Creating an estimate for Power Virtual Server resources in an IBM data center
Before you deploy a Power Virtual Server with cloud resources, such as virtual server instances, storage volumes, shared processor pools, virtual tape libraries, or dedicated hosts, it is important that you create an estimate to understand the associated costs. You can use the cost estimator to estimate the cost of the IBM® Power® Virtual Server resources before you deploy them in an IBM data center or in a client location.
You can create an estimate by specifying the parameters for your Power Virtual Server resources. You can customize the resource quantities based on your business requirement and view the estimated cost. Based on your selection, you can view the estimated cost of your Power Virtual Server resources. You can connect with your IBM Business Partner or contact IBM to place your order.
You are not charged for creating an estimate. The resources that you estimate can be deployed only after a workspace is created.
Estimating Power Virtual Server resources in an IBM data center
You can create an estimate for Power Virtual Server resources in an IBM data center where the infrastructure is hosted and managed by IBM. To create an estimate, complete the following steps:
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Log in to the IBM Cloud catalog with your IBM credentials.
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Search for Power Virtual Server in the search box for IBM Cloud catalog.
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Click the Power Virtual Server tile.
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Click Estimate Cost. You are redirected to the Estimate cost page for Power Virtual Server.
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Select IBM data center from the Location type list.
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Select an IBM Cloud region from the Location list.
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From the Estimate resource section, select one of the following resources to learn about the available options and fields for generating an estimate. Each section provides detailed guidance to help you configure the resources based on your business needs. After reviewing the relevant section, return here to continue with the estimation process.
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In the Summary panel, review the estimated cost and click Add to estimate. The Estimate panel is displayed.
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From the Add product to estimate list, select Create new estimate. The Create new estimate panel is displayed.
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Enter a name for the estimate in the Name field.
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Optional: Enter a description for the estimate in the Description (optional) field.
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Click Create. You are redirected to the Estimate panel.
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Click Save.
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Click View estimate to open the estimate in a new tab. You can use the Action menu to export the estimate in XLSX, CSV, or PDF format.
Estimating a virtual server instance
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a virtual server instance in a Power Virtual Server workspace:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Number of virtual servers | Specify the number of virtual server instances that you want to estimate in a Power Virtual Server workspace. |
| Operating system | Select an operating system from the list that meets your workload requirements. |
| Configure for Epic workloads (AIX) | Select this checkbox if you want to deploy epic workloads on E980, E1080, or E1180 Power Systems with Tier 1 storage and dedicated cores, at a shared-capped price. When you select this indicator, the other dependent fields are automatically filled. To learn more about epic workloads, see Configuring a VM for Epic workloads. |
| Add to a shared processor pool | Select this checkbox if you want to use shared processor pool. A shared processor pool is a pool of processor capacity that is shared between a group of virtual server instances (VM). |
| Machine type | Select the required Power system from the list. |
| Core type |
Select the core type. The available options are:
|
| Cores | Specify the number of cores that you need. The minimum cores that you can specify is 0.25 for shared capped and shared uncapped core types. For dedicated core type, the minimum cores that you can specify is 1. |
| Memory (GiB) | Specify the memory size. The minimum memory size that you can specify is 2 GiB. |
| Storage tiers | Each estimated virtual server instance must have an associated boot volume. Total boot volume storage is multiplied by the number of estimated instances. You can choose from Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 3, or Fixed IOPs. You cannot add a separate boot volume estimation. Hence, you must define the storage volume value by considering the boot volumes and data volume that you might need. |
You can perform the following actions based on the type of OS:
- IBM i: Assign an IBM i software tier to your instance to restrict the number of CPUs and the amount of memory that can be assigned to the instance. For more information, see Estimating an IBM i workloads with IBM i software tier.
- Linux for SAP (HANA): Select an SAP certified profile. For more information, see Estimating SAP workloads.
Estimating a Power Virtual Server instance with an IBM i software tier
A virtual software tier limits the size of the virtual machines (VMs) for a particular pricing tier, but the tiers can run on any system. The IBM i software tier is used for the software pricing of operating system (OS) and IBM i Licensed Program Products (LPP). When you assign an IBM i software tier to an instance, the number of CPUs and the amount of memory that can be assigned to the instance is restricted by the IBM i software tier. For more information, see Assigning an IBM i software tier to an IBM i Power Virtual Server instance.
