How To Use Nutanix Sizer for Efficient Solution Design

Nutanix Sizer, paired with this blog, makes designing hybrid multicloud solutions incredibly simple for you.

Are you a sales engineer looking to design optimal solutions for your customers' workloads in a seamless and efficient manner? Look no further than the Nutanix Sizer tool! When designing the right infrastructure solution for a customer, accuracy and efficiency are key. Nutanix Sizer is an invaluable tool for sales engineers, helping to quickly create customized infrastructure solutions based on customer requirements. In this blog post, we’ll walk through the step-by-step process of using Nutanix Sizer, highlighting how it can simplify solution design and help you deliver the right fit for your client’s needs.

Understanding Nutanix Sizer

Before we jump into the "How To" part, let's gain a clear understanding of what Nutanix Sizer actually is. Nutanix Sizer is a cutting-edge tool designed to assist sales engineers in determining the most suitable hardware specifications for Nutanix clusters to support various workloads. This invaluable tool takes the guesswork out of the equation, enabling you to make data-driven decisions with precision and confidence.

Benefits of Using Nutanix Sizer

Now that we've explored the essence of Nutanix Sizer, let's delve into the numerous benefits it offers. By utilizing this tool, sales engineers like yourself can:

Accurately Size for Optimal Performance : Nutanix Sizer ensures that your infrastructure solutions are perfectly sized to meet the customer’s performance needs, reducing the risk of over-provisioning or under-provisioning.
Streamline Solution Design : The tool simplifies the entire design process by automatically recommending hardware and software configurations based on inputted workloads, saving you time and effort.
Minimize Risks : Mitigate risks by ensuring that your hardware resources align perfectly with workload demands.

How To Utilize Nutanix Sizer

Here comes the exciting part - a step-by-step guide on how to make the most of Nutanix Sizer!

Step 1: Access Nutanix Sizer

Sizer can be accessed in three ways:

Sizer website
Partner portal (If you are a partner of Nutanix)
My Nutanix and choose the Sizer tile.

Step 2: Create Scenario

Click "+Create New Scenario"

To begin configuring a solution in Sizer, you'll need to create a scenario that reflects the customer's specific environment and requirements. Follow these steps to set up the scenario:

Give the Scenario a Name : Start by providing a meaningful name for the scenario. This should be descriptive and easy to reference later, such as the customer’s name or project type (e.g., "ABC Corp – Hybrid Cloud Expansion").
Select the Opportunity : Next, choose the appropriate sales opportunity linked to the customer. This helps in associating the scenario with the correct opportunity and tracking its progress. If there isn't an opportunity yet you can select "I don't have an opportunity."
Select the Cluster Environment : Specify the cluster environment that best suits the customer’s needs. Options typically include "Create a new Cluster Environment" or "Upgrade or expand an existing Cluster Environment."
Select Portfolio 2.0 : From the list of Nutanix portfolios, choose Portfolio 2.0. This selection ensures you're using the latest Nutanix offerings and capabilities, providing the customer with the most up-to-date solution.
Select the Installation Country : Finally, select the country where the solution will be installed. This helps account for any region-specific considerations such as hardware availability, compliance, and shipping logistics.

Step 3: Define Scenario Objectives

Defining clear scenario objectives is crucial for designing a solution that meets the customer’s needs and aligns with their business goals. Here’s how to define the scenario objectives in Nutanix Sizer:

Executive Summary : Begin with an executive summary outlining the business problem your customer is facing. Provide a brief description of how Nutanix will solve this problem, along with a high-level overview of the desired outcome. Include how the solution will scale over time to accommodate future growth or changing needs. This summary serves as a roadmap for both the design and customer expectations.
Requirements : Next, define the core technical requirements of the scenario. This includes:
- Workload types (e.g., databases, virtual desktops, or general-purpose VMs)
- Services that must be provided (containers, file storage, VMs)
- Number of users or VMs
- Specific resource requirements including:
  - Number of cores
  - Amount of RAM
  - SSD and HDD storage capacity
  - NIC (SFP+ vs 10GBASE-T)
- Power Cables
Constraints : Identify any constraints that could impact the design of the solution, such as:
- Project schedules or deployment timelines
- Budget limitations that may restrict certain hardware or software options
- Any other notable limitations, like compliance regulations or existing infrastructure dependencies, that must be considered (availability, security, etc)
Key Assumptions : Document key assumptions that influence your design choices. These could include assumptions about future growth, application performance expectations, or potential changes in workload types. These assumptions should be communicated with the customer to avoid any misalignment during deployment.
Key Risks : Identify any risks that could impact the success of the deployment or timeline. Risks could involve:
- Unexpected changes in customer requirements
- Technical complexities that may delay the project
- External factors, such as supply chain issues, that could affect hardware availability. Understanding these risks early allows you to prepare contingencies and mitigate potential delays.
Source Environment Description : Provide a description of the customer's current environment that feeds into this sizing decision. This could include details such as:
- The existing applications and workloads
- Software versions in use
- Current hardware infrastructure
This context ensures the solution integrates seamlessly with the customer’s current setup and provides the necessary improvements.

