A resource group defines a set of VM hosts that an organization can use for its business services. In addition to the VM hosts, the resource group includes one or more service levels that define the cost of the host resources (vCPUs, memory, storage, and networks) and the service objectives (availability, support response time, and so forth).
All VM hosts that you include in a resource group should be identical in terms of hypervisor technology, operating system version, network configuration, storage repository configuration, and hardware capabilities. This ensures a consistent environment for business services regardless of the host. It also ensures that the resource group’s service levels apply to all hosts.
A resource group can be shared among multiple organizations, which means that each organization’s business services utilize the same resources, or a resource group can be assigned to only one organization, in which case only that organization’s business services consume the resources.
A resource group identifies a collection of VM hosts to which workloads can be deployed. However, a resource group does not includes any costs associated with running workloads on the hosts. A resource group also does not include any service objectives for the workloads (such as host availability or support response time). The resource costs and service objectives are applied to resource groups through the use of service levels.
A service level defines the monthly cost for each type of host resource (vCPUs, memory, storage, and networks). For example, you might set the cost of one vCPU at $25 per month. If a workload requires two vCPUs, $50 is added to the monthly cost of the workload.
A service level can also include service objectives. Objectives typically define measurable behaviors such as host availability (uptime) or support response time and have a cost associated with them. Any service objective costs are added to the monthly cost of a workload that is deployed in the resource group.
A service level can be assigned to multiple resource groups. For example, two identical resource groups might require the same service level.
Multiple service levels can also be assigned to a single resource group. For example, two service levels might have the same host resource costs but different service support levels - the first with 24x7x365 support and the second with 12x5x365 support. The user, when requesting a business service, could select the service level with the desired support level.
As an example, you might create a Business Critical resource group that consists of high-performance hosts intended for mission critical applications and services. You assign the resource group a Platinum service level with costs that reflect the more expensive hardware and service contract. Any business service that is provisioned to the resource group’s hosts automatically inherits the resource and service costs.
Or, you might create a Lab resource group that consists of standard-performance hosts intended for software testing. You assign the resource group a Bronze service level with costs that reflect the less expensive hardware and service contract.