Glossary Term

LPAR (Logical Partition)

A logically divided slice of a physical Power server's processor and memory resources, running as an independent system image.

Definition

LPARs let a single physical Power server run multiple independent workloads, such as separate production, test, and development environments, by dividing processor and memory resources into logical partitions. Hardware sizing decisions are usually made at the LPAR level, not just the physical server level.

Buyers evaluating server capacity should document current and planned LPAR count, since partition count directly affects how much processor and memory headroom a hardware purchase actually needs.

Example

A single Power server might run one production LPAR for IBM i and a second smaller LPAR for testing, sharing the same physical CEC.