Which two types of cost drivers are considered when calculating the monthly cluster costs? (Choose two.)

Question

Options

• AVMware software per socket
• BPower and cooling per kilowatt-hour
• CStorage maintenance as a percentage of hardware costs
• DVMware software per server
• EApplication cost per socket

• A
  94% (30)
• C
  3% (1)
• E
  3% (1)

Explanation

Options A and B are correct because VMware software licensing is calculated per CPU socket (not per server), making it a direct cluster cost input, and power and cooling measured in kilowatt-hours is a standard operational cost driver used in data center TCO models to reflect ongoing energy expenses.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• D (VMware software per server) is incorrect because VMware's licensing model is socket-based, not server-based - a 2-socket server counts as 2 licenses.
• C (Storage maintenance as a % of hardware costs) is not a standard top-level cluster cost driver in this model; storage is typically accounted for differently (e.g., capacity-based pricing).
• E (Application cost per socket) is incorrect because application costs are a separate layer from infrastructure/cluster costs and are not factored into cluster-level calculations.

Memory tip: Think "Socket + Socket" - VMware charges by socket and you pay for power by the second (kWh). Both start with the physical infrastructure layer, not the software application layer above it.

No community discussion yet for this question.