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Explore savings in Workload Factory for Databases

Contributors netapp-rlithman
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Explore savings for your database workloads by comparing the costs of using Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) and FSx for Windows File Server storage with FSx for ONTAP storage.

Workload Factory provides a savings calculator so you can compare various cost components of running Microsoft SQL Server workloads like storage, compute, SQL license, snapshots, and clones for your database workloads on FSx for ONTAP file systems against Elastic Block Store (EBS) and FSx for Windows File Server storage. Depending on your storage requirements, you might find that FSx for ONTAP file systems are the most cost effective for your database workloads. The calculator displays whether the storage for the database workloads on these Microsoft SQL Servers would cost less if you used an FSx for ONTAP file system.

A screenshot of the savings calculator page shows the selected Microsoft SQL Server on Amazon Elastic Block Store configuration on the left with the option to customize snapshot and clone values. Cost savings in dollar amount and percentage savings as well as the total monthly cost for using Microsoft SQL Server on FSx for ONTAP and Elastic Block Store storage display on the left.

If Workload Factory determines that you could save money by running these workloads on an FSx for ONTAP file system, you can deploy Microsoft SQL over FSx for ONTAP directly from the calculator in Workload Factory. When you have multiple Microsoft SQL Server instances over Elastic Block Store or FSx for Windows File Server storage, we'll recommend an FSx for ONTAP configuration with a single SQL instance.

Calculator options

Two calculator options are available for making the cost comparison between your systems and FSx for ONTAP — customization and detection.

Explore savings via customization: You provide the configuration settings for Microsoft SQL server on Amazon EC2 with EBS or FSx for Windows File Server including the region, deployment model, SQL server edition, monthly data change rate, snapshot frequency, and more.

Explore savings for detected hosts: Workload Factory links to your existing Microsoft SQL servers and pulls in the details to the calculator for automatic comparison. You'll need to grant automate permissions to use this calculator option. You can change the use case, but all other details are automatically determined in the calculation.

Explore savings via customization

Follow the steps under the tab for your storage type.

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Steps

  1. Log in to the Workload Factory console

  2. From Databases, select Explore savings then Microsoft SQL Server on EBS.

  3. In the Savings calculator, provide the following details:

    1. Region: Select a region from the dropdown menu.

    2. Deployment model: Select a deployment model from the dropdown menu.

    3. SQL server edition: Select the SQL server edition from the dropdown menu.

    4. Monthly data change rate (%): Enter the percentage that clone and snapshot data changes on average per month.

    5. Snapshot frequency: Select a snapshot frequency from the dropdown menu.

    6. Number of cloned copies: Enter the number of cloned copies in the EBS configuration.

    7. Monthly SQL BYOL cost ($): Optionally, enter the monthly SQL BYOL cost in dollars.

    8. Under EC2 specifications, provide the following:

      • Machine description: Optionally, enter a name to describe the machine.

      • Instance type: Select the EC2 instance type from the dropdown menu.

    9. Under Volume types, provide the following details for at least one volume type. IOPS and throughput apply to certain disk type volumes.

      • Number of volumes

      • Storage amount per volume (GiB)

      • Provisioned IOPS per volume

      • Throughput MB/s

    10. If you selected the Always On availability deployment model, provide details for Secondary EC2 specifications and Volume types.

  4. Review the calculations and recommendation provided on the page.

    Additionally, scroll down to the bottom of the page to Export PDF or View calculations.

Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Steps

  1. Log in to the Workload Factory console

  2. From Databases, select Explore savings then Microsoft SQL Server on FSx for Windows.

  3. In the Savings calculator, provide the following details:

    1. Region: Select a region from the dropdown menu.

    2. Deployment model: Select a deployment model from the dropdown menu.

    3. SQL server edition: Select the SQL server edition from the dropdown menu.

    4. Monthly data change rate (%): Enter the percentage that clone and snapshot data changes on average per month.

    5. Snapshot frequency: Select a snapshot frequency from the dropdown menu.

    6. Number of cloned copies: Enter the number of cloned copies in the EBS configuration.

    7. Monthly SQL BYOL cost ($): Optionally, enter the monthly SQL BYOL cost in dollars.

    8. Under FSx for Windows File Server settings, provide the following:

      • Deployment type: Select the deployment type from the dropdown menu.

