To create a new project:

1. Perform one of the following actions, then enter a unique project name for the project.:

   • Click Consolidation , then click New Project.

   • In the Project Explorer, click .

2. Select one of the following project types, then click Next:

   • Server Consolidation: The project produces a recommendation for the best placement of workloads with respect to concurrent execution and CPU and memory headspace requirements.

   • Workload Protection: The project produces a recommendation for deployment of workloads for disaster recovery. Specify existing virtual servers or use server templates to build a scenario.

   • Both: The project produces a recommendation for both consolidation and protection. For example, optimally consolidate servers, and provision the remaining headroom for data protection.

   A workload cannot be provisioned for both consolidation and protection in the same project.

3. Identify the workloads you want to include in the project and include them in the Workloads to Consolidate panel or the Workloads to Protect panel in one of the following ways:

   • From the tree on the left, drag workloads and drop them into the Workloads to Consolidate panel or into the Workloads to Protect panel on the right.

   • In the right pane, select the servers and click the arrow pointing to the panel to which you want to add them.

   If the existing virtual hosts have been inventoried by PlateSpin Recon, they can be added to the project as potential target servers. The existing servers take precedence over the server template that you provide when generating scenarios. Select any virtual hosts that exist in your environment to be used for consolidation or protection. Drop the target servers into either the Protection or Consolidation panel.

   NOTE:

   • PlateSpin Recon always considers a Solaris 10 machine as a target server for consolidation because the machine has the global zone enabled by default. Therefore, you cannot consider a Solaris 10 machine as a consolidation source.

   • Servers cannot be targeted for both consolidation and protection within the same project.

   To remove a server from the Workloads to Consolidate panel or the Workloads to Protect panel, select the server in the panel, then click the arrow that points to the server list.

4. Click Next and set the date and time range to summarize the workload data.

   Date Range and Business Days are required for calculating the 24H profile of workloads.

5. (Optional) To manually set workload scaling factors, click Advanced.

   1. In the Workload Scaling dialog box, use the slide controls to adjust values or type the desired number.

      Workloads can be scaled across five dimensions to account for workload variability and projected growth. Server resources allocated to workloads on target servers are based on scaled workloads. By scaling workloads upward, more server resources might be required, potentially resulting in lower consolidation ratios. When scaling pointers are moved, workload scaling factors change.

      Workloads cannot be scaled below their peak hourly averages.

   2. Click OK.

6. Click Next and select forecast options and a trend type.

   Workloads can be forecasted to account for future growth.

7. Click Next and specify the following values or deselect the Enable Power and Cooling check box if these values are not to be included:

   • Energy Cost: Cost of energy per kilowatt hour.

   • Server Derating Factor: Percentage of total energy consumption by the average server. For example, a server rated at 800 watts uses 400 watts with a server derating factor of 50%.

8. Click Create.

   The new project is displayed in the Project Explorer.