ElasticXL and VSNext CoreXL question

[Oryx]

Hello,

We have a pair of 2 9100 devices configured in ElasticXL and with VSNext enabled. We're just running 2 Virtual System in these appliances. 

The 9100 devices have 8 CPU Cores with CoreXL being distributed 2 for SND and 6 to FW workers.

Since this is ElasticXL and when we run "cphaprob state" we have the ACTIVE(P)/ACTIVE result, how can I read this in terms of the CoreXL? So, do we have just 8 CPU Cores, considering just a single machine of the ElasticXL cluster, or we have 16 CPU Cores?

Regarding the distribution of the CoreXL instances, I was thinking in something like this:

• 2 Cores => SND
• 1 Core => VS0
• 4 Cores => VS1
• 1 Core =>VS2

Is this distribution make sense for you? Should I consider for the 16 CPUs? Or maybe I should only consider 16 CPUs if I had a third 9100? What is your opinion on this?

Please be aware that this is not yet in prod environment. We're still preparing the final topology, before we start the migration.

Thanks in advance.

Kind regards.

[emmap · Accepted solution]

Your CoreXL per VS configuration a 'per SGM' configuration, so you should be planning based on 8 CPU cores. Hence, your proposed distribution sounds fine to start with. If you find that VS2 needs an extra thread it's OK to just add one there without lowering the VS1 configuration, as they are user mode threads and can happily share cores with the presumably minimally used VS0 thread - just don't go too far with this. 

[Oryx]

Hi.

Thanks for your opinion. I think it does not differ to much from what I was expecting. 

Regarding VS0, it will only be for Management purposes of the ElasticXL cluster. So I think is more than enough for it

Kind regards

[emmap]

Yes, typically VS0 is fine with just the 1 thread.

[Oryx]

Hi again,

Sorry, but since my last update, I had a colleague of mine deploying another VSNext Cluster and we've had some information from our Check Point Sales Engineer that is quite confusing. I would like to have your thoughs on that. So, basically he told us the following:

1. The VS0 count for the number of licenses. So we've bought a license for 2 Virtual Systems. In the old ways (VSLS on R81.20, for example), that would mean VS0 and two additional VS, for example VS1 and VS2. It's the same for VSNext? Or the VS0 is now counted as a VS on the license and should be used not only for management?
2. Regarding the CoreXL distribution, the recommendation on VSLS was to assign the number of Cores on Smart Console for each Virtual System, saving 1 for VS0, and use CoreXL Dynamic Balancing for the platform to manage by herself which of the Cores were assigned to the Virtual Systems. Like I've referred previously, a Check Point Sales Engineer told us that in VSNext we should not change the default value assigned to each Virtual System, when we created them, since now that is completely managed by the CoreXL Dynamic Balancing. Do you have any thoughts on this?

I must confess that for me bot of those notes are not resonating very well on my head, but I would like to have your opinion if it's possible. 

Kind regards.

[emmap]

1. My understanding is that the licensing hasn't changed with VSNext, so VS0 is not counted as a VS when adding VS licenses to a gateway. I would generally defer to the sales team when it comes to licensing though. 

2. Dynamic Balancing does not change the CoreXL per VS configuration for each virtual system, it only changes the allocation of SND vs CoreXL pool cores on the gateway. So you do have to configure the CXL/VS settings. In Legacy VSX we do that in SmartConsole, for VSNext we do it on the gateways. So, don't change the CoreXL configuration inside the 'cpconfig' menu on the gateways, but do configure the CoreXL per VS configuration on each Virtual System. 

[Oryx]

Should I run cpconfig on VS0 and disable the CoreXL or not? That was what I did in VSLS deployments, sine VS0 was only for Management of the VSX Cluster. 

[Oryx]

Regarding the licenses, this is the output on Smart Console.

Which don't make sense for me, since the end customer have bought 2 Virtual Systems Licenses. 

[Oryx]

The * is pretty much the confirmation that VS0 is only for management but counts for the VS number license. 

[Chris_Atkinson]

This is how it works for the _base_ license if you have for example a VS10 add-on license it is VS0 + 10.

[Oryx]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your confirmation. I was not aware of this.

Regards