Plan Calculator

Estimate your Nagios Log Server needs by inputting data collection and storage details.

Configure Your Cluster

Daily Log Collection
info The expected volume of log data to be stored per day.

GB

Drive Space Per Instance
info The storage capacity reserved for Log Server per instance.

GB

Index Retention
info [ AKA: Hot Retention ]
Specify the number of days you want to retain data for querying with Log Server.

Days

Index Snapshot Retention
info [ AKA: Cold Storage ]
Specify the number of days to keep archived data, enabling it to be reloaded onto the system for querying with Log Server.

Optional

Days

Data Intake Estimation:
11.5 GB
Snapshot Storage:
0 GB
Primary Data Set Size:
161 GB
Total Indexed Data Set Size:
322 GB
Total Data stored:
322 GB
Instances Needed:
3.58 req

Recommended

4 Instances

*This is a baseline estimation for licensing and should be used only as a guide. We encourage you to speak with a Nagios representative for an accurate assessment.

General Information

Nagios Log Server (NLS) employs a system that partitions logs into ‘shards,’ replicates them, and distributes them across available NLS instances in the cluster. This process not only reduces the load on any single system but also ensures data redundancy.

The total data stored is categorized into ‘indices’ which live on the NLS cluster for querying and dashboarding, and ‘Index Snapshots,’ which consist of archived data. These snapshots are stored separately from the Log Server instances to reduce individual instance disk size and memory requirements but can be easily reloaded onto the instances for querying when needed.

Furthermore, it’s important to note that this calculator does not recommend a single instance license. Single instance NLS clusters lack the redundancy of multi-instance clusters. If your ‘Instances Needed’ value is less than 1, or if you have questions about your environment and the suggested instance count, please consult a Nagios representative.

See our documentation on Installation Requirements on Nagios Log Server to learn more.

Daily Log Collection

(GB)

Daily Log Collection refers to the average volume of data anticipated to be added to the system each day. The process of breaking down logs and adding fields for querying increases the actual data volume by 10-15% beyond the initial intake.

The calculator automatically adjusts for this increase in log size, so there’s no need to manually calculate these adjustments.

Drive Space Per Instance

(GB)

This refers to the system’s available storage capacity for data. The minimum recommended storage is 40 GB, though most customers prefer significantly more than this minimum.

Adjusting the available storage is an effective method for managing the required number of instances in a cluster. Increasing storage capacity can decrease the number of needed instances, while reducing storage capacity may necessitate more instances.

Index Retention

(Days)

Also referred to as the “Hot Retention” period.

This represents the number of days that an index will remain open and accessible for queries by Log Server. Data within these indices is stored on the Log Server cluster and will utilize the available drive space on each instance.

Index Snapshot Retention

(Days)

Also referred to as “Cold Storage” or “Data Recall Provision”.

Index Snapshots provide a method for storing and accessing log data without requiring extensive fast storage. This data is stored separately from the ‘Index Retention’ data but can be reloaded onto the system as needed.

Calculations by Term

Here’s an insight into how this calculator generates its numbers. You’ll notice that some values are set higher than strictly necessary to accommodate potential growth or to counteract any underestimation of input values. It is important to retain extra space on systems in case data intake increases or if there’s a need to retrieve data from storage.

Term
Equation
Data Intake Estimation
(Daily Log Collection) * (1.15)
Snapshot Storage
(Index Snapshot Retention) * (Data Intake Estimation)
Primary Data Set Size
(Index Retention) * (Data Intake Estimation)
Indexed Data Set Size
(Primary Data Set Size) * (2)
Total Data Stored
(Indexed Data Set Size) + (Snapshot Storage)
Instances Needed
(Indexed Data Set Size) / (Drive Space Per Instance - 10)