Spot Meter for VMware Guide

What is Spot Meter for VMware

Spot Meter for VMware is a metering option that enables manual data extraction from infrastructure systems and uploading into Winthrop without the deployment of a traditional UC6 Meter. Spot Meter is used to drive quick Proofs of Concept, as well as ongoing metering in environments where the technology or security prevents the placement of a traditional meter. With spot meter, the user is responsible for exporting the data from the VMware system manually (using a provided open script), and then uploading the exported data to the Winthrop console. Spot Meter provides security, control, and transparency to the data collection process.

Requirements:

1. Spot Meter (using the provided export script) supports the following versions of VMware:

   a. VMware vSphere Versions: 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, 6.0

2. The export script requires the following:

   a. Windows workstation running Windows XP or higher

   b. A VMware Virtual Center user account with read-only permissions

   c. Installed VMware PowerCLI tool

3. The upload / import process requires:

   a. Credentials to the 6fusion FTP account where you can upload the data

   b. An internet connection

   c. A supported browser

Getting Started

Importing data via Spot Meter for VMware is a simple process. There are 5 steps to be completed, and they are outlined below:

1. Acquire the 6fusion export script here -

2. Confirm you have all the onsite requirements ready to go

3. Connect to vCenter and execute script from workstation with VMware PowerCLI

From the VMware PowerCLI, navigate to the folder where the script was saved, and execute the script:

./vmware-export.ps1

Follow the on-screen instructions. The script will ask for the following input:

• vCenter Server - This is the IP address of your vCenter Server

• Username - Username for authenticating against vCenter

• Password - Password for authenticating against vCenter

• Directory Name - This will be the directory where files are exported, and subsequently this will serve as the name of the zipped-file once the process is complete. This should be named something meaningful to the user (ie: company, export date - company20200131)

The script will:

• Connect to the vCenter server using the username and password

• Generate several CSV files containing the machine metrics information for that infrastructure for the past 30 days (Note: this may take several minutes).

• Compress and store the collection of CSV files into a single ZIP file, named according to the “directory name” provided.

4. Notify 6fusion at [email protected] when your script has finished exporting

5. 6fusion will send you details for a secured FTP address to upload the data

IMPORTANT:

If you should receive an error during the 6fusion data export processing that you cannot resolve, please contact [email protected] and they will be more than happy to assist you with this process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Spot Meter the same as using a regular meter?

Spot meter is not a direct replacement for a traditional meter. UC6 Spot Meter for VMware was designed as an “estimation” tool. It is ideally used for proof of concepts, one-time analysis, kWAC consumption estimation, Infrastructure Analysis, etc. Its methodology provides less granular metering than the UC6 Meter for VMware and as such it is not suitable for use in delivering contracts via UCX or other exchanges.

How is the data exported different than a meter?

When the data is exported from VMWare, virtual center provides average values for every other hour. The Winthrop system will then convert these to hourly averages as part of the import to ensure that you can report at hourly granularity. Any machine created, or removed during the reporting period will be included in the export (Based on user permissions).

How much data can be uploaded?

By default, the export script will export 30 days of data from VMware. The Winthrop system will only import the most recent 30 days of data, regardless of the amount of data provided in the upload file. There are currently no limits on the number of devices that can be uploaded.

Do all features work in UC6 with Spot Meter Data?

Once uploaded into Winthrop, data provided by Spot Meter can be calculated, exported, and reported on like any other data.

Can I use data from other platforms?

The export script only works on VMware at this point. If you are able to export data from other systems into the same file format as that expected by Spot Meter, and can create a Zip file with an MD5 hash in the name, it could be possible to upload that data. It is not recommended that you attempt this without contacting [email protected] first to discuss the impacts and details of this type of approach.

What data is exported by the data export script?

The following files are generated and exported with the process:

(Note you will have one row per item that was observed – ie hosts.csv, datastores.csv, machines.csv)

Hosts.csv

Datastores.csv

Machines.csv

In addition to the above three files, the ZIP file will also include a unique dedicated file for each machine in the export, as follows:

VM_Machine_Name.csv

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