How to Check and Change Statistics Levels in VMware vCenter

Check Statistics Level in the vSphere Client

In the VMware vCenter Server settings, you can set the statistics collection levels, different collection intervals and the time period that the data will be stored on the Server.

VMware vSphere administrators generally need to analyze the historical data of various metrics on the VMware vCenter Server to find out the reasons of performance issues. Collection levels are also referred to as statistics levels. You can view the collected statistics through the performance charts in the vSphere Client or through command-line monitoring utilities.

However, sometimes the default set of metrics is not enough. So today let’s go to change statistics level in vCenter.

How to Change vCenter Statistics Levels Step by Step

Statistic collection intervals determine the frequency at which statistic queries occur, the length of time statistical data is stored in the database, and the type of statistical data that is collected.

1. Go to the vSphere Web Client console, select vCenter and click the “Configure” tab. In the Settings section, select the “General” item and click “Edit”.

2.In the “Statistics” section, select a value from the drop-down menu, we will see the following picture:

• In Interval Duration, select the time interval in which statistics data is collected.
• In Save For, select for how long the archived statistics are kept in the database.
• In Statistics Level, select a new level for collecting statistics.

The lower the level is, the fewer number of statistic counters are used. You could change vCenter statistics level from 1 to 4. Level 1 and 2 can be used when the virtual infrastructure operates in the normal mode, while levels 3 and 4 are for short-term performance monitoring only when you need to collect detailed information on the objects to solve specific problems.

The rule here is simple: the longer the interval, the lower statistics level you should use (or the same as for a smaller interval). For example, you can set the level 4 for a 1-day interval, level 3 for two hours, level 2 for 30 minutes and level 1 for 5 minutes. This is specified in the VMware official documentation:

“The statistics level must be less than or equal to the statistics level that is set for the preceding statistics interval. This is a vCenter Server dependency.”

3. Now, let’s have a look at the four statistics levels and differences in these statistics levels.

4. (Optional) In Database Size, estimate the effect of the statistics settings on the database.

• Enter the number of Physical Hosts.
• Enter the number of Virtual Machines.

The estimated space required and number of database rows required are calculated and displayed.

• If necessary, make changes to your statistics collection settings.

In general, vCenter does not have a limit on the database size, but it would be nice if it did not exceed 40-50 GB since if the values are higher, it can start working very slowly.

5. Click Save.

✍Tips:

• The collection intervals and retention duration should be set to a level required by your company's audit policy.
• Before changing any vCenter settings, we always recommend making a data backup to protect your virtual machines and vCenter environment.

Necessary Data Protection for VMware vCenter VMs

You may already know that it is necessary to perform image-based backup of large amounts of VMs managed by vCenter Server, however, vCenter Server does not provide the feature of virtual machine backup. And that makes backup software a commonly accepted choice.

Here I introduce you to a VMware backup software AOMEI Cyber Backup, it enables you to backup multiple VMs either managed by vCenter Server, or on a standalone ESXi host. Also, AOMEI Cyber Backup offers free version for you

✦ Agentless Backup: create complete and independent image-level backup for VMware ESXi and Hyper-V VMs.
✦ Flexible vSphere Backup: batch backup large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server, or multiple VMs on a standalone ESXi host.
✦ Automated Execution: create backup schedules to automate backups daily, weekly, monthly.
✦ Multiple Storage Destinations: backup to local drive, or network destinations like NAS.
✦ Restore Entire VM: restore instant available VMs from any selected restore points to an original or new location.

AOMEI Cyber Backup supports both paid and free versions of VMware ESXi 6.0 and later versions. Next, I will show you how to batch backup VMs managed by vCenter Server with AOMEI Cyber Backup in 4 simple steps.

You can click the following button to download the 30-day free trial.

*You can choose to install this VM backup software on either Windows or Linux system.

4 Steps to Batch Backup VMs Managed by vCenter Server

1. Bind Devices: Access to AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, navigate to Source Device > VMware > + Add VMware Device to Add vCenter or Standalone ESXi host. And then click … > Bind Device.

2. Create Backup Task: Navigate to Backup Task > + Create New Task, and select VMware ESXi Backup as the Backup Type.

3. Set the Task Name, Device, Target, Schedule and Cleanup as needed.

• Task Name: you can change the task name or use the default name with an ordinal.
• Device: batch select large numbers of VMs managed by vCenter Server for centralized backup.

• Target: select to back up to a local path, or to a network path like NAS.
• Schedule (optional): perform full, differential, or incremental backup, and automate execution according to the frequency you specified.
• Cleanup (optional): automatically delete the old backup copies that exceed the retention period you specified.

4. Run Backup: Now you can click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

Created backup tasks will be listed and monitored separately for restoring, progress checking and schedule changing.

When restoring, you can also restore to new location to create a new VM in the same or another datastore/host directly from the backup, saving the trouble of re-configuring the new VM.

Summary

The VMware vCenter Server provides you with the option of configuring statistics collection levels for how often data should be captured, how long the data should remain in the database, and what kind data it should be collecting.