Change VMWare Performance

Introduction

This article provides instructions for adjusting performance settings in VMware environments hosting ECA appliances. It is intended for administrators who need to modify VMware configurations to address performance issues or meet specific operational requirements. The guide outlines the procedures necessary to identify, implement, and verify changes, ensuring that adjustments are applied effectively and with minimal disruption to the system.

CPU Performance Monitoring

The ECA application is a mostly CPU intensive operation. If the average CPU utilization of the ECA cluster, as measured from vCenter, averages 75% usage or greater, it is recommended to increase the CPU limit on the ECA cluster.

The default ECA OVA cluster reservation provides 12000 MHz, shared across all the VM's.

To determine if the ECA MHz limit should be increased:

1. Within vCenter, select the OVA Cluster Performance tab.

2. If the average CPU MHZ shows 9000 MHz or greater (75% of the default 12000 MHz), it is advisable to increase the limit. See the procedure below.

CPU Limit Increase Procedure

If it is determined an increase is required, it is recommended to increase by 25% and monitor again.

For example, if increasing from the default limit of 12000 MHz, a 25% increase would add 3000 MHz, resulting in a new limit of 15000 MHz.

12000 MHz * 1.25% = 15000 MHz

To adjust the limit,

1. Select the Resource Allocation tab on the OVA

2. Change the Limit value to the increased value.

   

3. Click OK to apply the settings.

Check Total ESX host MHz Capacity

To determine the total CPU capacity of an ESXi host and its current usage, follow these steps. This process will help you ensure the host has adequate resources available.

1. Access the ESXi Host Summary Tab

   Log in to the vSphere client, and navigate to the Summary tab of the desired ESXi host.

2. Understand the Host's CPU Configuration

   The CPU capacity of an ESXi host is determined by the CPU clock speed (in GHz) and the number of processor cores.

3. Calculate Total CPU Capacity

   • Multiply the clock speed (GHz) by 1,000 to convert it to MHz (since ESXi reports CPU metrics in MHz).

   • Multiply this value by the total number of cores available in the host.

   • Example:

     A host with a CPU clock speed of 2.699 GHz and 16 cores would have:

     2.699 GHz × 1,000 = 2,699 MHz per core
     2,699 MHz × 16 cores = 43,184 MHz total capacity

4. View Current CPU Usage

   • In the Summary tab, check the Current CPU Usage to see how much of the total capacity is being consumed.

   • Example:

     If the host is using 6,136 MHz, it is consuming a portion of the total 43,184 MHz capacity, leaving plenty of unused CPU resources available.

See Also

For information about ECA cluster system requirements, configuration details, and more, see the ECA VM Installation Guide.