Chargeback reports

Configure the chargeback reports to include block and file storage and to calculate the cost of the block and file storage that is used by the storage consumers.

You configure, schedule, and send chargeback reports so that the owners and managers of storage resources:
  • Know the cost of maintaining the block data and file data that they use
  • Know the cost of maintaining block data on each tier of storage
  • Know the cost of maintaining block copy data

Include total block and file capacity in the report

In the Configure Report section, you choose the types of storage that you want to show in the report. For example, if you click the File Storage check box, the names of the resources and the total file capacity that the resources use are shown in the report.

For block storage, you can show the total storage capacity and, if your storage is tiered, the total capacity by tier. You can also break down the total block capacity into total primary capacity and total copy capacity.

Tip: The recipient of the report, such as the application owner, sees that the capacity for copy data is high for tier-1 storage. To reduce costs and use the block storage more efficiently, the application owner can ask the storage administrator to place the volumes that are used for copy data on lower and less expensive storage tiers. The storage administrator can also analyze the tiering of the pools to make sure that the application's performance is not affected when the copy data volumes are moved to lower storage tiers.

Include block and file costs in the report

In the Set Storage Cost section, you set the cost per TiB of storage that the resources use. The total cost of the storage that is used is shown in the Cost column in the report.

For block storage, you set the costs as follows:
  • If your storage environment is tiered, you set the price per TiB for each tier of storage
  • If your storage environment is not tiered, you set the price per TiB for all of your block storage
  • If your storage environment contains tiered and non-tiered storage, you can set the price per TiB for the tiered storage, but you can't set a price for the non-tiered storage. Although you can't set the cost for the non-tiered storage, the capacity of the non-tiered storage that is used is calculated.
If you assign your block storage pools to tiers, you can differentiate between the cost of expensive tier-1 storage and the cost of the less expensive storage that is used on the lower tiers of storage.

For file storage, you set a price for all of the file storage that is used by your resources.

When you configure chargeback reports, you can send the report immediately or schedule the report to be sent every day, every week, or every month.
Tip: If your storage environment changes, you should check whether you need to update your scheduled reports. For example, if you add a storage tier, you can edit the report and set the price for the new tier.