Virtual Trends

Virtual Trends is the history. VM count and capacity metrics plotted over time, scoped to whatever slice of the estate you care about, with two configurable axes so you can put two metrics against each other and see the relationship rather than two separate charts.

What this screen shows

• Chart configuration. History or workload mode, a metric for the left axis and another for the right, and preset ranges of 6m, YTD, 1y, and All.
• Scope selectors. vCenters, data centers, clusters, datastores, and state tags by VM, so the trend covers exactly the population you mean.
• Trend table. CPU used and capacity, memory used and capacity, disk used and capacity, VM build capacity, and VM count.

The axis pairing that matters

Put VM count on one axis and VM build capacity on the other. Count climbing while build capacity falls is growth pressure made visible, and the point where the two lines converge is roughly when you stop being able to place new workload. That single chart does more for a capacity conversation than any table on this screen.

When to use it

• Establishing growth baselines. Forecasting needs a rate, and this is where the rate comes from.
• Understanding seasonality. A year of history separates a genuine trend from an annual cycle, which changes what you should buy.
• Spotting sudden movement. A step change in a metric usually corresponds to something real: a migration, a decommission, a collector change.

Tip: Before treating a step change as growth, check whether it lines up with an onboarding event. A new vCenter entering collection produces a jump that looks exactly like sudden demand and is not.

Related screens

Delta Report quantifies a specific window rather than showing the whole curve. Cluster Trends is the same idea scoped to a single cluster. Cluster Modeling takes the baseline established here and projects forward against a purchase.