By thoroughly defining these scenario objectives, you create a strong foundation for designing an effective, scalable, and reliable solution in Nutanix Sizer. These objectives guide the technical decisions and ensure alignment with both customer needs and project constraints.

Step 4: Input Workload Details (import collector)

Next, input the specifics of your workload such as workload type, number of users, and vm profile information if you create manual workloads. This data serves as the foundation for Nutanix Sizer to generate tailored recommendations.

Ideally, you will have a Nutanix Collector file to import. See my post on running Nutanix Collector.

Click "Import" to import a Nutanix Collector File.

Make sure "Collector" is selected then click "Upload File".

Select the Nutanix Collector File.

Here we have several options we can choose from.

VMs: Selecting "Powered ON only" will only consider VMs in a Powered ON state vs "Both powered ON and OFF" considers all VMs.
CPU: Selecting "Configuration" sizes based on the configured VM vCPUs vs "Utilization" sizes based on utilization of the VM vCPUs.
- Since Nutanix collector collects 7 days of historical data, using utilization can help customers "right-size" their environment.
- Use caution with this option if you have an RvTools as it is a snapshot in time and will be based on when the RvTools was ran,.
Capacity: consider provisioned storage capacity vs consumed.
Create workloads By: Selecting "Profile" VMs are categorized in pre-define profiles as workloads (t-shirt size) vs "VMs (Up to 1000 VMs)" each VM is treated as a separate workload on its own.
Cluster mapping: By default, all VMs are added to "Cluster-1". This option allows you to retain the existing VM to Cluster mapping.

Click "Upload"

Once you click upload, a summary report will generate in your downloads folder.

If we open the file we can reference our input parameters (this can be helpful to remind you of your input parameters if you don't access the sizer for awhile and to go over these with the customer).

We will also see vms that were not imported (based on selecting import powered on only in an earlier step).

Step 5: Review Workloads

All of your vm workloads will be displayed on the workloads tab. Scroll through and make note of any large VM's to ask your customer about.

To edit a workload, Click the "kebab menu (three dots)" beside a workload then "Edit Workload".

From here you can click "Customize" to edit VM Profile Info.

After you make your workload changes, click "Done" or "Cancel".

Step 6: View Recommendations

Click the "Solution" tab.

Sit back and relax as Nutanix Sizer processes the information provided and delivers comprehensive recommendations on hardware specifications. These insights are invaluable in optimizing your Nutanix clusters for peak performance.

Step 7: Fine-Tune

Once you receive the recommendations, fine-tune them further based on your unique needs. Implement the suggested configurations with confidence, knowing that you are leveraging top-notch hardware tailored to your workload requirements.

Click "Modify" to further adjust the initial Sizer recommendation.

Here you can make customizations to things like the hardware vendor, processor type, hardware models, and much more.

Step 8: Review and Iterate

Always review the final recommendation with the customer’s technical and financial stakeholders. They may have additional feedback or require further adjustments.

Nutanix Sizer makes it easy to iterate on the design by tweaking workload inputs and changing hardware configurations.

Step 9: Generate Quote

Click "Quote" drop down to generate a Budgetary or Frontline Quote.

Step 10: Generate and Share the Proposal

Click "More" then "Create Proposal"

After finalizing the design, generate a comprehensive proposal using Sizer’s built-in proposal feature.

The proposal includes the complete hardware and software bill of materials (BOM), Nutanix Corporate Overview, and performance metrics. This proposal can be shared directly with customers and internal teams to validate the proposed solution.

Click the "radio buttons" to add additional slides regarding the different Nutanix Solution offerings.

The proposal will look something like this. Be sure to read the instructions on deleting and editing slides.

Conclusion

Nutanix Sizer is an indispensable tool for sales engineers looking to deliver the right solutions for their customers. By simplifying the sizing process, Nutanix Sizer not only ensures accurate configurations but also saves time, optimizes costs, and helps you present a clear, data-driven recommendation to your customers. With the ability to adjust configurations in real-time and provide detailed reports, it’s a crucial part of any Nutanix solution design process.

By following the steps outlined above, you can master Nutanix Sizer and deliver tailored, future-proof solutions that meet your customers’ unique needs.

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