2 SPARC Enterprise Mx000 Servers Capacity on Demand (COD) User’s Guide • January 2012
COD boards are subject to the same limitations for mixed architectures and CPU
speeds as system boards. Likewise, COD board software requirements, such as the
Oracle Solaris Operating System (Oracle Solaris OS) or OpenBoot PROM version, are
the same as those of system boards.
For M8000/M9000 (high-end) servers, you can order COD boards at original
purchase or at any time afterward. High-end servers support any combination of
COD boards and system boards.
M4000/M5000 (midrange) servers do not use individual CPU Boards. On these
servers, the system board components are mounted on a Mother Board Unit (MBU).
Midrange servers can be configured to use COD only at original purchase.
Once a COD board has been activated, you can configure it into a domain in the
same way as a system board.
COD boards are identified by a special field-replaceable unit (FRU) ID and by a
COD label. Except for their FRU ID, label, and COD capability, once COD boards are
activated, they are handled by the rest of the hardware and software in exactly the
same way as system boards. COD boards fully support Dynamic Reconfiguration
(DR) operations.
Note – Field engineers perform the installation and the maintenance service
concerning COD boards. After the installation of COD board, you can't use the CPU
before you install the COD hardware activation key (COD key).
The COD Hardware Activation Option
The COD Hardware Activation Option lets you purchase COD hardware activation
permits (COD permits) that authorize you to activate and use COD CPUs on a
server. If you purchase a COD Hardware Activation Option for, say, six CPUs, you
receive a COD permit that entitles you to use up to six COD CPUs on your server.
Your purchase authorizes you to use a number of COD CPUs rather than specific
COD CPUs. For example, if your server has two COD boards with four COD CPUs
each, but you only need to use six CPUs at any given time, buy only six COD
permits. You can use any of the eight COD CPUs, but only six at a time.
Your server can support activated COD CPUs purchased from up to 50 COD
Hardware Activation Option orders. Each order can cover multiple COD CPUs.
They have no expiration date.
Depending on the firmware version, the type of usable COD permits varies.