Abstract: A multiprocessor system having a total number of available CPUs partitioned into one or more smaller pools of CPUs called servers where the number of CPUs available to a server is reduced below the total number of available CPUs. Software licensing costs are thereby reduced because the number of CPUs available to run the operating system or ISV software has been reduced to the number of CPUs in the pool of the server rather than the total number of available CPUs in the multiprocessor system. In order to enforce the isolation of CPUs required by software licensing, separate identification codes, CPUIDs, that contain unique system serial numbers are assigned to each server in the multiprocessing system. The multiprocessor system has multiple CPUIDs, one for each server (each pool of CPUs that can execute operating systems and ISV software).

Abstract: A multiprocessor system having a plurality of CPUs that can be dynamically reconfigured between online and offline without system shutdown. The multiprocessor system includes a dynamic reconfiguration subsystem for reconfiguration without shutdown. The dynamic reconfiguration subsystem includes a service processor having a feature file for identifying a current online number corresponding to a current number of online CPUs, a current offline number corresponding to a current number of offline CPUs and an update number corresponding to changes to be made in the current online number and the current offline number.