HP XP7 Storage - Manual (Page 54)

4 Configuring thin provisioning
Thin provisioning technology allows you to allocate virtual storage capacity based on anticipated
future capacity needs, using virtual volumes instead of physical disks.
Thin provisioning is an optional provisioning strategy for both open and mainframe systems. Thin
provisioning is implemented by creating one or more Thin Provisioning Z pools (THP pools) of
physical storage space.
Thin Provisioning Z overview
Thin Provisioning Z is an advanced thin-provisioning software product that allows you to save
money on storage purchases and reduce storage management expenses.
You can operate Thin Provisioning Z using both Remote Web Console software and the RAID
Manager.
Smart Tiers Z overview
Smart Tiers Z is a software product that helps you reduce storage costs and increase storage
performance by supporting a volume configured with different storage media of different cost and
performance capabilities. This support allows you to allocate data areas with heavy I/O loads to
higher-speed media and to allocate data areas with low I/O loads to lower-speed media. In this
way, you can make the best use of the capabilities of installed storage media. Up to three storage
tiers consisting of different types of data drives are supported in a single pool of storage.
Thin provisioning requirements
License requirements
Before you operate Thin Provisioning Z, the Thin Provisioning and the Thin Provisioning Z program
products must be installed. For this, you will need to purchase the Thin Provisioning Software
license.
You will need the Smart Tiers Z license for the total capacity of the pool for which the tier function
is enabled.
If the THP-VOLs of Thin Provisioning Z or Smart Tiers Z are used for the primary volumes and
secondary volumes of Business Copy Z, Compatible FlashCopy, Continuous Access Synchronous
Z, or Continuous Access Journal Z, you will need the Business Copy Z, Continuous Access
Synchronous Z, Compatible FlashCopy, Continuous Access Journal Z license for the total pool
capacity in use. In addition, if you assign a THP-VOL of Thin Provisioning Z or Smart Tiers Z to the
primary volume of Compatible XRC, you will need the Compatible XRC license for the total pool
capacity in use by the related THP-VOL.
If you exceed the licensed capacity, you will be able to use the additional unlicensed capacity for
30 days.
For more information about temporary license capacity, see the HP XP7 Remote Web Console
User Guide.
Pool requirements
A pool is a set of volumes reserved for storing Thin Provisioning Z write data.
Requirements Items
Calculate pool capacity using the following formula: Pool capacity
The capacity of the pool (MB) = Total number of pages * 38 - 3800 .
3800 in the formula is the management area size of the pool-VOL with System Area.
54 Configuring thin provisioning