Understanding kWAC
Understanding kWAC
The Workload Allocation Cube (kWAC for short) is a 6fusion developed solution to effectively measure the amount of computing resources being used by quantifying how many computing resources are currently available, and how much is needed, as well as their cost of production. It works by comparing real time resource utilization against a fixed baseline of six different vectors – CPU, Memory, Storage, Disk, I/O, LAN I/O & WAN I/O. But, what do these vectors really represent?
The following is a more thorough breakdown of each vector:
‘CPU: Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization refers to a computer’s usage of processing resources, or the amount of work handled by a CPU. Actual CPU utilization varies depending on the amount and type of managed computing tasks. Certain tasks require heavy CPU time, while others require less because of non-CPU resource requirements.
Memory (Capactiy): Memory capacity is the amount of memory that can be used for an electronic device such as a computer, laptop, smartphone or other smart device. Every hardware device or computer has a minimum and maximum amount of memory. The performance of a device and the efficiency of its input/output operations is dependent on memory capacity.
Storage (Data): Data storage is a general term for archiving data in electromagnetic or other forms for use by a computer or device. Different types of data storage play different roles in a computing environment. In addition to forms of hard data storage, there are now new options for remote data storage, such as cloud computing, that can revolutionize the ways that users access data.
I/O: An input/output (I/O) device is a hardware device that has the ability to accept inputted, outputted or other processed data. It also can acquire respective media data as input sent to a computer or send computer data to storage media as storage output.
LAN: LAN stands for local area network. It covers, as the name suggests, a local area. This usually includes a local office and they’re also pretty common in homes now, thanks to the spread of Wi-Fi. Whether wired or wireless, nearly all modern LANs are based on Ethernet
WAN: WAN refers to a wide area network. The name is exactly what it sounds like: a network that covers an area wider than a LAN. Beyond that, the definition is less clear. The most popular WAN is the internet. It’s actually a collection of other networks, including other LANs and WANs – hence, the name.’ (source: techopedia.com)
Our goal through kWAC is to empower business leaders through education; a clear view of how they are consuming IT and providing tools to effectively measure, assess and create a more efficient system of usage moving forward.