What is a Workload Partition?

A WPAR is a software created, virtualized OS environment within a single AIX 6
image. Each workload partition is a secure and isolated environment for the
application it hosts. The application in a WPAR thinks it is being executed in its
own dedicated AIX instance.
Figure 1-3 is a graphical overview of workload partitions in an AIX 6 environment.
Workload partitions can be created within an AIX6 LPAR. At this point of the
book, WPARs can be considered as a boundary around a set of AIX processes.
The term global environment is introduced in the AIX terminology to refer to the
part of the AIX operating system that hosts workload partitions. Creating WPARs
within an LPAR does not restrict the use of the hosting AIX instance. It is possible
to log into the global environment, to launch program in the global environment
and to perform exactly the same actions than on any AIX instance that does not
host WPARs.
Note: Throughout this whole book, we use the term LPAR to refer indifferently
to a micropartition or dedicated partition of a POWER™ based server, or to a
full physical server that is not partitioned. (also known as full-system partition
in POWER4 terminology).
Chapter 1. Introduction to Workload Partitions (WPAR) Technology in AIX 6 9
Draft Document for Review August 6, 2007 12:52 pm 7431CH_INTRODUCTION.fm
Figure 1-3 .Global environment , System and Application WPARs
Figure 1-3 introduces new concepts such as application workload partitions or
system workload partitions.
An important feature of workload partitions is their ability to be relocated from
LPAR to LPAR, whether these LPARs are hosted on the same physical server or
on different physical servers. The most important new concepts described in the
following sections include the following:
the global environment
the differences between the two types of WPARs: Application and System
live application mobility (also referred to as workload partition mobility or
workload partition relocation).