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Workload partitions (WPARs) are virtualized operating system environments within a single instance of the AIX® operating system. WPARs secure and isolate the environment for the processes and signals that are used by enterprise applications.
WPARs provide an isolated application environment that minimizes potential interactions with system objects or processes outside the WPAR. Even though a WPAR is using the same operating system instance as other WPARs or the global environment, the ability to view or interact with processes or devices outside the partition is limited.
The following table describes the types of WPARs that you can create:
| WPAR type | Description |
|---|---|
| System WPAR | Autonomous virtual system environment with its own private file systems, users and groups, login, network space, and administrative domain. Most traditional system services are virtualized at the WPAR level, and they can be independently used and managed within each WPAR. While the system WPAR environment is largely partitioned and isolated, read-only file systems might be shared between WPARs to facilitate the sharing of application data and text. |
| Application WPAR | Provide an environment for isolation of applications and their resources to enable checkpoint, restart, and relocation at the application level. Application WPARs use fewer system resources than system WPARs. Application WPARs do not require their own instance of system services. |
IBM® Workload Partitions Manager™ for AIX (WPAR Manager) is a platform management solution that provides a centralized point of control for managing WPARs across a collection of managed systems running AIX. WPAR Manager includes the following features:
