---

copyright: years: 2025, 2026

lastupdated: "2026-03-25"

keywords: Virtual Persistent Memory, virtual persistent memory, vPMEM, SAP HANA partitions

subcollection: power-iaas

---

{{site.data.keyword.attribute-definition-list}}

Attaching virtual persistent memory in a {{site.data.keyword.powerSys_notm}} instance

{: #vPMEM}

---

{{site.data.keyword.off-prem-fname}} in [{{site.data.keyword.off-prem}}]{: tag-blue}

{{site.data.keyword.on-prem-fname}} in [{{site.data.keyword.on-prem}}]{: tag-red}

---

The virtual persistent memory (vPMEM) is nonvolatile memory that retains data even when the system is powered off. vPMEM is an enhancement to the IBM Power advanced virtualization platform (PowerVM) that enables the system to configure the persistent volumes by using the existing DRAM (dynamic RAM) technology. The vPMEM feature is available on IBM Power10 or later systems with IBM AIX®, Linux®, or Linux (SAP HANA) operating systems. {: shortdesc}

vPMEM is not supported on IBM i-based virtual server instances (VSIs). {: note}

In the IBM Cloud Resource List{: external}, you can identify your vPMEM volume under Compute resources. If you add a vPMEM volume when you create a VSI and add user tags to the VSI, the tag is also added to the vPMEM volume. If you add a vPMEM volume to an existing VSI, you can add user tags only to the vPMEM volume.

Before you begin

{: #vpmem-byb}

Before you create and add the vPMEM volumes to a VSI, review the following information:

• When you add vPMEM volumes to an AIX or Linux-based VSI, the vPMEM volumes use memory in addition to the base memory.

• Review the following considerations before adding a vPMEM volume to an SAP-certified VSI in an IBM data center:

  • The selected SAP-certified profile must support vPMEM volumes.
  • The VSI profile memory is the total available memory and includes the vPMEM volume.
  • You cannot resize the VSI after it is provisioned with an SAP‑certified profile.

You can deploy VSIs by using SAP-certified profiles only in IBM data centers. SAP-certified profiles are not supported for VSIs that are deployed in {{site.data.keyword.on-prem-fname}} environments. {: note}

To add a vPMEM volume to an existing VSI or to delete a vPMEM volume from the VSI, the VSI must be in the Shutoff state. {: important}

Adding a vPMEM volume during VSI provisioning

{: #vPMEM-add-vsi}

To create and add a vPMEM volume to a VSI when you provision a VSI in a Power10 or later system, update the following fields on the Create virtual server instance page.

Field	Action
Operating system	Select AIX®, Linux®, or Linux for SAP (HANA).
Image	Select an image from the list.
Machine type	Select Power10 or later system.
Advance Configuration	1. Set Virtual persistent memory volume to on. \n 2. Click Create volume to create a vPMEM volume. The Create virtual persistent memory volume pane appears. \n 3. Update the fields that are defined in the Creating a vPMEM volume topic.
{: caption="Fields and the corresponding actions to create a VSI with vPMEM volume" caption-side="top"}

Adding a vPMEM volume to a VSI

{: #vPMEM-add-vsi-exist}

On the Virtual server instances page, complete the following steps:

1. Click the VSI to which you want to add the vPMEM volume.
2. Complete the following steps on the Overview tab of the VSI page:
   1. Click Create volume under the Virtual persistent memory volumes section. The Create virtual persistent memory volume pane appears.
   2. Update the fields to create a vPMEM volume. For more information, see Creating a vPMEM volume.

Creating a vPMEM volume

{: #vPMEM-create}

Update the following fields to create a vPMEM volume in the Create virtual persistent memory pane.

