Getting started

The Intelligent Capping for zEnterprise (iCap) product helps you optimize capacity on IBM z/OS LPARs to reduce the cost of running workloads. iCap can dynamically reallocate CPU capacity as needed, based on optimization policies that you define.

An iCap policy is a set of rules that establishes your objectives for adjusting:

  • Defined capacities (DCs) of LPARs
  • Group capacity limits (GCLs)

Based on your policy rules, iCap performs two main actions:

  • Manages and prioritizes workloads by selectively distributing Millions of Service Units (MSUs) across the LPARs and capacity groups that your policy defines

    For example, iCap can increase MSUs on LPARs that are running high-priority workloads.

  • Ensures that the sum of DCs and GCLs in a managed LPAR set never exceeds the MSU limit that you set

Note

iCap is a component of the BMC Cost & Performance Optimization for System z suite, which also includes the BMC AMI Cost Management product and the BMC Subsystem Optimizer for zEnterprise product. Cost Management identifies where you can realize cost savings through managing and optimizing LPAR capacities and workloads.

To collect system information for building iCap policies, you can either access the Cost Management reports for iCap or run iCap in observe mode. For more information about Cost Management reports, see Collecting-system-information-from-Cost-Analyzer.

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