How to share Global zone CPUs to non global zones

Question

Okay we have a server with 8 CPU`s and 32Gig RAM running Solaris 10 11/06 release.
We have 2 full zones setup in addition to the default global zone. Each of these 2 zones has 3 CPU`s assigned to it leaving 2 CPU`s only used by the gloabl zone so if we were to loose one we would not loose the zones etc.
Now is it possible under Solaris 10 11/06 release to have the 2 non gobal zones have the 3 dedicated CPU`s each and also share 1 CPU each from the 2 CPU`s used by the global zone? All the documentaion I have seen and read does not make this clear but I have read that the new Solaris 10 08/07 release have several new zone commands available?
I know there is FSS but I do not think that can do what we want.
Has anyone done anything like this or able to offer any help.

Answer 1

Yes, there are new features in 08/07 you should consider useful in your configuration. Especially the possibility to restrict physical and virtual memory are important to everyone cause a bad process in zone can consume all the memory of the system, leaving all the zones unusable.
But when it comes to your problem, there is no real help, cause you cannot split cpus, only a much simplified configuration.
A pset still cannot share a cpu with another pset.
What you can do:
You can however make use of the dynamic resource manager in Solaris 10. He can dynamically bind a cpu to either zones on the fly if they need one.
pset.poold.objectives "utilization > 30; utilization < 80;" for eg means if the pset and its cpus is used more the 80% for some time, the a free unbound cpu will be added to the pset on the fly.
Read: http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-1592/rmconfig-3?l=en&a=view
In Solaris 07/08 this is easy to configure:
freom [zones-discuss] http://mail.opensolaris.org/pipermail/zones-discuss/2006-August/005105.html
{color:#3366ff}_Dedicated CPUs_
Many existing resource management features have a new, simplified user
interface. For example,
"<a href="http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/doc/817-1592/6mhahuooo?l=en&a=view#gepsd">dedicated-cpus</a>"
re-use the existing
Dynamic
Resource Pools features. But instead of needing many
commands to configure them, configuration can be as simple as:
global# zonecfg -z myzone
zonecfg:myzone> add dedicated-cpu
zonecfg:myzone:dedicated-cpu> set ncpus=1-3
zonecfg:myzone:dedicated-cpu> end
zonecfg:myzone> exit
After using that command, when that Container boots, Solaris:
{color}<ol><li>{color:#3366ff}removes a CPU from the default pool
     {color}</li>
<li>{color:#3366ff}assigns that CPU to a newly created temporary pool
     {color}</li>
<li>{color:#3366ff}associates that Container with that pool, i.e. only schedules
     that Container's processes on that CPU
     {color}</li>
</ol>
{color:#3366ff}
Further, if the load on that CPU
exceeds a default threshold and another CPU can be moved from another
pool, Solaris will do that, up to the maximum configured amount of three CPUs.
Finally, when the Container is stopped, the temporary pool is destroyed
and its CPU(s) are placed back in the default pool.
{color:#000000}
Hope this helps,{color}
{color:#000000}Konstantin Gremliza{color}
{color}