- Introduction
- 1: Agree on a Common Definition of Capacity Planning
- 2: Select a Capacity Planning Process Owner
- 3: Identify Key Resources To Be Measured
- 4: Measure the Current Utilizations of the Resources
- 5: Compare Current Utilizations to Maximum Capacities
- 6: Collect Meaningful Workload Forecasts from Representative Users
- 7: Transform Forecasts into Resource Requirements
- 8: Map Requirements Onto Existing Utilizations
- 9: Predict When the Shop Will Be Out of Capacity
- 10: Update Forecasts and Utilizations
- Harris Kern's Enterprise Computing Institute
9: Predict When the Shop Will Be Out of Capacity
The mapping of the quantity of additional capacity needed to meet projected workload demands will also pinpoint the timeframe during which these upgraded resources will be required. Using the same example as described in cardinal rule #8, suppose that an additional 10% of capacity is needed every quarter for the foreseeable future. By the end of the third quarter, all available excess capacity (30%, in this example) will have been exhausted. At this point, new upgrades or additional servers need to be brought in. This is very advantageous to know in advance, since most upgrades requires months of preplanning to order, configure, and install.