HPE GreenLake has set a new standard in how to deploy and manage on-premises infrastructure through pay-per-use IT solutions. It is opening new possibilities to create a cloud-like experiences that simplify IT, create greater levels of control and keep budgets in check. All of this is only achievable because of the unique way that HPE is able to monitor and more importantly meter the resource usage of all of the IT assets in a GreenLake infrastructure.
With so much interest in GreenLake currently, we take a closer look at the role of the metering technology behind the solution.
What is it?
Metering is the foundation of accurate billing and capacity management for every HPE GreenLake solution.
Why is it so important?
Metering is what always enables you to run your GreenLake infrastructure with just enough capacity. There’s no more overprovisioning just in case – it always keeps you ahead of resource demands as it informs when new capacity is needed, so it can be installed just when you need it to ensure there’s always a buffer right-sized to your business. For the first time you can properly utilise your available resources and optimise the economics powering them.
How does it work?
The metering software runs as a lightweight script on all the devices deployed in a GreenLake solution. It periodically pulls data on how the technology is being used, which is then in turn presented in the HPE Consumption Analytics Portal – where all insight on costs and usage can be found. This concise dashboard of charts and reports provides all the information necessary to understand capacity, interrogate trends and create forecasts. There are heaps of standard reports and widgets available straight out-of-the-box to quickly illustrate the information you most want to know.
Depending on the make-up of your GreenLake infrastructure the data available to you will be slightly different. Storage for instance is measured in gigabytes, whereas server usage is measured at the unit level – individual blades for example or even VMs. VM memory consumption is especially useful for working out chargeback per department or project. If GreenLake infrastructure is deployed in multiple locations, you can also see what is being consumed where, which again is useful for cross charging of IT.
The beauty of GreenLake is that this information is always available through the portal. Historic data is archived and can be called upon instantly to create reports, zone in on trends and build alerts – all of which are fundamental to controlling usage, capacity planning and setting budgets.
What can you see?
Metering reveals a lot, but here’s some of the highlights:
Monthly Charges – An interactive report displaying actual usage compared to installed, requested, and committed capacities, and anticipated usage charges.
Capacity Planning – View and forecast usage against installed, requested, and committed capacities to plan for future workloads.
Unique Insights – Customised Insights that assist Capacity Planning and identify opportunities for optimisation.
While the portal is a self-service application and metering is the cornerstone of the GreenLake service it never completely replaces human intervention. Every solution is also monitored by an HPE Utility Delivery Manager who helps to shape parameters, so you always get the most from the data available in the portal.
IT Corporation is a leading HPE partner and GreenLake specialist. If you would like to know more about the solution or even see a demo of the Consumption Analytics Portal, get in touch with one of the team.