Collector Sizing Calculator
The Collector Sizing Calculator helps you estimate the optimal collector hardware requirements based on your infrastructure. Work inside projects—each project holds its own sites, calculator settings, and recommendations. 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: Projects at the top, then a Sites / Overview toggle and site list, with configuration or aggregated panels on the right.
Main Components
Section titled “Main Components”| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Toolbar | Collector size selector (Auto or a fixed tier), advanced details toggle, Export PDF (Overview mode only, when recommendations exist), Settings (project-scoped), and Reset for the active project |
| Projects | Collapsible list of sizing projects. Switch the active project, add or import projects, rename inline, and use row actions for duplicate, export, or delete |
| Sites / Overview | Toggle Sites to pick a site and edit configuration, or Overview for roll-ups across all sites in the active project |
| Site List | Sites belonging to the active project; add sites with + next to the toggle |
| Site Config Panel | Main area with tabs for Devices, Logs, and Recommendations for the selected site |
| Overview Panel | Aggregated totals and recommendations across all sites in the project |
Projects
Section titled “Projects”Projects isolate sizing scenarios. Each project stores:
- Its sites and the selected site
- Calculator configuration (max load %, method weights, polling/logs capacities, NetFlow profile, ingestion source defaults, device defaults, failover, forced collector size)
Select a project in the sidebar to make it active. Use New Project (folder-plus) in the Projects header to create another scenario. Rename a project by clicking its name when editing is shown, or use row actions to duplicate or delete (delete is available when you have more than one project). Destructive actions such as deleting a project or site, or resetting the active project, open a confirmation dialog first.
Import and export
Section titled “Import and export”Exchange configurations as JSON files exported from LMDA Composer.
- Import — Click Import Project (upload) in the Projects header and choose a
.jsonfile. If the file’s project ID matches one already in your workspace, a dialog lets you replace that project or import as a new copy. - Export — On a project row, use the Export action to download JSON suitable for backup or sharing with teammates.
Files use the app’s project envelope format; import only trusted sources.
Getting Started
Section titled “Getting Started”-
Select or create a project
Use the Projects list at the top of the sidebar to select an existing project or create a new one.
-
Add a Site
Stay on Sites, then click + next to the Sites / Overview toggle (or follow the empty state) to add a site.
-
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”Sites belong to the active project. Switch projects to work on a different set of sites.
Adding Sites
Section titled “Adding Sites”Each site represents a physical location or logical grouping of devices that will share collectors.
- Stay on Sites (not Overview), then click + next to the Sites / Overview toggle to add a 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”Auto vs fixed collector size
Section titled “Auto vs fixed collector size”Sizing tiers build on max load (polling), EPS (logs/traps), and FPS (NetFlow). With Auto in the toolbar, the calculator chooses the smallest tier whose capacity covers your estimated load at your configured max utilization (see Settings → Collector Load). Picking a specific size forces all recommendations to that tier.
Collector Sizes
Section titled “Collector Sizes”The calculator recommends collectors from five size tiers:
| Size | vCPU | Memory | Disk | Max Load | Max EPS | Legacy NetFlow 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 |
* NetFlow flows/sec for sizing depends on the NetFlow Profile (Linux/Windows, P1–P4, legacy, or custom). The legacy column shows the pre-PSR flat baseline used when migrating older projects.
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 Settings in the toolbar. Settings apply to the active project only (defaults, capacities, and device types are stored per project).
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
Polling & Logs Capacities
Section titled “Polling & Logs Capacities”Customize polling load and events/sec for each collector size. NetFlow flows/sec are configured on the NetFlow Profile tab.
Customize default ingestion rates per source type:
- System Logs — Default EPS per device for each log source category
- SNMP Traps — Default EPS per trap source
- NetFlow Sources — Default FPS per NetFlow source type (worksheet load driver)
Add custom source types, edit rates, and reset sections to out-of-the-box values. Reset preserves site worksheet counts while restoring default EPS/FPS.
Configure how NetFlow collector capacity is calculated:
- Collector OS — Linux or Windows (PSR lab recommendations differ by platform)
- Ingest profile — P1–P4 PSR profiles, legacy pre-PSR baseline, or custom flows/sec per size
- Custom capacities — When you choose Custom, the calculator snapshots the currently displayed profile FPS values for editing
NetFlow profile capacities apply to collector sizing (how many collectors and which tier). Per-device FPS on the Logs worksheet still comes from Ingestion Sources → NetFlow Sources.
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 that appear on the Devices tab and count toward polling load and recommendations like built-in types
Forced Collector Size
Section titled “Forced Collector Size”Use the collector size selector in the toolbar to force all recommendations to use a specific tier. Select Auto to let the calculator pick the smallest tier that satisfies load at your target utilization (see Auto vs fixed collector size above).
Overview Panel
Section titled “Overview Panel”Click Overview next to Sites to see aggregated results across all sites in the active project:
- Total device count by category
- Combined collector requirements
- Total resource requirements (vCPU, Memory, Disk)
- Per-site breakdown with individual recommendations
Export PDF
Section titled “Export PDF”With Overview selected and after you have recommendations (devices, logs, or flows contributing load), use Export PDF in the toolbar. In the dialog you can set report title, customer name, and prepared by, and choose whether to include:
- Cover page
- Site detail pages (one section per site)
- Settings appendix (calculation settings)
- Workload analysis (customer-facing summary)
Confirming opens the browser print dialog—choose Save as PDF as the destination to download the report.