Are you looking at installing new VMware hosts? Are your existing VMware hosts running out of gas? If the answer is yes, are you really sure about this? We find that many VMware users believe their hosts are full, but, in reality, they have plenty of spare capacity for more VM’s.

1. Managing Capacity on VMware®
A Case Study
Computer Performance International Ltd.
In business for over 30 years

2. Client Situation
• Running 20 VMware Hosts on 2 sites
• Client believed Hosts were fully utilised
• Some VMs have poor response times
• Other VMs have batch overruns
• New application going live
• Need to provision about 200 more VMs
• Client looking to install 4 new VMware Hosts
Computer Performance International Ltd.

3. Client Configuration
Computer Performance International Ltd.
Virtual Machines
VMware Hosts
Data Centre Site 1
Host 1
VM1 VM2 VM3
Host 2
VM4
Host 4
VM5

4. Our Methodology
• Calculate actual capacity being used
• Correct performance issues
• Upsize under-configured VMs
• Downsize over-configured VMs
• Decommission unused VMs
• Re-calculate capacity being used
• Determine how many new Hosts for 200 VMs
Computer Performance International Ltd.

5. Initial Perspective
Computer Performance International Ltd.
Correctly
Configured
VMs
Under
Configured
VMs
Over
Configured
VMs
Unused VMs

6. View of VM Capacities vs Usage
Computer Performance International Ltd.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
LIVE01
SERV01
DMZ01
HLP15
DMZ02
LOG02
WEBS01
MMC01
POF01
PS102
AVA02
CCM01
COM02
DB01
WAPP01
DSA01
WEBA01
WEBT04
WEBU01
WFMP01
CTT01
ATP01
SQL01
WAPP02
WEBB01
WEBV01
DNER12
EXCCAS0
NCCS01
CUST10
SCOM04
SPP04
IPE01
XMB01
UTS03
SAPC01
WIN71
PAP02
MGR08
WFM08
SPFE02
SAR03
LOGC08
SAS01
WAA02
SCOM02
EEM01
LYE01
PAN01
PRD01
TFS09
WEBN02
WEBM02
OBIS0
AIRS07
REP09
SAS05
LIVE09
IIS04
APP09
BST08
AGM01
BST01
LOG05
MTR01
QUAP01
QUAP02
RDSA08
SECN01
SOLAR11
SPFE11
SNSCA1
INWS03
MAPP12
SSP22
APPA01
FILES07
FLOW01
DRRS07
ZAD01
SSP44
LESS22
LIVE59
MDM14
COMMSR0
COMMSR1
VCPUs
Used vCPUs Total vCPUs

7. Under-configured VMs
Computer Performance International Ltd.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
SHAR02
PROD05
LIVE01
MMC01
QUA02
WEBS11
DBST01
SHAR01
IISB01
STAT03
ARD02
WEBD11
CCM01
SQL01
FAV01
STAT01
WEBN22
APP01
II002
WEBN01
Busy (%)

8. Over-configured VMs
Computer Performance International Ltd.
0 2 4 6 8 10
CAS0
MB0
CAS1
EXE02
DARAS0
SHARE01
LYFE01
EXP02
CAS3
OMA01
CAS4
DEV2
PLYDI01
OMA02
LYED01
FMP01
LYED02
IIS01
LYFE02
Candidates for 8 vCPUs to 4 vCPUs
Used vCPUs Total vCPUs
0 1 2 3 4 5
APP11
QUANT02
WEB02
WEB03
ARAS0
CSM01
MAPP01
QUANT01
TFSB03
WEB05
IIS01
APP01
QUARK02
SRB01
BB03
OI09
POSTAL5
QUARK01
TEST1
EXE03
TEST2
Candidates for 4 vCPUs to 2 vCPUs
Used vCPUs Total vCPUs

9. VMs for Decommissioning
Computer Performance International Ltd.
Virtual Machine Busy (%)
IIS02 1.4
WEBD03 1.4
LYFE02 1.2
VMA602 1.2
IABB01 1.1
SPAR01 1.1
NAG01 1
HIAB04 0.9
NAG02 0.9
SUSE04 0.8
DARA01 0.8
TEST02 0.5
TEST01 0.4
NET01 0.3
EXT03 0.3

10. Profiling the Busy VMs
Computer Performance International Ltd.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
00:00
01:00
02:00
03:00
04:00
05:00
06:00
07:00
08:00
09:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
13:00
14:00
15:00
16:00
17:00
18:00
19:00
20:00
21:00
22:00
23:00
Busy(%)
WEBServ01

11. Review Disk, Memory, Network
Computer Performance International Ltd.
Physical Network Packets Dropped
Host / VM Poor Hours Bad Hours Unacceptable Hours
PANA01.eth0 13 20 1
QUARK2.eth1 8
SAS01.eth0 19
EXCMB0.eth0 3 1
APP1.eth0 6
LIVE4.eth0 10
IISV01.eth0 2
PANA02.eth0 54 89 46
Disk Performance (No. of Hours When Avg IO Time > 20 ms)
Host Name / Disk Device Average IO Time > 20 ms
ESXi01 naa.30002ac000000000000021f10001be32 5
ESXi01 naa.30002ac000000000000021f20001be32 3
ESXi03 naa.30002ac0000000000000626e0001be32 14
ESXi04 naa.30002ac00000000000001b140001be32 12
ESXi04 naa.30002ac00000000000001f9d0001be8f 9
ESXi01 naa.30002ac00000000000001f910001be8f 8
ESXi02 naa.30002ac00000000000001g420001be8f 25
ESXi08 naa.30002ac00000000000001g450001be8f 34
ESXi01 naa.30002ac00000000000001g4b0001be8f 1
ESXi09 naa.30002ac000000000000018d10001be8r 2
ESXi02 naa.30002ac00000000000001d400001be8r 6
ESXi01 naa.30002ac00000000000001d460001be8r 4
ESXi02 naa.30002ac00000000000001d3c0001be8r 9
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
ESXi01
ESXi02
ESXi03
ESXi04
ESXi05
ESXi06
ESXi07
Host Swap Used (MB)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
01/06/2019
03/06/2019
05/06/2019
07/06/2019
09/06/2019
11/06/2019
13/06/2019
15/06/2019
17/06/2019
19/06/2019
21/06/2019
23/06/2019
25/06/2019
27/06/2019
29/06/2019
Memory Used (%)

12. Calculate Capacity being Used
Computer Performance International Ltd.
557
Active
VMs
20%
Headroom
Capacity for
238 more
VMs

13. Results and Benefits
• New application will fit on existing Hosts
• Increased number of VMs per Host
• Knowing how many more VMs will fit
• Confident that VMs have resources they need
• Reduced VCPUs on oversized VMs
• Waste VMs removed
• Making more efficient use of resources
• Retaining a 20% safety margin
Computer Performance International Ltd.