Bulk Onboarding

This provides a comprehensive walkthrough for performing bulk onboarding of instances. It covers the entire process, from selecting instances and volumes to scheduling, rescheduling, and managing onboardings. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process.

Important Notes

• Bulk Onboarding for Linux: Please note that bulk onboarding is currently not supported for Linux instances. This guide is applicable only to Windows instances.

• Root Volume Onboarding: Root volumes across Windows instances can not be onboarded in bulk.

Step 1: Accessing the Unmanaged Instances

1. Navigate to the Unmanaged Instances Page:

   

   • From the main menu, go to the 'Scaler' section.

   • Click on the 'Unmanaged' tab to view all instances that have volumes which are yet to be onboarded.

   • The page will display a list of instances with key information, including:

     • VM Details: The name / ID and operating system of the instance.

     • Utilization: The cumulative utilization of all mount points yet to be onboarded.

     • Total Unrealized Savings: The potential savings that could be realized over the next 12 months if all supported volumes for an instance are onboarded.

     • Onboard Status: The current status indicating whether the instance is ready to be onboarded.

2. Understanding the Data:

   • Utilization: This column reflects the total amount of data used across all unboarded volumes within an instance, as well as the total capacity of these volumes. For example:

     • Suppose an instance has three volumes:

       • Volume D: 20 GB of data used out of 100 GB disk capacity

       • Volume E: 30 GB of data used out of 100 GB disk capacity

       • Volume F: 40 GB of data used out of 100 GB disk capacity

     • The utilization at the instance level is calculated as the total data used divided by the total disk capacity:

       • (20 GB + 30 GB + 40 GB) / (100 GB + 100 GB + 100 GB) = 90 GB / 300 GB = 30%

     • This provides a quick view of how efficiently the storage is being used before onboarding.

   • Total Unrealized Savings: This figure represents the potential cost savings over the next 12 months if all the volumes within the instance that are ready for onboarding are onboarded.

Step 2: Selecting Instances and Volumes for Onboarding

1. Expand Instances for Detailed View:

   

   • To get more details on the individual volumes within an instance, click the dropdown arrow next to the instance ID.

   • This will display a list of mount points (partitions) associated with the instance. Here, you can select individual data partitions for onboarding.

   • Repeat this process for other compatible instances on the page.

   • Important: Root partitions cannot be onboarded together with data partitions in the same action. If you select a root partition, all data partitions will be greyed out, and vice versa. This ensures that the onboarding process is aligned with the specific needs of your environment.

Step 3: Initiating the Onboarding Process

1. Click 'Onboard Disk':

   • Once you have selected the instances and volumes for onboarding, click on the 'Onboard Disk' button.

   • A summary screen will appear, showing the cumulative savings that can be achieved from the selected onboarding batch.

     

2. Schedule Onboarding:

   • For Windows 10, 2012, 2016, and 2022 instances, onboarding data partitions does not require a reboot. Simply choose the date and time when you want the onboarding process to begin.

   • For Windows 2019 instances, onboarding data partitions requires a reboot. In this case, you need to select a specific reboot window when the onboarding can occur. Ensure that the reboot window aligns with your operational schedules to minimize disruption.

3. Set Deletion Schedule for Original Disk:

   • After the onboarding process is complete, the original disk can be deleted to avoid unnecessary costs. The default setting is to delete the original disk 3 days after onboarding, but this can be customized.

   • Options include:

     • Deleting the original disk 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, or a custom number of days after onboarding.

     • Opting not to delete the original disk at all, if required for backup or compliance reasons.

4. Confirm and Start Onboarding:

   • Review all settings, including the schedule and deletion options. If everything looks correct, click 'Onboard' to initiate the process.

   • The system will begin the onboarding process based on the schedule you’ve provided.

Step 4: Managing Scheduled Onboardings

1. View Scheduled Onboardings:

   

   • To view all scheduled onboardings, click on the 'Planned Onboardings' button.

   • You will be presented with a list of all onboarding batches. Select a batch from the left navigation pane to see the instances and volumes included in that batch.

     

2. Reschedule Onboarding:

   • If you need to reschedule an onboarding, click on the 'Update' button next to the relevant batch.

   • The rescheduling screen will allow you to adjust the date, time, and original disk deletion schedule.

   Note

   You can only reschedule or cancel an onboarding if the process has not yet started for any volume within the instance. If onboarding has begun, the schedule cannot be changed

Step 5: Rescheduling and Cancelling Onboardings

1. Rescheduling an Onboarding:

   • To reschedule, select the instances you wish to adjust within the batch.

   • Enter the new date and time, and update the disk deletion settings if necessary.

   • Click 'Reschedule' to save your changes.

2. Canceling an Onboarding:

   • If you need to cancel an onboarding, select the instances where onboarding has not yet started.

   • Click 'Cancel' to stop the process for those instances.