Capacity Planning Tool

Spring 2019 Capacity Planning Tool 44th Edition Capacity Planning Tool updates Capacity Planning Tool Administration

This Capacity Planning Tool appendix shares CPT demonstrations used to identify system design requirements and model performance and scalability of proposed GIS operations.

The CPT demonstrations expand on the design concepts discussed in the primary System Design Strategies chapters, where hyperlinks to this appendix demonstrate how the CPT can be used to reinforce core system design concepts introduced in the primary documentation.

The CPT provides a framework for integrating business, data, applications, and technical architecture needs required to design, deploy, and manage successful enterprise GIS operations. This appendix can be used as a resource for learning how to use and apply the CPT in addressing your system architecture design needs.

Each section in this appendix includes a series of videos that demonstrate how the CPT can be used to collect business requirements, select the right software technology, identify the proper platform solution, and model Enterprise system performance and scalability.

=System Design Process (CPT Demos)=

Arc19CapacityPlanning0201 release

This first section will introduce the Capacity Planning Tool and show how the CPT is used in the System Design Process.

The Capacity Planning Tool (CPT) simplifies business requirements data collection and automates system design analysis tasks associated with each phase of the development cycle. This section will introduce the CPT and show how the tools are used to complete a system architecture design.

The system design process starts with a business workflow loads analysis, identifying your GIS workflows and estimating the complexity of your business processes. 
 * Business workflow requirements are identified during a user needs assessment.
 * Project workflows are selected to identify appropriate workflow loads for the CPT design analysis.
 * User locations and network bandwidth are configured for the CPT system requirements analysis.
 * The CPT network suitability analysis identifies required network bandwidth connectivity.
 * Platform architecture is selected to represent your data center hardware configuration.
 * Software is configured to represent your specific workflow installation.
 * The CPT completes the system architecture design analysis, identifies the required platform solution, and generates a projected average workflow performance summary.

=Capacity Planning Tool (CPT)=

The Capacity Planning Tool was developed to automate the system design process. The CPT is an Excel workbook designed as a model to configure business requirements and generate appropriate platform design solutions. Microsoft Excel functions are used to automate the design analysis and identify a design solution that satisfies identified business requirements.

Figure A-1.2 shows an overview of the primary CPT workbook tabs used to configure and complete the system architecture design.
 * SP020119 tab. Service Pack tab is used to share a release history of the CPT upgrades.
 * Needs tab. Provides sample user needs templates.
 * HWPricing tab. Maintains a lookup table for CPT hardware pricing.
 * Test tab. Provides models for translating measured display render times or throughput and utilization to CPT project workflow service times.
 * Hardware tab. Maintains a lookup table for hardware platform relative performance benchmark metrics.
 * PCCalc tab. Provides a Platform Capacity Calculator model that computes peak workflow throughput based on platform selection.
 * Calculator tab. CPT Model for generating project workflow service times from performance benchmarks and for calculating single workflow hardware platform solutions.
 * Workflow tab. Maintains a lookup table for project workflow service times.
 * Design tab. CPT model for generating enterprise level hardware platform solutions based on configured business requirements.
 * Design1 tab. Sample CPT Design tab configuration for use during SADS class exercises.

The CPT Calculator, Workflow, and Design tabs are used in completing a system design. Lookup tables are located in the Calculator, Hardware, and HWPricing tabs to support the CPT design analysis. 

Workflow loads analysis
Figure A-1.3 shows the first steps in preparing for the design process. A clear understanding of your organization is critical in building successful GIS operations. Business planning starts with establishing an enterprise GIS vision, and building an implementation strategy that takes full advantage of your existing business architecture. Identifying the business workflows within your organization that can benefit from GIS information products is an essential ingredient for getting started on the right path to a successful system architecture design. Business needs (user requirements) establish the foundation for selecting a proper system design. Business requirements in the CPT are represented by project workflows.

The first step in completing a system architecture design is to select appropriate project workflows to represent your business requirements. Your selected project workflows identify the processing loads that must be supported by your selected hardware solution to satisfy your business needs. 

CPT User Needs summary: Business workflow requirements
The user needs template shown in Figure A-1.4 can be used to summarize a user needs analysis that identifies project workflows, user locations, and estimated user transaction loads required to satisfy peak business requirements. The template can be modified as required to support your specific business needs.

