Collector Sizing Calculator
The Collector Sizing Calculator helps you estimate the optimal collector hardware requirements based on your infrastructure. Configure devices, log sources, and NetFlow across multiple sites to get recommendations for polling, logs, and NetFlow collectors.
Opening the Calculator
Section titled “Opening the Calculator”| Method | Action |
|---|---|
| Welcome Screen | Click “Collector Sizing” button in the Script Editor welcome screen |
| Actions Menu | Open the Actions dropdown → Utilities → Collector Sizing Calculator |
Interface Overview
Section titled “Interface Overview”The calculator uses a sidebar layout with a site list on the left and configuration panels on the right.
Main Components
Section titled “Main Components”| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Toolbar | Contains collector size selector, advanced details toggle, settings, and reset options |
| Site List | Left sidebar showing all configured sites with device counts and collector recommendations |
| Site Config Panel | Main area with tabs for Devices, Logs, and Recommendations |
| Overview Panel | Aggregated view showing totals across all sites |
Getting Started
Section titled “Getting Started”-
Add a Site
Click the + button in the site list header or wait for the welcome screen to guide you.
-
Configure Devices
In the Devices tab, add device counts for each category. The calculator uses pre-configured instance counts and collection method weights.
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Configure Log Sources (Optional)
Switch to the Logs tab to add System Logs, SNMP Traps, and NetFlow configurations.
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View Recommendations
Switch to the Recommendations tab to see the calculated collector sizes, counts, and resource requirements.
Site Management
Section titled “Site Management”Adding Sites
Section titled “Adding Sites”Each site represents a physical location or logical grouping of devices that will share collectors.
- Click + in the site list header to add a new site
- Sites are automatically named “Site 1”, “Site 2”, etc.
- Click on a site name to rename it
- Right-click or use the context menu to delete a site
Site Tabs
Section titled “Site Tabs”Configure device counts by category. Each device type has:
- Count — Number of devices
- Instances — DataSource instances per device (configurable in settings)
- Methods — Collection method weights (e.g., 80% Script, 20% SNMP)
Configure log ingestion sources:
- System Logs — Firewalls, network devices, servers, etc.
- SNMP Traps — Devices sending SNMP trap events
- NetFlow — Network flow data from routers and switches
View calculated collector recommendations:
- Polling collectors for device monitoring
- Logs/Traps collectors for event ingestion
- NetFlow collectors for flow data
Device Configuration
Section titled “Device Configuration”Device Categories
Section titled “Device Categories”The calculator includes pre-configured device types with realistic instance counts and collection method distributions:
| Category | Default Instances | Primary Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Linux Servers | 100 | SNMPv3 (80%), Script (20%) |
| Windows Servers | 120 | Script (75%), WMI (20%), JMX (5%) |
| SQL Servers | 156 | Script (80%), WMI (20%) |
| Routers | 92 | Script (55%), SNMPv3 (45%) |
| Ethernet Switches | 120 | Script (55%), SNMPv3 (45%) |
| Firewalls | 272 | Script (51%), SNMPv3 (48%), HTTP (1%) |
| NetApp Storage | 945 | Script (95%), SNMPv3 (5%) |
| Virtual Machines | 8 | Script (100%) |
| Access Points | 15 | Script (80%), SNMPv3 (20%) |
Device Count Cards
Section titled “Device Count Cards”Each device category is displayed as a card with:
- Device type icon and name
- Count input field
- Instance count per device
- Collection method breakdown (when advanced details enabled)
Advanced Details
Section titled “Advanced Details”Toggle Details On in the toolbar to show:
- Per-device instance counts
- Collection method percentages
- Total instances calculation
Log & Flow Configuration
Section titled “Log & Flow Configuration”System Logs
Section titled “System Logs”Configure log sources by selecting a log type and entering the device count:
| Log Type | Events/Second | Bytes/Event |
|---|---|---|
| Firewalls | 1.0 | 300 |
| Network Devices | 0.75 | 150 |
| Linux Servers | 0.20 | 200 |
| Windows Servers | 0.20 | 200 |
| Load Balancers | 3.0 | 235 |
| IIS Web Servers | 6.20 | 2005 |
| vCenter | 1.75 | 300 |
SNMP Traps
Section titled “SNMP Traps”Configure devices sending SNMP traps with an estimated 0.01 events/second per device.
NetFlow
Section titled “NetFlow”Configure NetFlow-enabled devices:
- Flows/Second — Default 1,100 FPS per device
- Bytes/Flow — Used for ingestion estimates
Recommendations
Section titled “Recommendations”Collector Sizes
Section titled “Collector Sizes”The calculator recommends collectors from five size tiers:
| Size | vCPU | Memory | Disk | Max Load | Max EPS | Max FPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMALL | 1 | 2 GB | 35 GB | 21,286 | 200 | 7,800 |
| MEDIUM | 2 | 4 GB | 35 GB | 48,557 | 500 | 13,797 |
| LARGE | 4 | 8 GB | 35 GB | 104,714 | 2,500 | 23,166 |
| XL | 8 | 16 GB | 35 GB | 165,950 | 4,000 | 37,418 |
| XXL | 16 | 32 GB | 35 GB | 285,500 | 7,000 | 52,817 |
Recommendation Cards
Section titled “Recommendation Cards”Each collector type displays:
- Count — Number of collectors needed
- Size — Recommended collector size
- Utilization — Load percentage with status indicator
- Resource Requirements — Total vCPU, Memory, and Disk
Utilization Status
Section titled “Utilization Status”| Status | Utilization | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Optimal | 0-70% | Healthy headroom for growth |
| Warning | 70-85% | Consider capacity planning |
| Critical | 85%+ | At or near capacity limits |
Data Ingestion Estimates
Section titled “Data Ingestion Estimates”The Recommendations tab shows estimated daily data ingestion:
- Logs/Traps — GB/day based on EPS and average event size
- NetFlow — GB/day range based on FPS and flow record size
Settings
Section titled “Settings”Access calculator settings via the Settings button in the toolbar.
Max Load Percentage
Section titled “Max Load Percentage”Target maximum utilization (50-100%). Lower values provide more headroom.
Failover Configuration
Section titled “Failover Configuration”- Polling Failover — Add extra polling collector for HA
- Logs Failover — Add extra log collector for HA
Collector Capacities
Section titled “Collector Capacities”Customize capacity values (load, EPS, FPS) for each collector size.
Configure the relative CPU/resource cost of each polling method:
| Method | Default Weight |
|---|---|
| SNMPv2 | 1.0 |
| HTTP | 1.1 |
| JMX | 1.2 |
| SNMPv3 | 1.3 |
| JDBC | 1.5 |
| WMI | 2.2 |
| Perfmon | 3.0 |
| WinRM | 4.0 |
| Script | 5.0 |
Higher weights indicate more resource-intensive methods.
Customize device type defaults:
- Base Instances — Default DataSource instances per device
- Collection Methods — Method distribution percentages
- Add Device Type — Create custom device categories
Forced Collector Size
Section titled “Forced Collector Size”Use the collector size selector in the toolbar to force all recommendations to use a specific size. Select “Auto” to let the calculator optimize automatically.
Overview Panel
Section titled “Overview Panel”Click Overview in the site list header to see aggregated results across all sites:
- Total device count by category
- Combined collector requirements
- Total resource requirements (vCPU, Memory, Disk)
- Per-site breakdown with individual recommendations