Configuring the time frame that vROps uses when calculating capacity and time remaining values

The challenge: Configure vROps so that it will perform capacity based calculations in a way that is less susceptible to historical events.

By default, vROps will use all available data when calculating the amount of capacity and time remaining for an object. In certain situations and scenarios it may be preferable to only use a certain time frame when calculating these values. Examples of such situations could be:

• Upgrading the hardware in a cluster which increases the available capacity
• Large scale provisioning or disposal of virtual machines that cause a significant impact on the amount of used capacity

The capacity and time remaining figures are inextricably linked. Each time capacity is calculated vROps will first work out the capacity remaining and from that the time remaining figures. When calculating these values vROps will use all available data and then try to smooth a curve across the full extent of the data range.

Take the following two images of utilisation of CPU. The two charts both represent real world data. In the first the full data range is shown, which shows a number of events that occurred within this cluster; hardware upgrade and a large scale decommissioning of test VMs. The second is the same cluster but the image has been cropped such that only 90 days worth of data is shown.

Full data range

90 day data range

The diagrams show quite clearly how it is easier to work out the underlying trend line of the data in the second image compared to the data in the first image.

It should also be noted that the underlying algorithms used are particularly susceptible to inaccuracy when the allocation model of capacity management is used, and the issues seen here do not necessarily apply when using either the demand based model or when the demand and allocation models are used in combination.

vROps also has a policy element called ‘Time Range’ which is set by default to 30 days and as per the description within the policy this time range is only used for non trend analytics and has no bearing on the analytical side of vROps which both capacity and time remaining fall into.

As mentioned earlier, vROps will use all available data when calculating capacity and time remaining but there are a couple of additional gotchas that should be considered:

1. The data retained may or may not be as per that configured under ‘Time Series Data’ on the ‘Global Settings’ page. vROps will purge data beyond the value configured here but it will not be instantaneous as the removal of data is a relatively expensive operation and so the amount of data retained may be a few days or weeks beyond this value
2. vROps also rolls up data into coarser grained values but still uses these values when calculating capacity.
3. When changing the time frame value this will affect time remaining, trend views and projects.

To alter the behaviour of vROps so that it uses a specific time frame for capacity calculation a number of steps need to be performed; firstly to alter the time frame and secondly to alter how the rolled up data is used.

DATA TIME FRAME TO USE

Care should be taken when altering files on a vROps node. The file should be backed up prior to making changes.

SSH into every vROps node as the root user

Modify the following file: $ALIVE_BASE/user/conf/analytics/capacity.properties

Change:

historicDataRangeForTrend=-1

To:

historicDataRangeForTrend=90

The number shown here is for 90 days, enter the appropriate number of days that you wish to use

Save the file and exit the editor

Restart all vROps services by issuing the following command as root:

service vmware-vcops restart

ROLLED UP DATA

Depending on the version of vROps that is being used determines how to alter this behaviour. In vROps 6.6 the configuration is now directly exposed in the UI, but in prior versions a configuration change needs to be made on each vROps node

6.6 Modification Change

Alter the global setting ‘Additional Time Series’ from its default of 36 months to 0 months.

Prior to 6.6 Modification Change

Care should be taken when altering files on a vROps node. The file should be backed up prior to making changes.

SSH into every vROps node as the root user

Modify the following file: $ALIVE_BASE/user/conf/fsdb/rollup.properties

Change:

rollupReadEnabled=true

To:

rollupReadEnabled=false

Save the file and exit the editor

Restart all vROps services by issuing the following command as root:

service vmware-vcops restart