VMware VCENTER CHARGEBACK 1.5 - API Betriebsanweisung

vCenter Chargeback User’s GuidevCenter Chargeback 1.5This document supports the version of each product listed andsupports all subsequent versions unt

vCenter Chargeback User’s Guide10 VMware, Inc.

4 In the Rate Factors tab, set the rate factors for the chargeable computing resources.The rate factor value can be between 0 and 999.99. The applicat

Procedure1 In the Manage Cost tab, click Cost Template.A table listing all the cost templates created in the application is displayed.2 Select the cos

5 Select a resource and define an expression for it.a To include only an attribute, select the required attribute from the Attribute drop-down menu.b

3 (Optional) Modify the name and description on the General tab.4 Select the Expression tab and modify the required expressions.a To modify only the e

The entity-specific cost configuration details for the selected entity and cost model and the specified durationare displayed. If the entity is not co

8 In the Fixed Costs tab, select the required fixed cost from the Apply a Fixed Cost drop-down menu andclick Add to the list.The fixed cost is added t

Set Rate Factors at the Hosts and Clusters LevelvCenter Chargeback lets you set rate factors at the hosts and clusters level. You can charge all the v

Generating Reports 7After you have configured the application, created and configured chargeback hierarchies, and defined costmodels, you can generate

Table 7-1. Report Summary (Continued)Field DescriptionHierarchy The name of hierarchy on which the report is generated. If thereport is generated for

A cost comparison report enables you to compare the costs for two different cost models. The report structureis similar to the cost report with the fo

Installing vCenter Chargeback 2Before you install vCenter Chargeback, you must ensure that the minimum hardware and softwarerequirements are met and t

Option DescriptionSelect a cost modelSelect the cost model to be used for generating the report.If you are generating a report for multiple entities,

Procedure1 In the Reports tab, click Create Reports.2 Select the required chargeback hierarchy from the drop-down menu on the left pane of the page.Th

7 In the Details tab, select the usage-related details and other information to be displayed in the report.Option DescriptionShow these details in rep

Option DescriptionCompare Cost ModelsSelect the cost models to be used for generating the comparison report.Ensure that the selected cost models have

nEmail a Scheduled Report on page 116A scheduled report can be automatically sent through an email to the required recipients when the reportgets gene

nYearly: This option is similar to the Monthly option. You can select themonth and day starting from which the billing has to be done. You canalso def

Reschedule Report GenerationA report generation schedule can be modified to define a new schedule.You must have update privilege on the report schedul

PrerequisitesBefore you perform this task, ensure that the SMTP server is configured on the application.Procedure1 In the Reports tab, click Scheduled

Parameter DescriptionReport scheduling policyThis is reporting duration. The permissible values are daily, weekly,monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, yea

Procedure1 To display only the virtual machines in the report, click the VM View icon, which is the first icon from leftside, above the report.The def

Software RequirementsOther than an operating system, you must have a database management system and a Web browser installedto run and access vCenter C

Procedure1 Click the Schedule Report icon above the generated report.The Schedule Report screen is displayed.2 Enter relevant values for the schedulin

Export ReportAfter a report is generated, you can export it to .rtf, .pdf, and .csv formats.Procedure1 Select the output type.nTo export the report to

Procedure1 In the Reports tab, click Archived Reports.A table listing all the archived reports is displayed.2 Select the report that you want to view.

The report in the PDF format is attached to the email and sent to the marked recipients. If the report size is lessthan attachment size limit set when

Parameter DescriptionNumber of entitiesThe number of entities for which the report is generated. This is a value range.The search result includes repo

4 Select Show this hierarchy in the Report Dashboard against the Cost Model.5 Select a cost model.6 Set the time of the day when the report in the das

vCenter Chargeback User’s Guide126 VMware, Inc.

Monitoring System Health 8The System Health tab acts as a dashboard, providing you with information about and status of the entiresystem. Only a user

Table 8-2. Section in the System Health Tab (Continued)Section InformationGeneral Info This section provides information about the number of vCenter

Administration Utilities 9vCenter Chargeback interacts with various servers and databases. It also stores information about users andvarious component

Prerequisites for vCenter ChargebackBefore installing and running vCenter Chargeback few pre-install tasks have to be preformed.Networking Prerequisit

Procedure1 Run the database password change utility from the command prompt.cd Installation_Directory\vCenter-CB-Tools\database-update\bin Update

Table 9-1. Generic SQL ScriptsScript Name DescriptioncountActiveConnsThis script returns the number of active connections to the database.countRowsTh

Table 9-3. Data Purging ScriptsScript DescriptionpurgeCostDataThis script removes the cost-related data that is older than the specified number of mo

