VKernel have recently released a new free VMware vSphere related Management Applet called ‘VM Stats’.  I finally got around to installing it in my ESX lab environment last night which I found to be a straight forward and hassle-free process.  The installation of the VM Stats Linux based virtual appliance is also backed up by a decent ‘how to install’ video on their site. 

Below is an outline from VKernel on what ‘VM Stats’ offers:

• Provides key summary statistics for your VMware environment.
• Virtualization deployment statistics (VMs, hosts, data stores, etc.)
• Total available resources (CPU, memory and storage)
• Benchmarks your virtualization efficiency against industry averages
• Highlights savings achievable by correctly sizing VMs and eliminating wasted storage

Once installed from the VM Stats interface (below) you are given a summary of your virtual environment along with integration into a trial copy of VKernel’s ‘Optimization Pack’ which consists of the following individual components ‘Capacity Rightsizer’, ‘Capacity Wastefinder’ and ‘Inventory’ products. 

Capacity Rightsizer examines how much resource the individual VMs are actually using versus what they have been assign and makes recommendations on resizing if necessary based on this.  Capacity Wastefinder does something similar put with a particular focus on the storage aspect of your virtual environment.  Lastly, the ‘Inventory’ product provides a really useful visual and report generation facility into what VMs you have in your environment, how they are configured and what resource they are consuming on average – all good stuff.   As mentioned the Optimization Pack integrated into VM Stats is a trial only and will need to be licensed if you wish to continue to use any of its features after the trial period has ended.

So assuming you don’t decide to purchase the trial copy of the Optimization Pack within VM Stats what are you left with?  Well, to be honest not too much, just a summary of your virtual environment though as a management applet hooking into the informative Optimization Pack it does provide value. 

Well worth a download to have a look – I’d be interested to know what you think of it.

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