You can create an estimate of the Power Virtual Server instance with an IBM i software tier before you deploy the instance. To assign an IBM i software tier to an IBM i Power Virtual Server instance, meet the following prerequisites:
- IBM i image version is 7.3 or later
- VSN is assigned to the instance
- Machine type is IBM Power10 or later
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create a Power Virtual Server instance with an IBM i software tier:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Select IBM i from the Operating system list. |
| Version | Select the required IBM i version 7.3 or later from the Version list. |
| Virtual serial number (VSN) | Set Virtual serial number (VSN) to Assigned to allocate a VSN to the VSI. VSN allocation enables IBM i software tiering options and does not impact the cost of the VSI. |
| IBM i Licenses | Select the appropriate IBM i licenses. The available options are: – IBM i Cloud Storage Solution – IBM i Power HA – Rational Dev Studio for IBM i |
| Machine type | Select an IBM Power10 or later Power system from the list. |
| Cores | Specify the number of cores that you need. The minimum cores that you can specify is 0.25 for shared capped and shared uncapped core types. For dedicated core type, the minimum cores that you can select is 1. |
| Memory (GiB) | Specify the memory size. The minimum memory size that you can specify is 2 GiB. |
| IBM i software tier | Based on the machine type, a list of supported IBM i software tiers is displayed. A text message with the recommended IBM i software tier is displayed after the IBM i software tier field based on the number of cores and memory size you select. You can select the recommended IBM i software tier from the IBM i software tier list or other options from the list. |
Estimating SAP workloads
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a Power Virtual Server instance with SAP workloads:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Operating system |
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| Linux image type | Select the required Linux image type. Available options are SUSE and Red Hat Enterprise. |
| Machine type |
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| Advance Configuration | Set SAP RISE deployment to on to estimate the cost of a Power Virtual Server instance with an SAP certified profile - Standard RISE or Application Server. |
| Profile | Select an SAP HANA, a Standard RISE, or an Application Server profile. |
The SAP certified profiles are available with IBM Power10 or later servers.
To learn more on how to create an instance, see Configuring a Power Virtual Server instance.
Estimating a storage volume
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a storage volume in a Power Virtual Server workspace:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Number of volumes | Specify the number of volumes that you need. The minimum number of volumes that you can specify is 1. |
| Tier | Select Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 3, or Fixed IOPs from the Tier list. |
| Total storage (GB) | Specify the total storage. The minimum total storage that you can specify is 1 GB. |
Estimating a shared processor pool
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a shared processor pool in a Power Virtual Server workspace:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Number of pools | Specify the number of pools that you need. The minimum number of pools that you can specify is 1. |
| Machine type | Select the required Power system from the list. |
| Reserved cores | Specify the number of cores that you want to reserve. |
To learn more about a shared processor pool, see Managing a shared processor pool.
Estimating a virtual tape library
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a virtual tape library (VTL) in a Power Virtual Server workspace:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Number of VTLs | Specify the number of virtual tape library instances that you need. The minimum number of VTL that you can specify is 1. |
| Licensed repository capacity (TB) | Specify the size of your repository capacity that determines which software license is needed. The minimum licensed repository capacity that you can specify is 1 TB. |
| Machine type | Select the required Power system from the list. |
| Core type | Select the core type. The available options are: Shared uncapped: Shared among other clients. Shared capped: Shared, but resources do not expand beyond those that are requested (used mostly for licensing). Dedicated: Resources are allocated for a specific client (used for specific third-party considerations). |
| Cores | Specify the number of cores that you need. The minimum cores that you can specify is 0.25 for shared capped and shared uncapped core types. For dedicated core type, the minimum cores that you can select is 1. |
| Memory (GB) | Specify the memory size. The minimum memory size that you can specify is 2 GiB. |
| Storage tiers | Optional. You can click Add volume + to attach storage volumes to your estimate. You can choose from Tier 0, Tier 1, Tier 3, or Fixed IOPs. You cannot add a separate boot volume estimation. Hence, enter the storage volume by considering the boot volumes and data volume that you might need. |
To learn more about virtual tape libraries, see Managing a virtual tape library.
Estimating a dedicated host
The following table explains the fields that you can use to create an estimate for a dedicated host in a Power Virtual Server workspace:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Number of dedicated hosts | Specify the number of dedicated hosts that you want to reserve. |
| Machine type | From the list of available systems, select the Power system that you want to use as a dedicated host. |
To learn more about dedicated host, see Getting started with dedicated host.
Estimating a vPMEM volume
To create an estimate of a Virtual Persistent Memory (vPMEM) volume on a Power10 or later system, you must update the following fields:
| Field | Action |
|---|---|
| Operating system | Select AIX or Linux for SAP (HANA). |
| Image type | Select the required AIX or Linux image type. |
| Machine type | Select Power10 or later system from the list. |
| Advance Configuration | Set Virtual persistent memory volumes to on. Select the existing vPMEM or you can create a vPMEM volume to add to the VSI. |
When you add a vPMEM volume to a VSI with AIX OS, the vPMEM volumes use memory in addition to the base memory. The total cost is calculated based on the total memory usage.
When you add a vPMEM volume to a VSI with SAP (HANA) profile, select the SAP certified profile that supports vPMEM volume. The total memory of the VSI that is the base memory with vPMEM memory, the overall memory consumption, and the cost of the memory remains the same.
Contacting IBM to place an order
To begin the ordering process for IBM Power Virtual Server through an IBM Business Partner, complete the following steps:
- Share the downloaded estimate with your IBM Business Partner.
- Initiate a discussion with the partner to:
- Plan your infrastructure configuration
- Define data‑center requirements
- Explore possible savings plans
- Finalize the order
If you do not work with an IBM Business Partner, contact IBM through email or book a meeting with an IBM expert.
For more information about creating an estimate for Power Virtual Server Private Cloud resources, see Creating an estimate for Power Virtual Server resources in a client location.