1.6

Configuring a Pricing Matrix for Virtual Machines
vCenter Chargeback provides functionality to charge a fixed cost for virtual machines in a virtual data center
(vDC) in your VMware Cloud Director setup based on the vCPU count and memory. This functionality is
available only if you have installed the VMware Cloud Director Data Collector.
Starting with vCenter Chargeback 1.6, you can define one or more pricing matrices for the virtual machines in
your vDCs, such that the virtual machines are charged a fixed cost based on the vCPU count and memory
bundle. This cost is applied only for the duration when a virtual machine is powered on and is not pro-rated.
This feature is available only for virtual machines under vDCs that have a Pay-As-You-Go resource
management model.
A price matrix is associated with a cost model and can contain multiple cost entries for different vCPU count
and memory bundles. You can also define a criterion to specify the vDCs for which the price matrix is
applicable. You can define multiple pricing matrices with different vDC selection criteria for each cost model
defined in vCenter Chargeback. Each vDC selection criteria for a selected cost model must be unique. Also,
each entry in the pricing matrix must be unique.
The VMware Cloud Director Data Collector runs a job that applies the fixed cost defined in the pricing matrix
on the virtual machines in a vDC. Based on the vDC selection criteria, the data collector uses the corresponding
pricing matrix to apply the fixed cost on the virtual machines in the vDCs that match the specified criterion as
follows:
1 The data collector job checks for the vDC selection criteria and the corresponding pricing matrices defined
in vCenter Chargeback.
2 The job uses the pricing matrix corresponding to the first matching criterion for each vDC.
3 The job first searches for a row in the pricing matrix that has the same vCPU count as in the virtual machine.
4 If the data collector job does not find such a row, then it selects the row with the next higher value of vCPU
count than in the virtual machine.
5 For the selected vCPU count, the job checks for a memory value equal to or higher than the memory in
the virtual machine.
6 If the job does not find a row with the vCPU count or memory value equal to or higher than the vCPU
count or memory in the virtual machine is found, then the job uses the default cost configured in the
matrix.
If a virtual machine configuration is changed, then the corresponding change in the fixed cost is applicable
from the time the configuration change is effected. If the fixed cost in the pricing matrix is changed, then the
change is effected from the next run of the data collector job.
If any row in the matrix is deleted, then the corresponding fixed cost is also deleted and is not considered
during reporting. Similarly, if a cost matrix is deleted, then the costs defined in the matrix is lost and is not
considered when a report is generated on the virtual machine or vDC.
You must have a Super User role to create and manage virtual machine instance pricing matrix. Also, the
defined fixed cost is reported only if the report is generated by a Super User.
Create a Pricing Matrix for Virtual Machines
A pricing matrix defines multiple costs based on vCPU count and memory bundles and is associated with a
cost model and a vDC selection criterion.
Procedure
1 In the Configure Cost tab, click Edit VM Instance Cost.
Chapter 6 Managing and Configuring vCenter Chargeback Cost Elements
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