The user needs summary provides a snapshot of required business requirements for each deployment phase, establishing business requirements that must be supported by the system architecture design solution.
 * Identifies data center network connections and available bandwidth for each user location.
 * Shows business workflow patterns by location to be used in completing the system architecture design.
 * Identifies peak system loads (users or throughput) for each deployment phase (Year 1, Year 2).

The user needs summary should represent the current enterprise vision and goals for the GIS implementation. Building a GIS in multiple system deployment phases can reduce deployment risk and optimize operations as new technology is introduced over time. Business requirements should be reviewed and updated on a periodic basis, with planned reviews before each implementation phase. Business requirements and technology will change over time, and selecting the right technology can improve return on investment when implemented at the right time.

Management should be directly involved in reviewing and approving peak workflow requirements based on reasonable staffing levels and projected business needs, since these workflow load estimates contribute directly to the overall architecture selection and cost of the final system design.

"Best practice: Enterprise level user needs assessment should be completed and approved before starting the System Architecture Design. " 

CPT Calculator tab: Custom workflow loads analysis
The Calculator tab was designed for use in defining custom workflow performance targets. A selection recipe is used to generate appropriate custom workflow service times from a baseline set of performance benchmarks.

The CPT Calculator shown in Figure A-1.5 provides a group of drop-down lists for workflow software technology selection (software, Desktop, Graphics, Density/Portal, complexity, %DataCache, Resolution, Output). A proper software technology selection will generate appropriate GIS workflow performance targets (service times) for use in your system architecture design.

The CPT Calculator can also be used to complete the system architecture design for a selected workflow. There is an option (cell C30) available to select your workflow source (Calculator or Workflow tab).

"Warning: Capacity Planning Tool color scheme: Inputs to the Capacity Planning Tool are provided in the white cells (most inputs are drop-down lists). Formulas for the analysis are included in the colored cells. You should not change the colored formula cells."

"Note: CPT Calculator tab is discussed in more detail in the CPT section on Software performance." 

CPT Workflow tab: Workflow loads definition
Figure A-1.6 shows the CPT Workflow tab. A list of Standard Workflows is maintained in the Workflow tab for simple selection of the most common workflow performance targets. Custom workflows configured on the CPT Calculator tab include an output to the CPT Workflow tab (Calculator Workflow section).

The Project Workflows section is established at the top of the workflow list by including a copy of standard or custom workflows in your project workflow list – selection of your project workflows completes your workflow loads analysis. Once your workflow loads analysis is complete, your selected workflow performance targets will be available at the top of the workflow selection list for use in your system architecture design.

The composite workflow analysis section located at the bottom of the Workflow tab is used to calculate average service times for a use-case that combines two or more component workflows.

"Note: The CPT Workflow tab is discussed in more detail in the CPT section on GIS software technology." 

System architecture design
Once you have identified your project workflows, you are ready to complete your system design. The CPT follows a standard system architecture design process as shown in Figure A-1.7. Each cycle of the system architecture design process includes the following steps:


 * Technical architecture—High-level network diagram showing user site locations, network bandwidth connections, and central data center locations. User location information is collected during the user needs analysis.
 * User requirements analysis—CPT Requirements analysis section is configured to represent the site locations, user workflows, peak loads, and network bandwidth for the enterprise design solution.
 * Network suitability analysis—CPT Design completes the network suitability analysis and identifies any communication bottlenecks. Network bandwidth upgrades are identified to complete the network suitability analysis.
 * Platform architecture selection—CPT Design Platform tier is configured to represent the design solution. Identify platform tier nicknames, select platforms, and identify platform rollover settings.
 * Software configuration—CPT Design Software Configuration module is used to assign workflow software to supporting platform tier (software install) and make workflow data source selection.
 * Enterprise design solution—Once configured, the CPT Design tab completes the system architecture design analysis and provides the platform solution.

The system design process includes the user requirements analysis, network suitability assessment, platform architecture selection, software configuration (installation), and the Enterprise design solution. The CPT was designed to complete the analysis. Once the CPT is properly configured and business requirements are defined, the CPT will complete the system architecture design analysis and display the platform solution. 

CPT Design tab: User requirements analysis
User requirements analysis-A user requirements analysis applies peak business workflow loads to the network and hardware components to identify required design specifications. Information required to complete the user requirements analysis includes user site locations, user workflows, peak workflow processing loads, and network bandwidth (connectivity) for the enterprise design solution. 