      • Storage type: SSD storage is the supported storage type.

      • Total storage capacity: Enter the storage capacity and select the capacity unit for the configuration.

      • Provisioned SSD IOPS: Enter the provisioned SSD IOPS for the configuration.

      • Throughput (MB/s): Enter throughput in MB/s.

    9. Under EC2 specifications, select the Instance type from the dropdown menu.

  4. Review the calculations and recommendation provided on the page.

    Additionally, scroll down to the bottom of the page to Export PDF or View calculations.

Explore savings for detected hosts

Workload Factory enters the detected Elastic Block Store and FSx for Windows File Server host characteristics so that you can explore savings automatically.

Before you begin

Complete the following prerequisites before you begin:

  • Make sure you grant automate permissions in your AWS account to detect Elastic Block Store (EBS) and FSx for Windows systems in your Databases inventory.

  • Detect hosts in EBS and FSx for Windows storage in your Databases inventory. Learn how to detect hosts.

Follow the steps under the tab for your storage type.

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Steps

  1. Log in to the Workload Factory console.

  2. In the Databases tile, select Explore savings then Microsoft SQL Server on FSx for Windows from the dropdown menu.

    If Workload Factory detects EBS hosts, you'll be redirected to the Explore savings tab. If Workload Factory doesn't detect EBS hosts, you'll be redirected to the calculator to explore savings via customization.

  3. In the Explore savings tab, click Explore savings of the database server using EBS storage.

  4. In the Savings calculator, optionally, provide the following details on clones and snapshots in your EBS storage for a more accurate cost savings estimate.

    1. Snapshot frequency: Select a snapshot frequency from the dropdown menu.

    2. Clone refresh frequency: Select the frequency that clones refresh from the dropdown menu.

    3. Number of cloned copies: Enter the number of cloned copies in the EBS configuration.

    4. Monthly change rate: Enter the percentage that clone and snapshot data changes on average per month.

  5. Review the calculations and recommendation provided on the page.

    Additionally, scroll down to the bottom of the page to Export PDF or View calculations.

Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Steps

  1. Log in to the Workload Factory console.

  2. In the Databases tile, select Explore savings then Microsoft SQL Server on FSx for Windows from the dropdown menu.

    If Workload Factory detects FSx for Windows hosts, you'll be redirected to the Explore savings tab. If Workload Factory doesn't detect FSx for Windows hosts, you'll be redirected to the calculator to explore savings via customization.

  3. In the Explore savings tab, click Explore savings of the database server using FSx for Windows File Server storage.

  4. In the Savings calculator, optionally, provide the following details on clones (shadow copies) and snapshots in your FSx for Windows storage for a more accurate cost savings estimate.

    1. Snapshot frequency: Select a snapshot frequency from the dropdown menu.

      If FSx for Windows shadow copies are detected, the default value is Daily. If shadow copies aren't detected, the default value is No snapshot frequency.

    2. Clone refresh frequency: Select the frequency that clones refresh from the dropdown menu.

    3. Number of cloned copies: Enter the number of cloned copies in the FSx for Windows configuration.

    4. Monthly change rate: Enter the percentage that clone and snapshot data changes on average per month.

  5. Review the calculations and recommendation provided on the page.

    Additionally, scroll down to the bottom of the page to Export PDF or View calculations.

Deploy Microsoft SQL Server on AWS EC2 using FSx for ONTAP

If you'd like to switch to FSx for ONTAP to realize cost savings, click Create to create the recommended configuration(s) directly from the Create new Microsoft SQL server wizard or click Save to save the recommended configuration(s) for later.

Note Workload Factory doesn't support saving or creating multiple FSx for ONTAP file systems.
Deployment methods

In automate mode, you can deploy the new Microsoft SQL server on AWS EC2 using FSx for ONTAP directly from Workload Factory. You can also copy the content from the Codebox window and deploy the recommended configuration using one of the Codebox methods.

In basic mode, you can copy the content from the Codebox window and deploy the recommended configuration using one of the Codebox methods.