the hmc allows you to use two types of partitions: logical partitions and the full system partition.

    logical partitions

    logical partitions are user-defined system resource divisions. users determine the number of processors, memory, and i/o that a logical partition can have when active.

    full system partition

    a special partition called the full system partition assigns all of your managed system’s resources to one large partition. the full system partition is similar to the traditional, non-partitioned method of operating a system. because all resources are assigned to this partition, no other partitions can be started when the full system partition is running. likewise, the full system partition cannot be started while other partitions are running.

    the hmc allows you to easily switch from the full system partition to logical partitions. the actual setup of the operating system in a partition may require some careful planning to ensure no conflicts exist between the two environments.

    for more detail on partitions, see the ibm hardware management console for pseries installation and operations guide.