The Provider \ Optimize it? dashboard complements vSphere configuration dashboards by displaying the actual vSphere objects, with their relevant information. The dashboard is designed for vSphere administrators and the platform team. The Provider \ Optimize it? dashboard is one of the eight dashboards that checks the environment for optimization opportunities.

Design Considerations

The Provider \ Optimize it? dashboard follows the same design considerations specified in the Consumer \ Correct it? dashboard. The eight Configuration > Review dashboards form an optimization flow and are designed as a set. Use them together, as you go through the optimization review process.

How to Use the Dashboard

The dashboard is organized into three sections for ease of use.

  • The first section covers vSphere cluster configurations:
    • A small cluster has a higher HA overhead when compared to a large one. For example, a three-node cluster has 33% overhead while a 10-node cluster has 10%. For vSAN, a low number of hosts limits the availability option. Your choice of FTT is relatively more limited.
    • Many small clusters result in silos of resources. As a cluster behaves like a single computer, ensure that it has enough CPU cores, CPU GHz, and Memory. For ESXi in 2020, it is typical to have 512 GB of RAM. This results in 12 TB of RAM for a 12-node cluster, which is enough for DRS to place many VMs as it balances them.
    • If there is a lot of reservation, add a list for clusters with a relatively high reservation. If your clusters are of different sizes, use a super metric to convert the reservation value to a percentage.
  • The second section covers ESXi host configurations.
    • Small ESXi. A small host faces scalability limits in running a larger VM. While a 2-socket, 32-cores, 128 GB memory ESXi can run 30 vCPU, 100 GB RAM VMs, the VM experiences a non-uniform memory access (NUMA) effect.
    • ESXi powered off. You can mark the ESXi hosts for decommissioning using the custom property feature of vRealize Operations. You can then create a separate list, so they are not overlooked.
  • The third section cover storage and network.
  • Unused network (distributed port group). This is a potential security risk as you might not monitor it.

Points to Note

  • See the Points to Note section as specified in the Consumer \ Correct it? dashboard. This dashboard follows the same design considerations, and as a result, shares limitations and customization ideas.
  • For CPU cores, a change in vSphere licensing means that the ideal core is 32-cores per CPU socket. This maximizes the software license. For more information, see the vSphere Pricing Model.