How to find physical CPU socket count for IBM AIX

[jkc924]

There are several hits on the web from people with the same issue as I have. Trying to figure out the new Oracle licensing rules...How do I find actual physical CPU count in a server? prtconf shows 6, which is not physical.. lsdev -Cc processor shows 6 (not physical)...any ideas on how to correctly determine acutal physical cpu and core count?

 

[DukeSSD]

What system do you have and what processor options are installed?
Why do you say 6 is not correct?
How many do you think you have?
You may have to ask Oracle how they classify AIX processors if you want to know for sure how Oracle classify AIX processors...

 

[jkc924]

Here is an example:
# lsdev -Cc processor
proc0 Available 00-00 Processor
proc2 Available 00-02 Processor
proc4 Available 00-04 Processor
proc6 Available 00-06 Processor
proc8 Available 00-08 Processor
proc10 Available 00-10 Processor
Which says 6 processors but the following command shows it is only a single 6-way card:
lscfg -vp |grep -ip proc |grep "PROC"
6 WAY PROC CUOD :

I need accurate counts on several servers (mix of p7,p6,p5) so want to make sure I am reporting correctly.

 

[cspilman]

Maybe this will help:

Physical CPU is defined as each monolithic integrated circuit responsible for executing a system’s
programs. A monolithic integrated circuit with multiple cores or hyperthreading is counted as a single
physical CPU when determining the total number of physical CPUs in a system.

Taken directly from Oracle's pricing documentation located here:

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/pricing/els-pricelist-070592.pdf

Regards,
Chuck

 

[DukeSSD]

The problem seems to revolve around what is a cpu these days, is it a chip or a core or a single piece of a silicone wafer and whatever resides on that being counted as 1 or many.

IBM deem a core to be a CPU so they would say your system has 6 processors.

They are all on one card and may all be in one MCM / chip or there may be several MCMs / chips on that card but you have a 6 CPU system there.

lsdev shows 6 processors so AIX has configured 6 processors.

lscfg shows it is a CUoD 6 processor system and as AIX has configured all 6 it shows all 6 are activated by a suitable POD code.

The Oracle wiki at orafaq.com shows Oracle licence the Standard Edition by CPU (definition undefined) and Enterprise by core (again undefined).

http://www.orafaq.com/wiki/Oracle_Licensing

What ever you call a cpu or a core I would say you have a 6 way / 6 processor system there and the fact that all 6 may or may not be on one bit of silicone wafer will not make any difference.

 

[KenCunningham]

My feeling is that perhaps Oracle will start to sqeeze AIX kit given that they now own Sun. Any real world experiences of this as yet?

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