Month: August 2018

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Oracle AWR support

Oracle provides Automatic workload repository (AWR) , a diagnostic tool with Oracle as a licensed feature.  This feature is available on all OS platforms. Solaris , AIX , HPUX ,Linux and Windows and will run on all the platforms.

Nutanix has a platform agnostic script (.SQL) which is used to gather information on the server running Oracle in the following format.The script will be run by an oracle DBA/admin on multiple hosts/VMs and a similar output (dbname.out) is obtained depending on the situation.  Multiple dbnameXX.out files are generated, one per database.

If we are provided a mixed output of .out files from AIX , Solaris , HPUX or Linux , we should be able to put these together into an Excel sheet and size it.

The user can then import the awr .out file or a zip file with multiple awr files (more common) into Sizer

Sizer will then do two things :

  • Process the awr file(s) and create appropriate oracle workloads per this document
  • Provide user with an excel summary file with details on the resulting workloads

AWR file structure

 AWR files do end with .out file extension but are text files. Here is a sample

This sample shows one clustered database where same database is run on multiple hosts.  

Information in an AWR we use for sizer

    • NUM_CPU_CORES_PER_NODE – this is used to determine cores in Oracle workload.
    • INSTANCES – will tell us if clustered when greater than 1
    • DB_NAME – used to name the Oracle workload
    • TOTAL_CORE_COUNT –  Not used as not always in AWR
    • HOSTS – This is needed to determine cores for the Oracle workload
    • PHYSICAL_MEMORY_GB_PER_NODE –  this will be the RAM requirement in the workload.  
    • Database_SIZE_GB –  this will be the database storage.  

How does Sizer come up with the core/ram/storage requirement for the given AWR file (or multiple files in a zip)

Each DB instance (per .out file) is a workload.  Its core/ram and capacity requirements from the awr file becomes the sizing requirements for that workload. 

However, a key point to note here is that due to  the way Oracle is licensed [for the entire cores of the host],  multiple DB instances on the same host are not treated as separate workload with separate core/ram requirements. The workload is at host level with the core and ram for the host as the core and ram requirements for the workload. The storage capacity across all DB instances on the host becomes the stoarge requirement for the workload. 

 

 

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Dashboard

What are key things to know about dashboard?

 

 

The top bar allows you to

  • Create a new scenario (upper left)
  • Search for a scenario
  • Logout (upper right)

You can view My Scenarios (ones you create and thus own) or Shared Scenarios (ones shared by other users).

Shared scenarios are ones shared with you by other users

Each tile shows a summary of a sizing in terms of owner, workloads, etc.  Customer and opportunity requires SFDC login.

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Upload BOM to SFDC

A user can upload BOM directly from Sizer to Salesforce  by clicking “Push BOM to Salesforce” button on the scenario. To create a Generate Quote from Sizer make sure that Sizing has been completed (workloads must be added to the Scenario to enable “Push BOM to Salesforce).

Required User Permissions: Salesforce Login

Steps:

  1. Go to Scenario and click on next to the scenario name.
  2. Click on “Push BOM to Salesforce” action.
  3. Enter Scenario objectives (you won’t see this step if scenario objectives have already been added).
  4. On the“Push BOM to Salesforce” modal, select opportunity name to which BOM will be pushed.
  5. Click on “Push BOM”.

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Salesforce Quote

Salesforce Quotes can be generated from Sizer by clicking “Generate Salesforce Quote” button on the scenario.

Required User Permissions

  • Salesforce Login

To create a Salesforce Quote from Sizer make sure that:

  • A valid and unexpired opportunity exists in Salesforce.com
  • A valid and active Pricebook is associated with the Opportunity in Salesforce.com
  • Sizing has been completed: workloads must be added to the Scenario to enable “Generate Salesforce Quote” button.

Steps:

  1. Go to Scenario and click on next to the scenario name.
  2. Click on “Generate Salesforce Quote” action.
  3. On the “Generate Salesforce Quote” modal, an account should already be pre populated. If you linked opportunity to the scenario while creating the scenario, opportunity and pricebook (if one linked to opportunity in salesforce) should also be pre populated, otherwise please search or enter Opportunity name or ID in the Opportunity textbox. Selecting the Opportunity will populate the pricebook.
  4. Entering the opportunity will enable the “Generate” button if it wasn’t enabled.
  5. You also get the opportunity to review the Financial Assumptions section on this modal.
  6. Click on Generate.

