Capacity and load analysis using storage attributes

Abstract

A method includes determining a capacity model that configures computing resource capacity for a capacity container. The computing resource capacity includes a first storage attribute for an amount of storage in a storage component. A load model is determined that configures load for the capacity container. The load includes a second storage attribute for a storage requirement for a virtual machine. A profile of a virtual machine unit is determined for estimating available capacity in a capacity container. The profile is determined using virtual machine attributes for a set of virtual machines, wherein the virtual machine unit includes a storage requirement based on requirements for the set of virtual machines. The profile of the virtual machine unit is fit into available capacity. A number of virtual machine units is determined based on the fitting, the number of virtual machine units being a measure of available capacity.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining a capacity model that configures computing resource capacity for a capacity container;   determining a load model that configures load for the capacity container;   estimating an available capacity in the capacity container based at least in part on a capacity of a plurality of host devices in the capacity container, each of the plurality of host devices comprising one or more virtual machines executing thereon;   fitting a profile of a virtual machine into the available capacity;   determining a quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting;   upon determining the quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receiving a request to perform one or more of the following: add a host device, remove a host device, or restore a host device previously deleted in the capacity container;   based on adding a host device, removing a device host, or restoring a host device previously deleted in the container, estimating a second available capacity in the capacity container;   fitting the profile of the virtual machine into the second available capacity; and   determining a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 upon determining a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receiving a request to add one or more virtual machines;   upon adding the one or more virtual machines, estimating a third available capacity in the capacity container;   fitting the profile of the virtual machine into the third available capacity; and   determining a third quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual machine unit is an average virtual machine determined based on virtual machine attributes for a set of virtual machines. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fitting process places a virtual machine on a host device, and the fitting process determines if a storage requirement for the virtual machine is satisfied by an amount of storage in a storage component accessible to one or more host devices in the container. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein estimating the available capacity is based on the capacity model and historical usage data of capacity based on a set of virtual machines in the capacity container, the available capacity being capacity available for deployment of new virtual machine units in the capacity container. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the capacity model comprises a set of storage components, wherein storage components are coupled to host devices in a topology, wherein the fitting comprises:
 placing the virtual machine unit on a host device in the plurality of host devices;   determining if the host device has access to enough available storage in one or more storage components coupled to the host device in the topology; and   determining the virtual machine unit fits on the host device if the host device has access to enough available storage.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: the computing resource capacity includes a data storage attribute that includes a storage artifact, the storage artifact is an option for data storage in a storage component, and the option is used to estimate an amount of data storage in a storage component needed by the virtual machine unit. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the option comprises a thin provisioning, a thick provisioning, or a linked clone provisioning. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising outputting a visualization of the quantity of virtual machine units based on the fitting, the visualization showing a trend curve of historical capacity usage shown in virtual machine units and a forecast curve based on the determined quantity of virtual machine units. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a capacity model that configures computing resource capacity for a capacity container;   a load model that configures load for the capacity container; and   a processor programmed to:
 estimate an available capacity in the capacity container based at least in part on a capacity of a plurality of host devices in the capacity container, each of the plurality of host devices comprising one or more virtual machines executing thereon; 
 fit a profile of a virtual machine into the available capacity; 
 determine a quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting; 
 upon determining the quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receive a request to perform one or more of the following: a) add a host device, remove a host device, or restore a host device previously deleted in the container, and b) add a datastore, remove a datastore, or change an existing datastore; 
 based on the received request, estimating a second available capacity in the capacity container; 
 fitting the profile of the virtual machine into the second available capacity; and 
 determining a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:
 upon determining a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receive a request to add one or more virtual machines;   upon adding the one or more virtual machines, estimate a third available capacity in the capacity container;   fit the profile of the virtual machine into the third available capacity; and   determine a third quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the virtual machine unit is an average virtual machine determined based on virtual machine attributes for a set of virtual machines. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the fitting process places a virtual machine on a host device, and the fitting process determines if a storage requirement for the virtual machine is satisfied by an amount of storage in a storage component accessible to one or more host devices in the container. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein estimating the available capacity is based on the capacity model and historical usage data of capacity based on a set of virtual machines in the capacity container, the available capacity being capacity available for deployment of new virtual machine units in the capacity container. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the capacity model comprises a set of storage components, wherein storage components are coupled to host devices in a topology, wherein the fitting comprises:
 placing the virtual machine unit on a host device in the plurality of host devices;   determining if the host device has access to enough available storage in one or more storage components coupled to the host device in the topology; and   determining the virtual machine unit fits on the host device if the host device has access to enough available storage.   
     
     
         16 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media comprising instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 determine a capacity model that configures computing resource capacity for a capacity container;   determine a load model that configures load for the capacity container;   estimate an available capacity in the capacity container based at least in part on a capacity of a plurality of host devices in the capacity container, each of the plurality of host devices comprising one or more virtual machines executing thereon;   fit a profile of a virtual machine into the available capacity;   determine a quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting;   upon determining the quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receive a request to perform one or more of the following: a) add a host device, remove a host device, or restore a host device previously deleted in the container; and b) add a datastore, remove a datastore, or change an existing datastore;   based on the received request, estimate a second available capacity in the capacity container;   fit the profile of the virtual machine into the second available capacity; and   determine a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable media  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
 upon determining a second quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting, receive a request to add one or more virtual machines;   upon adding the one or more virtual machines, estimate a third available capacity in the capacity container;   fit the profile of the virtual machine into the third available capacity; and   determine a third quantity of virtual machines based on the fitting.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the virtual machine unit is an average virtual machine determined based on virtual machine attributes for a set of virtual machines. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the fitting process places a virtual machine on a host device, and the fitting process determines if a storage requirement for the virtual machine is satisfied by an amount of storage in a storage component accessible to one or more host devices in the container. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein estimating the available capacity is based on the capacity model and historical usage data of capacity based on a set of virtual machines in the capacity container, the available capacity being capacity available for deployment of new virtual machine units in the capacity container.