Troubleshooting vCenter Chargeback 10VMware provides a troubleshooting utility and few troubleshooting tips for some of the common issues thatyou migh

3 You can choose to collect the system event logs.The Application log and System log is collected.4 Enter the number of stand-alone data collector ins

SolutionuClick the refresh button next to the vCenter Server hierarchy in vCenter Chargeback.The refresh button is displayed only if there is a change

Non-English Characters Are Not Correctly Stored in the vCenter ChargebackDatabaseYou can store data with non-English characters in the vCenter Chargeb

SolutionuOn the vCenter Server, check whether the statistics collection level is correctly set.For vCenter Server 2.5 Update 3 and Update 4, the stati

CauseThe data collector heart beat is set to 30 seconds. If the data collector fails, vCenter Chargeback waits for atleast 90 seconds before updating

CauseThe issue might occur due to multiple reasons.nThe application-related services are not started or not running.nWindows Firewall is enabled on th

You must provide the details of this vCenter Chargeback database and database user when installing vCenterChargeback. The installer will use these det

Solution1 Check whether the vCenter Server is started and running.2 Check whether the vCenter Server is reachable over the network.3 Check whether the

Solution1 Stop all the VMware Cloud Director Data Collector instances.2 Modify the host and database information for the VMware Cloud Director setup i

3 If you are using SQL Server for the vCenter Chargeback database and using the port number of the nameddatabase instance to connect to it, ensure tha

3 If you are using SQL Server for the vCenter Server database and using the port number of the nameddatabase instance to connect to it, ensure that th

CauseA probable reason might be that the primary group does not come under the provided base DN.SolutionModify the base DN of the LDAP server added to

nThe VI Client was open and connected to the vCenter Server when the application was registered withthe vCenter Server instance.nYou logged in to the

vCenter Chargeback User’s Guide146 VMware, Inc.

IndexAapplicationaccessing 29activate 39authenticate in to 73configure log level 41configuring generic settings 39configuring settings 39managin

enable 51information about 49install vCenter Chargeback Data Collector 31install VMware Cloud Director DataCollector 33install vShield Manager Dat

report generation schedules 113schedule 119types 107view in interactive report view 118resource, permissions defined for 60rolesassign user role

Table 2-1. vCenter Chargeback Pre-Install Checklist (Continued)Item Requirement CheckedType Microsoft SQL Server 2005 or laterOracle Database 10g or

VvCenter Chargebackabout 7architectural overview 8authenticate in to 73chargeback in virtual environment 7cluster 19cluster installation 19confi

Procedure1 Run the vCenter-CB.exe file.The installation wizard is displayed.2 Click Next on the Introduction screen.3 Accept the end-user license agre

6 Enter the IP address and port details for the vCenter Chargeback application, and click Next.Option DescriptionIP AddressStatic IP address of the ma

Option DescriptionDatabase UsernameThe name of the database user. The database user must have privileges toread the VMware Cloud Director database obj

3 Provide the required certificate information and press Enter.You are prompted to enter the some information to be included in the generated SSL cert

vCenter Chargeback User’s Guide2 VMware, Inc.You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:http://www.vmware.co

Installing a vCenter Chargeback Cluster InstanceYou can create a cluster of vCenter Chargeback instances that use the same database and load balancer.

6 Click Use it.The vCenter Chargeback instance will use this existing vCenter Chargeback database.7 Enter the IP address and port details for the vCen

12 Review the information displayed on the Pre-Installation Summary screen, and click Install.The installer starts installing the various components.

4 Provide the path for the installation directory, and click Next.If the specified installation directory exists, ensure that it is empty. If the spec

Option DescriptionLoad-Balancer PortAn unused port through which vCenter Chargeback can communicate withthe load balancer (Apache Server).Server Insta

12 Review the information displayed on the Pre-Installation Summary screen, and click Install.The installer starts installing the various components.

You can also back up the relevant configuration files from the current vCenter Chargeback installation, so thatyou can restore the existing installati

7 (Optional) If you chose to install the VMware Cloud Director Data Collector, enter the VMware CloudDirector database-related information, and click

In earlier releases, any user can view any of the vCenter Servers or cost models. However, starting from vCenterChargeback 1.5, users must be assigned

VMware vCenterChargeback - vShieldManager DataCollector-EmbeddedStarting this service starts the vShield Manager Data Collector instance thatwas insta

ContentsAbout This Book 5 1Introduction to vCenter Chargeback 7What Is Chargeback 7Chargeback Solution for Virtual Environments 7Overview of vCenter C

By integrating VMware Cloud Director with vCenter Chargeback, you can perform the following tasks:nMeter and charge for allocation and usage of VMware

3 Select the relevant data collector download option from the Tools menu.Option DescriptionDownload Data CollectorSelect this option to download the i

