Analytical tools for performance capacity planning were
available as part of the performance tools LP on System i (and before on iSeries and AS/ 400) for many years and were based on real time measurements of transactions and corresponding resource usage. Extrapolations done with these tools are extremely precise since measured data are directly fed into
the extrapolation model. Also real application code path length and speeds and feeds of hardware and operating system code is used to determine resource utilization and response time ratings. This presentation will demonstrate yet another capacity planning and sizing tool called the Workload Estimator - WLE. We will demonstrate how to use this web based tool for the iSeries which operates directly on the web or as a download,
but is much quicker, easier to use and produces better and more attractive charts and graphs then previous tools. We will go through "what if" scenarios and demonstrate the impact of various hard and software options to throughput and resource utilization.

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
1. Model and extrapolate various workload data on IBM System i.
2. Understand the differences between sizing and capacity planning.
3. Explore the impact of various HW/ SW options to performance.
4. Use Workload Estimator to size new workloads such as Java and WebSphere, WebFacing or Linux applications.