Although you can create individual logical units (LUs) and assign them to users and groups, using LU pools to manage and deploy a large number of LUs is a more efficient method of administering these resources. LU pools are groupings of LUs that allow you to maximize access to these LUs (Figure 5.2). A user, an application, or a downstream system can access the LUs as long as any LU assigned to the pool is free. If any one of the pooled LUs ceases to function, another free LU in the pool is automatically used.
Figure 5.2 Creating and assigning LU pools.
LU pools also allow groups of intermittent users to use a limited number of host resources more efficiently. Dedicating LUs to specific users who occasionally require host access wastes host resources. Using a pool, you can assign a smaller number of LUs to a group of users who require sporadic access. For example, if 100 users require host access 25 percent of the time, assigning a pool of 25 LUs to the group may fulfill its needs.