Since its launch in 2006, API platform MuleSoft has enabled businesses from Coca-Cola to Unilever to dynamically scale product development. But getting the most out of the powerful software requires project managers to strike a delicate balance.
Optimal MuleSoft capacity planning relies on project managers executing carefully calibrated plans. When done right, project managers can leverage MuleSoft to enable their businesses to scale and minimise expensive over-resourcing at the same time.
In this article, makepositive will break down some of the most significant components to effective MuleSoft capacity planning. We’ll share tips and tricks to ensure that you can get the most out of your MuleSoft license for your business and budget.
MuleSoft licence options
Let’s start with the basics. Businesses can choose from three licence tiers with MuleSoft: Gold, Platinum or Titanium, each with different levels of functionality.
There are some features all licenses will enable you to use. The most basic suite of functions are accessible via the Gold license.
Gold
The Gold license is the lowest subscription tier for MuleSoft users. It includes access to the MuleSoft runtime engine, as well as a library of API templates that users can select for integrations with Slack, Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and Amazon S3 among others.
Gold users have access to the design centre and API portal, helping you to get your developers up to speed quickly. Data is stored in the same region as your control plane for both Gold and Platinum licensees.
Platinum
The most significant advantage of the Platinum license is that it allows you to create an ‘Organisation’, which allows groups of users to share their resources based on permissions you set up.
Platinum licensees can additionally deploy APIs to CloudHub, the managed cloud infrastructure section of MuleSoft.
Titanium
Finally, the Titanium license comes with the most functionality. The main advantage of the Titanium license is that users can quickly search aggregated logs to rapidly discover and identify issues.
A Titanium subscription also increases storage capacity per vCore compared to the other tiers.
Salesforce add-ons
Salesforce also provides add-on services for users that want specific functions.
Add-on services include:
- API management and security
- API experience management
- Premium connectors
- Applications deployed and managed in the European Union
- Government cloud deployment
- Data tokenisation
- Edge security
- Enterprise grade cloud messaging
MuleSoft add-ons are compatible with any of the three license types noted above.
But how do project managers know which license option is right for them? Let’s explore how to craft an effective MuleSoft capacity planning strategy.
Tips and tricks for effective MuleSoft capacity planning
Selecting the right license is critical. You don’t want to underestimate your future growth, but it’s also possible to overspend. As a result, successful MuleSoft capacity planning involves a careful assessment of internal priorities.
Project managers should consider the following when evaluating license options:
- What is your current platform usage?
- Measure how well platform usage today meets business needs
- Compare your capacity today against prospective, future projects
- Implement MuleSoft best practices to ensure the platform is properly configured
- Outline a realistic forecast, so that capacity grows with the business
How to identify your current and future capacity requirements
Exact capacity requirements will vary from company to company. Project managers should consider essential KPIs to ensure they deliver optimal MuleSoft capacity planning.
Decide how important each of the following benefits are to your business:
High up-times: More expensive license tiers ensure 99.99% up-time.
Run-time flexibility: Higher tiers can automatically tailor run-times, so that you’re never running unnecessarily.
Rapid support: Can you wait up to 1 business day for support or are responses required within 45 minutes? What impact will delays have on operations?
You should prepare to forecast your capacity for a minimum of 12 months. Each MuleSoft license has a duration of at least a year, with the option to enter into a multi-year contract. Before you sign the agreement, it’s crucial that you accurately determine what your business will need.
If your usage requirements don’t fit any of the options stated above: don’t worry! It is possible to craft a unique enterprise license agreement, but we would advise you to partner with an expert to ensure you achieve the right balance without overpaying.
Assessing technical capacity for MuleSoft
Selecting the right MuleSoft license is only the first step of the process. You should also assess the technical requirements to run MuleSoft on your internal systems. Project managers must work closely with IT departments and expert partners to ensure APIs always run at optimal performance. MuleSoft provides detailed guides outlining best practices to help you build the applications correctly.
Complex applications or tasks may require additional CPU capacity. If you’re short on on-premises resources, you’ll need to blend your computing architecture with virtual CPUs. Luckily, MuleSoft prices physical and virtual cores at the same rate, allowing you to create a custom hybrid architecture.
Optimising your usage with diligent MuleSoft capacity planning
MuleSoft allows businesses to integrate their data easily and at scale. But to make a success of the powerful software, project managers must carefully plan their usage. Businesses are at risk of under-utilising crucial features or overpaying unless they strike the perfect balance from the outset.
By thinking ahead and seeking expert advice, project managers can set their companies up to deliver excellent services at a competitive pace.
Plan and implement MuleSoft with an expert partner
makepositive is an experienced Salesforce Partner with a dedicated team of MuleSoft experts. We can help you unleash the full potential of your MuleSoft usage with our award-winning Health Check service.
Get in touch with us at [email protected] and learn where MuleSoft and other Salesforce solutions can take your business.
