Analyzing the idle VMs in your multi-cloud infrastructure

To access the page, in the navigation pane of the TrueSight console , select Cloud Cost Control and click Cost Optimization. By default, the Resource Usage page is displayed that provides a section with a summary of the total idle VMs in your infrastructure and the estimated saving that you can achieve by terminating them. For detailed recommendations per idle VM, click <Number> Idle VMs to terminate. The Idle VMs to terminate page opens.

The page provides a quick overview of the number of VMs that are idle and the estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating them. The page also displays details and recommendations per VM or server. By default, the information for the current month is displayed. 

From this page, you can achieve the following goals:

• Determine the number of idle VMs in your multi-cloud infrastructure.
• Determine the total estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating the idle VMs.
• View and compare the idle VMs across the public and on-premises cloud providers.
• Analyze the total estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating the idle VMs.
• Review the status of the VMs based on the action requested.

To analyze the idle VMs in your multi-cloud infrastructure

Determine the idle VMs in your infrastructure

1. 1. In the navigation pane of the TrueSight console , select Cloud Cost Control and click Cost Optimization. By default, the Resource Usage page is displayed 
   2. Review the idle VMs section on the page that provides the following information:
      • Count of the total idle VMs in your infrastructure 
      • Estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating the detected idle VMs

      • A donut chart that shows how the estimated savings are distributed across the providers.
        

2. Analyze the idle VMs in detail

   On the Resource Usage page, click the Idle VMs to terminate link. 

   The Idle VMs to terminate page opens.

   • The widgets on the page shows a quick summary of idle VMs, such as total number of idle VMs, total estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating all VMs, and savings that you can achieve for each provider.

   • Your cloud planner can take appropriate actions on VMs by reviewing the suggested recommendations. The cloud planner can decide to ignore the recommendations, commit VMs to implement recommendations manually, or request automatic implementation (for AWS only). For more information, see Administering-the-resource-usage-recommendations.

     Based on the action performed on the VMs, they are displayed under the Recommended, Committed, Action Requested, or Ignored tabs.  

   • The table on the page lists all the idle VMs and their details, such as estimated savings that you can achieve by terminating that VM, number of days the VM was detected to be idle, resource configuration, and resource utilization in percentage. 

   

   Every recommendation has an Efficiency icon associated with it. The icon indicates the level of efficiency improvement. It is based on the estimated savings (in $) per month that you can achieve by implementing the recommended actions. One of the following icons is displayed:

   Icon - Efficiency level

    - high 

    - medium

    - low 

   The thresholds for calculating the efficiency level is defined in the associated optimizer rule.

   
   

   Tip

   You can quickly filter the table on a column value. For example, a specific account name. To do so:

   a. Move your mouse over the column value that you want to filter the table data on.

   b. If you see the Filter icon next to the value, click the value. Else, the column value cannot be used as a quick filter. The table displays the data based on the applied filter.

3. Review the recommendations

   For the VM that you want to view recommendations for, click the icon.
   The following recommendation details are provided:

   • Recommended actions that you can implement to optimize costs
   • Efficiency level of the recommendation that is based on the estimated savings per month that you can achieve by implementing the recommended action.
   • Date when this recommendation is generated on. It is the date of the last run of the associated optimizer rule.
   • Duration and time for whcih the VM was idle
   • Duration for which the VM was powered on and powered off
   • Criteria for the recommendation
   • Benefits of implementing the recommendation

   Use the recommendation details and depending on the cloud provider, terminate the idle VM to reclaim the storage space and achieve the estimated cost savings.