Once you identify your business workflows, you are ready to complete a user system loads analysis. The CPT Design tab includes a Requirements Analysis module where you can identify user locations and peak throughput loads.

Figure A-1.9 shows the CPT Design tab Requirements Analysis module. The gray rows represent the data center network connections (LAN, WAN, Internet) while the green rows represent remote site network connections. Workflows for WAN users are located under the data center LAN network. Remote user workflows are located below each remote site network, based on user work locations.

Peak concurrent users and workflow productivity establish system throughput loads that drive the system architecture design. These loads include network traffic that must travel between the user display location and the central data center. Location of the workflow users and how their locations are connected with the central data center can directly impact software technology selection.

"Warning: Capacity Planning Tool color scheme: Inputs to the Capacity Planning Tool are provided in the white cells (most inputs are drop-down lists). Formulas for the analysis are included in the colored cells. You should not change the formula cells."

"Note: An example of an Enterprise user requirements analysis was provided in Chapter 11: City of Rome." 

CPT Design tab: Network suitability analysis
Network suitability analysis—CPT Design completes the network suitability analysis and identifies any communication bottlenecks. Network bandwidth upgrades are identified and upgrades are entered to resolve identified network contention. 

Once you configure the CPT Design tab to reflect your user requirements and identify the network connections, the CPT completes a network suitability analysis. The CPT analysis evaluates network bandwidth and latency to ensure adequate capacity to accommodate peak traffic flow loads. You can then increase network bandwidth as required to accommodate peak traffic loads. Figure A-1.11 shows the business workflow, peak loads, and network bandwidth inputs needed to complete the network suitability analysis. 

Once the business requirements analysis is complete (user locations, peak workflow loads) available bandwidth for each network must be entered in column H. The CPT completes the network suitability analysis, and identifies associated design conflicts (user productivity and network traffic). Analysis results provide information needed to complete the network design. Figure A-1.12 shows the network suitability analysis results once the network upgrades are made.

Once bandwidth upgrades are made, the traffic flow and productivity conflicts are removed.

"Warning: Capacity Planning Tool color scheme: Inputs to the Capacity Planning Tool are provided in the white cells (most inputs are drop-down lists). Formulas for the analysis are included in the colored cells. You should not change the formula cells."

"Note: Network Suitability Analysis was discussed in Lesson 6: Network communications." 

CPT Design tab: Platform architecture selection
Platform architecture selection—CPT Design Platform tier is configured to represent the data center platform architecture structure. Identify platform tier nicknames, select platforms, and identify platform rollover settings. 

The solution architecture used during the design process to identify the platform architecture components and proposed target platform solution.

Figure A-1.14 shows a solution architecture with the following hardware components. 
 * Terminal server tier with hosted ArcMap client applications.
 * Web tier with internal and public Web server components.
 * GIS tier with separate internal and public GIS Server sites.
 * Data tier with separate production and publication data sources.

Figure A-1.15 shows the CPT Design Platform Configuration module. The platform selection (column B) is normally configured first, and platform nicknames followed by a colon can be identified for each tier just above the platform selection in column B. You can also set a rollover setting in column H, telling the Capacity Planning Tool when to add new platforms.

Platform selection is a critical decision in any design process. The selected platform directly contributes to user display performance, platform capacity, and software licensing cost. A faster processor core (column F) improves user performance and reduces license cost. Higher capacity servers (column G) reduce the total number of server machines required to satisfy business requirements.

"Warning: Platform selection directly impacts overall system cost."

Figure A-1.15 shows a generic virtualized data center configuration. Virtual servers are deployed on the WTS tier, Web tier, GIS tier, and the DBMS tier. The WTS tier is supported on the Citrix host platform, and the Web, GIS, and DBMS tier are supported on the Server host platform. Once the platform configuration and names are set, you can complete the system install in the Software Configuration section.

"Note: CPT Design: Platform selection is discussed in more detail in Chapter 8: Platform performance." 

CPT Design tab: Software configuration
Design software configuration—CPT Design Software Configuration module is used to assign workflow software to supporting platform tier (software install) and make workflow data source selection. 

Figure A-1.17 shows the CPT Design Software Configuration module. Once you establish your platform architecture, you are ready to install the workflow software. Software install is defined in the Software Configuration section (columns J through R) for each user workflow.

