VCF Workload Domain Sizing - Compute and Storage Capacity Planning
Cost optimization in hybrid cloud environments requires balancing infrastructure investment against actual utilization patterns, eliminating overprovisioning while maintaining performance SLAs and availability requirements. Data-driven sizing recommendations based on production telemetry provide more accurate capacity planning than conservative worst-case scenario approaches that historically dominated infrastructure sizing methodologies.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis must span multiple dimensions: capital expenditure (CAPEX) for hardware procurement, operational expenditure (OPEX) for power/cooling/space, software licensing costs, and operational efficiency (labor hours for management). vSAN's scale-out architecture enables incremental capacity addition matching growth patterns rather than forklift upgrades that add capacity in large chunks with significant idle capacity until workloads grow to consume it.
ReadyNode profile updates enabling 30-40% TCO reduction create compelling business cases for infrastructure refresh projects where hardware approaching end-of-support can be replaced with optimally-sized modern servers at lower total cost than continuing to operate oversized legacy infrastructure. CFO-ready business case documentation with specific savings calculations across CAPEX, OPEX, and licensing dimensions enables infrastructure teams to secure budget approval for optimization projects.
Source KB: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/vcf-domain-sizing
KB Number: vcf-sizing
Orchestrator Integration: Automation Workflow
Goal: Automate vcf workload domain sizing - compute and storage capacity planning configuration and validation to reduce manual effort and ensure consistency across environments.
Workflow steps (VMware Aria Orchestrator)
• Create a workflow: 'VCF Infrastructure Cost Analysis and Optimization Engine'
* Inputs: vcfEnvironment (string), analysisScope (string: cluster/domain/instance), optimizationTargets (array)
* Step 1: Collect comprehensive infrastructure inventory via SDDC Manager and vCenter APIs - document all clusters, hosts, storage, network configuration
* Step 2: Gather current hardware specifications - CPU models/cores/sockets, RAM capacity/speed, storage device types/counts, network adapters
* Step 3: Query VCF licensing consumption - calculate core count × host count, map to VCF license entitlements and costs
* Step 4: Analyze actual resource utilization patterns - pull 90 days of performance data from Aria Operations for CPU, memory, storage, network
* Step 5: Identify over-provisioning opportunities using November 2025 ReadyNode profile updates - calculate RAM reduction potential (up to 50% for certain profiles)
* Step 6: Model optimization scenarios:
- Scenario A: Maintain host count, reduce per-host specifications (lower RAM, fewer cores)
- Scenario B: Reduce host count entirely by consolidating workloads on fewer, right-sized hosts
- Scenario C: Mix of A and B for balanced risk/reward
* Step 7: Calculate multi-dimensional TCO impact for each scenario:
- CAPEX savings: (current hardware cost - optimized hardware cost) × number of hosts
- VCF licensing savings: reduced core count × per-core license cost
- OPEX reduction: lower power consumption (kWh), reduced cooling load (BTU), less rack space (U)
- Network efficiency: fewer hosts = fewer switch ports required = switch port cost savings
* Step 8: Risk assessment for each scenario - evaluate downtime risk, performance degradation risk, migration complexity
* Step 9: Generate procurement recommendations with specific SKUs - optimal ReadyNode profiles, memory configurations, storage device counts
* Step 10: Create executive business case document - current state costs, optimized state costs, net savings, ROI timeline, implementation plan
* Step 11: Build implementation roadmap - phased approach for hardware refresh aligned with refresh cycles and budget availability
* Step 12: Setup ongoing cost monitoring - automated monthly TCO tracking, alert on cost increases, trend analysis for budget forecasting
Expected outcome
Data-driven cost optimization roadmap with CFO-ready business case showing 30-40% TCO reduction potential as documented in vSAN cost studies, eliminates guesswork with specific hardware recommendations and savings calculations.