6 Provide the details of the vCenter Chargeback database that the data collector must synchronize with thevCenter Server databases, and click Next.Opt

Install VMware Cloud Director Data CollectorIf you want to integrate a vCenter Chargeback instance with a VMware Cloud Director instance, you musthave

Option DescriptionDatabase UsernameThe name of the database user. The database user must have privileges tocreate and delete schema, as well as read f

Install vShield Manager Data CollectorIf you integrate a vCenter Chargeback instance with a VMware Cloud Director instance, you must have avShield Man

Option DescriptionDatabase UsernameThe name of the database user. The database user must have privileges tocreate and delete schema, as well as read f

7 Review the information displayed on the Pre-Installation Summary screen, and click Install.The installer starts installing the data collector. If th

You must also remove the instance name from the list of instances included in theworker.balancer.balance_workers parameter under the Define the LB wor

Configuring Administration Settings 3As an administrative user, you can perform various administrative tasks, such as configuring the LDAP andSMTP ser

Managing a Chargeback Hierarchy 78 6Managing and Configuring vCenter Chargeback Cost Elements 87vCenter Chargeback Cost-Related Elements 87Managing C

Configure the SMTP Server SettingYou must configure the SMTP server setting in vCenter Chargeback to send the generated and archived reportsthrough em

Option DescriptionUser NameUser name to be used for authentication, if authentication type is RequireLogin.PasswordPassword for the user name provided

Option DescriptionerrorThe error level designates error events that might still allow the applicationto continue running.fatalThe fatal level designat

What to do nextIf you have selected the Enable LDAPS option, you must download the certificate from the LDAP server onto your local machine and add it

Option DescriptionLDAP LimitThe maximum number of Windows Active Directory users or groups to befetched and displayed in the Add User Account screen o

Add vCenter Server InformationvCenter Chargeback can calculate overall resource utilization and corresponding cost only for vCenter Serversthat are ad

Option DescriptionDatabase TypeThe database type can be either SQL Server (default) or Oracle.Authentication TypeIf you have set the Database Type to

Option DescriptionvCenter Server PasswordPassword for the user name entered.Database URLURL to access the vCenter Server database.For Oracle Database,

Procedure1 In the Settings tab, click vCenter Servers.A table listing all the vCenter Servers is displayed.2 Select the vCenter Server that you want t

View Data CollectorsvCenter Chargeback stores and displays information about each data collector registered with the application.The data collectors r

About This BookThe vCenter Chargeback User's Guide provides information about configuring and using the chargeback solutionfor virtual environmen

Table 3-1. Information About Data Collectors Registered in the Application (Continued)Information Type DescriptionJob Type The type of the synchroni

Modify Job IntervalYou can control the time interval between two consecutive job runs for jobs that do not run eternally.Procedure1 Click Edit in the

Procedure1 In the Settings tab, click Data Collectors.A table listing all the data collectors registered with the application is displayed.2 Select th

What to do nextAfter you modify a property value, you must restart the data collector for the change to take effect.You can test the connection to the

Modify Super User Password for Cloud Data CollectorsIf you change the password of the super user that was used when installing the VMware Cloud Direct

Procedure1 In the Settings tab, click License.A table listing the details of the license added to the application is displayed.2 Click Replace.The Rep

4 Select an option from the Header Settings section to display the required information in the selected sub-section.Option DescriptionTextThe text tha

In each section, the configured sub-sections will use the space available in the adjacent empty sub-sections.A configured sub-section will first try t

Manage System Health ThresholdsThe System Health tab provides information about the status of the entire system based on the response timeof the vario

Authenticating and Managing Users,Roles, and Permissions 4vCenter Chargeback provides user management features that enable you to manage the various u

Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage yourvirtual environment. To access information about education classes,certifi

Table 4-1. Resource Types Defined in vCenter Chargeback (Continued)Resource Type DescriptionAttribute This resource type refers to any attribute crea

Table 4-2. Permissions Applicable for Each Resource Type (Continued)Resource Type Create Read Update DeleteEntity CostModifySchedule Yes Yes Yes Yes

Table 4-3. Permissions Defined on the Super User RoleResource Type Create Read Update DeleteEntity CostModifyVMware vCenterServerYes Yes Yes Yes NoDa

Table 4-4. Permissions Defined on the Administrator Role (Continued)Resource Type Create Read Update DeleteEntity CostModifyRole Yes Yes Yes Yes NoBi

Table 4-6. Permissions Defined on the Report Generator Role (Continued)Resource Type Create Read Update DeleteEntity CostModifyChargebackHierarchical

Create a RoleApart from the system-defined roles, you can define your own custom roles in vCenter Chargeback. Theseroles can then be assigned to the u

Delete a RoleYou can delete any of the existing custom roles in the application. The system-defined roles cannot be deleted.You must have the Administ