Workflow software components you must install are identified by colored blocks in the software configuration section.


 * Client workflow software can be installed on any data center platform tier from a drop-down list selection (the drop-down list includes a Default value, as well as nicknames for each of the 15 platform tiers). The Default platform for each column is identified in row 5. You can install each software component individually on each workflow row, or install all rows on the default platform. This provides flexibility to install workflow software in any data center hardware configuration.
 * Data source selection for each workflow is identified in column R.

"Note: CPT Design software configuration patterns are discussed in more detail in the CPT product architecture section." <br style="clear: both" />

CPT Design tab: Enterprise system design
Enterprise design solution—once configured, the CPT Design tab completes the system architecture design analysis and provides the platform solution.

The final system architecture design will represent the network and platform solution that satisfies your identified business requirements. The final hardware selection will directly impact workflow performance, user productivity, and overall system cost.

Hardware cost will vary greatly depending on available platform selection and procurement options. Hardware performance can directly impact software licensing costs. Hardware configuration strategy can impact both performance and cost. Hardware cost and system performance must both be considered to identify the optimum system architecture design. <br style="clear: both" />

CPT Design tab: Minimum Enterprise system design
Once you make your platform selections and install workflow software components (software configuration), the CPT will complete the platform sizing and show the required server configuration (number of platforms and peak utilization levels for each platform tier).

Figure A-1.19 shows a minimum virtual server Enterprise system design solution with two host platform tier. All the software components for each tier are installed on all the platforms supported on that tier. Virtual server host platforms and VM nodes are identified in column I.

Servers for each tier scale out based on the platform rollover settings (column H) to identify the number of nodes required to support peak system loads. <br style="clear: both" />

CPT Design tab: Enterprise system design with Workflow Separation
Figure A-1.20 shows the resulting Enterprise system design configured with workflow separation. The number of virtual server nodes are identified in column H based on the solution architecture (include primary and failover nodes for high availability). Once you make your platform selections and install workflow software components (software configuration), the CPT will complete the platform sizing and show the required server configuration (average peak utilization levels for each platform tier).

The Design tab provides a snapshot view of your user requirements and associated platform solution as a single integrated information product.


 * User workflow requirements show the user location, the peak throughput for each workflow (peak users or transactions per hour); the network bandwidth connecting each user site with the central data center; results of the network suitability analysis showing workflow traffic, site traffic, and network utilization; and the relative display response time for each workflow at each user location (Workflow performance summary).
 * The platform selection area shows your physical or virtual server configurations, along with a diagram of the final platform solution (number of platforms per tier and peak server utilization).

"Note: Chapter 11 provides a case study for the City of Rome, demonstrating how to use the CPT to complete an enterprise system architecture design." <br style="clear: both" />

Platform Capacity Calculator (PCCalc tab)
Figure A-1.21 shows the CPT Platform Capacity Calculator. The Platform Capacity Calculator is located on the PCCalc tab.

The Platform Capacity Calculator provides a peak throughput range for a list of selected Workflows, showing medium complexity output in blue and light complexity output in red. This simple tool answers many of the most important questions customers have when purchasing Esri software (What throughput can I expect from the selected hardware?).

The Platform Capacity Calculator is simple to use.
 * Platform selection is entered in the top white cell at left of the calculator (cell B3).
 * You can select whether you want the output in transactions per hour (TPH) or concurrent users (users) in cell C1.
 * You can identify whether you want results based on a physical server configuration, or for virtual server configurations deployed on the selected physical server (cell E3).
 * Platform capacity is calculated for both light and medium complexity workflows, providing a performance range that applies for most server deployments.

Workflow candidates on the left of the chart can be modified to represent any workflow listed on the CPT workflow tab, including your project workflows. Simply slide the graphic to the side and the workflow selection cells are available directly behind the chart. The total number of workflow candidates can be increased or decreased to by expanding or contracting the workflow rows to satisfy your reporting needs. <br style="clear: both" />

=CPT Capacity Planning videos=

Chapter 1 Capacity Planning Video introduces the Capacity Planning Tool and provides an overview of the System Architecture Design process. The next section shows CPT software technology patterns discussed in Chapter 2: GIS Software Technology.

=Previous Editions= Capacity Planning Tool 43rd Edition

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