Field	Action
Name	Specify a name for the vPMEM volume.
User tags	Optional. Enter user tags.
Size	Increment or decrement the size of the vPMEM volume. The values are calculated in gibibyte (GiB).
Total estimated cost	Review the total estimated cost of your vPMEM volume.
Create	Create the vPMEM volume. The Create field is enabled only if you agree to the estimated cost by selecting the I agree to the Terms and conditions checkbox.
{: #create-vPMEM-volume-table}
{: caption="Fields and the corresponding actions to create a vPMEM volume" caption-side="top"}

You cannot resize the vPMEM volume after you create the volume. {: note}

Creating and adding a vPMEM volume by using API and CLI commands

{: #vPMEM-create-add-API-CLI}

Use the following API and CLI commands to create and add a vPMEM volume to a VSI:

• API: Use the Create a vPMEM volume to be attached to this PVM Instance{: external} API to create a vPMEM volume for a VSI with AIX®, Linux®, or Linux (SAP HANA) OS.
• CLI: Use the ibmcloud pi instance create command to create a vPMEM volume. You can use ibmcloud pi instance vpmem-volume to perform the attach, detach, get, or list operations.

Deleting a vPMEM volume

{: #vPMEM-delete}

You can delete a vPMEM volume from a VSI only if the VSI is in the Shutoff state. {: note}

To delete a vPMEM volume, complete the following steps:

1. Click the VSI from which you want to delete the vPMEM volume on the Virtual server instances page.
2. Click the delete icon that is associated with the vPMEM volume to be deleted from the Virtual persistent memory volumes section.

If the vPMEM volume is associated with the VSI with AIX or Linux OS, the vPMEM volume memory is reduced from the total memory and the total cost is reduced.

If the vPMEM volume is associated with the VSI with Linux for SAP (HANA) OS, the vPMEM volume memory is returned to the VSI. The total cost does not change.

Deleting a vPMEM volume by using API and CLI commands

{: #vPMEM-delete-API-CLI}

Use the following API and CLI commands to delete a vPMEM volume:

• API: Use the Delete a vPMEM volume attached to this PVM Instance{: external} API command to delete a vPMEM volume.
• CLI: Use the ibmcloud pi instance delete to delete a vPMEM volume.

Pricing for vPMEM volumes

{: #vpmem-price}

The cost of a vPMEM volume is calculated based on the OS type of the VSI. Refer to the following examples to calculate the price for a vPMEM volume that is associated with a VSI with Linux for SAP (HANA), AIX®, or Linux® operating systems:

• For a VSI with the SAP (HANA) profile, the memory for vPMEM volume is allocated from the total memory of the SAP (HANA) profile. For example, consider a VSI with sh2-25x1000 SAP profile that has 1000 GB memory. You add a vPMEM volume of 200 GB to the VSI. The 200 GB memory is allocated to the vPMEM volume from the sh2-25x1000 profile size and 800 GB memory is retained with the VSI. So, the VSI with 800 GB memory has a vPMEM volume of 200 GB attached to it. No additional cost is incurred. When you delete the vPMEM volume, the memory that is used from the total profile size is returned and the cost remains the same.
• For a VSI with AIX or Linux OS, the total cost is calculated based on the total memory usage. For example, consider a VSI with 1000 GB memory. When you add a vPMEM volume of 200 GB to the VSI, the total memory changes to 1200 GB so the cost is calculated for 1200 GB memory. When you delete the vPMEM volume, the memory is reduced from the total memory and the total cost reduces.

For more information about the part numbers for vPMEM volumes, see Pricing for IBM Power Virtual Server in IBM data centers.

Limitations of vPMEM

{: #vPMEM-limitations}

vPMEM has the following limitations:

• You can create and add vPMEM volume to a VSI only on IBM Power10 or later systems with AIX®, Linux®, or Linux (SAP HANA) operating systems.
• You can add or detach a vPMEM volume to a VSI only when the VSI is shut down.
• You can add one vPMEM volume to a VSI with SAP (HANA) profile and add four vPMEM volumes to a VSI with AIX or Linux operating system.
• You cannot add a vPMEM volume to a VSI with the IBM i operating system.
• You cannot resize a VSI with SAP (HANA) profile if a vPMEM volume is added to the VSI.
• You cannot edit the size of a vPMEM volume.
• You cannot enable global replication services (GRS) on vPMEM volumes.