Creating UsersYou can create multiple users and groups in vCenter Chargeback as per your requirements. You must havethe Super User role or the Adminis

What to do nextThe role assigned to the user defines the permission that the user has in the application. You must, however,assign roles to the user o

Create a LDAP GroupLike LDAP users you can also add LDAP groups to vCenter Chargeback.You must have the Super User role or the Administrator role to p

Introduction to vCenter Chargeback 1vCenter Chargeback is an end-to-end cost reporting solution for virtual environments using vSphere. Beforeyou inst

Modify a UserAfter a user is created, you can change the password for the user by using the Modify User feature of theapplication. You can modify the

You can assign only a single role to a user on vCenter Chargeback. If the user already has a role assigned to it,the same is removed and the new role

A user not having the Super User role or the Administrator role can assign a role to other users only on theresources that he has access to. This user

4 Select the user from the table listing the users.If any role has already been assigned to the user on the selected resources, the same is displayed

Option DescriptionLogin in toThe user type.LDAP CodeIf you select LDAP for Login in to, you must specify the LDAP Code for theLDAP server. 3 Click OK.

Managing Chargeback Hierarchies 5vCenter Chargeback interacts with the vCenter Server to determine the utilization of the computing resourcesby variou

3 Select Custom Hierarchy (default).4 Click Create.An empty chargeback hierarchy with the given name is created.What to do nextTo add entities to this

PrerequisitesBefore you begin, you must ensure that the .csv file entries are in the correct format. To know more about theformat of the .csv file ent

The following sample is an example of the contents of such a file:#version 1.5.01,CB-folder,-1,1012,CB-folder-1,1,101,vCenter Chargeback entity3,cbm-v

Add a vCenter Chargeback EntityYou can add vCenter Chargeback entities to a chargeback hierarchy to logically group vCenter Server entitiesin the hier

A chargeback solution for a virtual environment defines a hierarchy with different types of entities such asdepartments, divisions, business units, co

3 Right-click the entity to which you want to add a vCenter Server entity and select New vCenter ServerEntity from the pop-up menu.You can add a vCent

Rename a Chargeback Hierarchy or a Chargeback EntityYou can edit the names of chargeback hierarchies and the vCenter Chargeback entities in them.To pe

Delete a Chargeback HierarchyYou can remove invalid or unwanted chargeback hierarchies from the application.You must have delete privilege on the hier

Move Entities Within a HierarchyYou can move the entities within a chargeback hierarchy. This is particularly useful if you want to rearrangethe entit

Procedure1 In the Manage Hierarchy tab, select the required chargeback hierarchy from the drop-down menu on theleft pane of the page.The collapsed vie

3 Right-click the virtual machine whose cost has to be shared and select Manage cost sharing from the pop-up menu.NOTE This menu option is available

Procedure1 In the Manage Hierarchy tab, select the required chargeback hierarchy from the drop-down menu on theleft pane of the page.The collapsed vie

Managing and Configuring vCenterChargeback Cost Elements 6vCenter Chargeback provides various cost-related elements. These elements enable you to defi

Chargeable Computing ResourceA chargeable computing resource is any computing resource that must be accounted for when calculating theIT operational c

Rate FactorRate factor is the multiplication factor to be used along with the base rate to calculate the charge for a unit ofchargeable computing reso

When you install vCenter Chargeback, the vCenter Chargeback application, the load balancer, and the datacollectors are installed and run on the same m

Billing PolicyA billing policy determines the cost types and the amount of chargeable computing resources units to beconsidered for calculating the ch

Fixed Cost and CPUReservationThis policy takes into account the fixed costs associated with the entity, thereserved capacity of CPU, and the actual ut

external network receive computing resources. For all other resources, the user-defined allocation units is considered for cost calculation. This bill

nCreate a Cost Model on page 93You can create multiple cost models in vCenter Chargeback. Defining multiple cost models enables youto charge different

7 Set the base rate and the corresponding duration for the computing resources.The duration specifies how often the specified rate is charged for the

7 Click Calculate Metrics.The calculated costs are displayed in the Suggested Metrics page of the screen.8 Specify the number of virtual machines in t

5 In the Base Rates tab, modify the base rates for the chargeable computing resources, the duration, and theeffective time period.a (Optional) To fetc

nModify a Fixed Cost on page 98You can modify the fixed costs as and when required.nDelete a Fixed Cost on page 98You can delete invalid or unwanted f

Modify a Fixed CostYou can modify the fixed costs as and when required.You must have update privilege on the fixed cost to modify it.Procedure1 In the

Procedure1 In the Manage Cost tab, click Fixed Cost.A table listing all the fixed costs created in the application is displayed.2 Select the fixed cos