 

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Budgetary Quote

Budgetary Quotes can be generated from Sizer by clicking “Generate Budgetary Quote” button on the scenario. To create a Generate Quote from Sizer make sure that Sizing has been completed (workloads must be added to the Scenario to enable “Generate Salesforce Quote” button).

Required User Permissions: Nutanix Portal or Salesforce Login

Steps to generate a  Budgetary Quote:

  1. Go to Scenario and click on next to the scenario name.
  2. Click on “Generate Budgetary Quote” action.
  3. On the “Generate Budgetary Quote” modal, you get the opportunity to review the Financial Assumptions section on this modal.
  4. Click on Generate.

If quote generation completes successfully, you will see a notification on the page. Budgetary quote will be downloaded on your local system.

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Financial Analysis

In addition to cost comparison of owning legacy and Nutanix products over the next 5 years, Financial Analysis section also shows the estimated savings one can realize by opting for Nutanix Products.

To view Financial Analysis section:

  1. Open a scenario and scroll down on the right section of the page until see you see “Sizing details” selected in the dropdown.
  2. Change the dropdown value to Financial Analysis.

Note: Make sure that on the right section, “All clusters” have been selected in the “Summary For” dropdown.

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Sizer Team

The Sizer team is passionate about building a cool tool for demanding technical users.

We hope that Sizer is your trusted advisor to determine the Nutanix-based solution that best meets your requirements.

A bit about our philosophy.

  • We view sizing (determining the best solution that meets your needs) as a journey vs a destination.   There is always product updates, workload changes, and we are continually working with experts to hone our sizing approaches.  So you will see changes on a monthly basis.  We recognize that can be disconcerting but striving for the best is our goal
  • We don’t try “dumbify” the tool.  We know you need controls and the tool is here to guide you.  We do hope we can hit a range of technical users who are up on Nutanix architecture.  So we have defaults but usually allow you to make edits

We of course hope you like Sizer,  Please send us feedback at sizer@nutanix.com

 

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July 2018 Sprint

hi everyone

A few presents from the Sizer team before SKO. This is our July sprint

– NEC Vendor addition

– Common panel to define license, support and discounts. Just above the workloads on the left. This is where you apply these things for quotes, BOM, financial analysis

– Discounts support in Budgetary quotes – Now can apply discounts in in budgetary quotes. So you can see net price !!!

– Multiple nodes support in Storage capacity calculator – Hey if one node is cool why not more!

– License and Support SKUs support in BOM – we are getting it to be more complete

– Extent Store View in a scenario – We are trying to give you every chart known to mankind .. well at least storage people. Extent store is reported in sizing details and now a nice chart

– Replacing License/Support configuration in quote modals with data from financial assumptions

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May 2018 Sprint

hi everyone

  • We went live with our May sprint

1. Numerous updates to various vendor products – Nutanix, Dell XC, Lenovo, Cisco, HPE, Dell PowerEdge

2. Show Extent Store in Sizing Details

There has been discussion on Usable Remaining Capacity in Sizing Details compared Extent Store.

Usable remaining capacity is what is left after accommodating workloads, RF for the workload, snapshots, etc but also include savings such as compression.

Usable remaining capacity should reflect what the customer will see after deploying their workloads as you defined in Sizer.

Extent store is what storage is “available” for the customer given the recommendation. That value is simply the raw capacity less CVM. It represents what is available to them without any workloads

It is not one is right and other is wrong but answering two different questions and so we are providing both those answers
• In May sprint (now live) you see the usable capacity and now the Extent Store values in the Sizing Details.

Again usable capacity is what is left after accommodating their workloads, while Extent store is what is in totally available to them

• In June sprint we will bring over the Extent store into charts

 

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April 2018 Sprint

Hi everyone

We launched the April sprint today. Key things in this sprint

• Sending a quote for SFDC users now includes support and licenses and not just hardware. We want to tighten the integration with SFDC and more things coming.

• Added Calm support. Now you can select if you want any workload managed by Calm. Sizer then will collect all the workloads requiring Calm and provide the proper SKUs and quantities in the BOM

• VDI Financial Analysis. Now for VDI we are providing an extensive TCO analysis

• Now support NFS in AFS’ application storage along with current SMB protocol

• Improved Storage Calculator by adding more HDD options