and any two partitions are isolated at the hardware level. To improve the system continuity, this isolation mechanism separates the core part of system from failures. If database system is isolated within one hardware partition, a failure in any other remaining partitions will not influence behavior of database systems.
SPARC M10 can maximize server investment efficiency by allocating server resources to workloads in just-in-time and just-in-your-size manner.
Within one Building Block you can create a maximum of 128 logical partitions, each of which operates independently without interference.
Rarely possible with other virtualization products, Oracle VM for SPARC Server can maximize uptime of a virtualized system. Most virtualization products cannot eliminate a single point of failure in an IO control program. If an IO control program for virtualization fails, the entire system may freeze.
However, Oracle VM has an IO redundancy function to help continue system operations even during failure of an IO control program.
Oracle VM for SPARC Server duplicates the IO control program called "IO Route Domain", which controls PCIe cards and disk drives under a virtualized environment.
If only one "IO Route Domain" is created, a failure in either the program, PCIe card, or disk drive may cause the entire system shut down. However, if two "IO Route Domains" are created, another domain can overtake IO in failed IO Route Domain.