Determining the required future configuration of hardware and software for a network, datacenter or Web site. There are numerous capacity planning tools on the market used to monitor and analyze the performance of the current hardware and software. However, capacity planning also requires insightful forecasting: what if traffic triples overnight; what if a company merger occurs, etc. As a result of all the analyses and forecasts, systems can be upgraded to allow for the projected traffic or be enhanced so that they can be ready for a quick changeover when required. See capacity on demand.