Predictika · Quorrel storage array deals

An AI sales agent's storage array deal, checked before it goes out

An AI sales agent prepares a storage array deal for a customer: array model, raw capacity, Continuum program, site power and rack space, and discount. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the sizing, site-fit and Continuum program rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the capacity figures it computed. Ferrion Data, the Quorrel products, the Continuum programs and every figure here are fictional, invented for illustration.

Scope: Quorrel//P, //PX, //B and //V storage array deals, Continuum program terms and discount authority. See everything this validator covers

This validator models Quorrel//P, //PX, //B and //V storage array deals and the Continuum programs sold with them, not just the scenarios shown below. Ferrion Data and its products are fictional.

  • Systems: Quorrel//P (P12, P30, P55, P80), //PX (PX120, PX160, PX200), //B (B40, B65, B95) and //V, with each model's largest configuration: maximum raw capacity, peak power and rack units.
  • Sizing: effective capacity from raw capacity at the 4 to 1 basis and at the data reduction ratio the quote claims, checked against the capacity the customer needs and against the capacity the quote states.
  • Site fit: peak power draw against the site's power, and rack space against the site's rack units.
  • Continuum programs: Continuum//Steady (controller upgrade eligibility, flat renewal pricing, Capacity Merge, Swift Trade-in), //Core, //Elastic (reserve commitment) and //Pledge (service tiers and their minimum reserves, energy and power assurance SLAs, rate lock, renewal cap, opt-out notice, reserve changes, buffer, Unified Vault Repository terms).
  • Quorrel//V: sold only under Continuum//Pledge as a Unified Vault Repository subscription, from 900 TB raw, with no object access.
  • Discount authority: who can approve a discount by deal size, and when a discount needs approval or is refused.

Any Quorrel//P, //PX, //B or //V deal that touches sizing, site fit, these Continuum programs or discounts is in scope, not only the scenarios pictured here. Not covered: list prices and per-TiB rates (the deal value is an input, so this validator produces no price build-up or line-item quote) and any Ferrion product outside the Quorrel family. Assumptions: Quorrel//V effective capacity (2.9 to 1) is inferred and its power and rack space are not checked; energy SLA minimums are not defined for every tier, so those go to approval; the discount limits (6, 12 and 22 percent) are invented.

The AI sales agentBuilds the storage array deal from the conversation and says it is ready.
Predictika validatorChecks every rule at once and returns the verdict, each finding, and the computed figures.

7 scenarios in 3 groups · each group runs from the agent’s first attempt to the outcome · click one to switch

What the agent proposes

The AI sales agent says

Proposing agent: AI sales agent (scripted)

Before sending, the agent must call Recorded run

Predictika validator


      
Waiting for the call.

Where rules-based CPQ gets it wrong

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Our assessment of what a typical rules-based CPQ (product rules, price rules and validation rules, as in Salesforce CPQ) does with the same cases. It is a judgment about effort and reliability, not a claim that nothing can be built.

What the validator caughtTypical rules-based CPQPredictika
Customer needs more capacity than the array gives at the 4 to 1 basis, and the quote claims a better ratioOnly with care
The ratio is a free-entry field. A validation rule has to recompute effective capacity per model and compare it with the need, and it must be kept in step as models are added.
Effective capacity is computed at the base ratio and at the claimed ratio; a need between the two goes to a sizing review.
A stated capacity that must match a computed one, after the array is resizedOnly with workarounds
The stated figure is rarely a field on the quote, so a separate rule is needed to recompute capacity and compare it, and it is easy to leave stale when the raw capacity changes.
The stated capacity travels with the request and is compared with the computed capacity on every call.
Controller upgrade eligibility: a number of years that differs by modelOnly with workarounds
The years since the last upgrade live in the install base, not on the quote, and the interval differs for each model.
The years travel with the request and are compared with the interval stored on the model record.
Continuum//Pledge conditions that depend on deal type and tier: reserve minimums, power and energy SLAs, renewal cap, opt-out notice, reserve that can only increaseOnly with workarounds
Each condition combines deal type, tier and a number from another record, and a change to the reserve moves several of them at once, so the rules interact and one change tends to break another.
Every rule is checked on every call; one reserve change is re-checked against all of them.
A discount whose authority depends on deal sizeOnly with care
Approval thresholds by deal value are a separate rule set, and a bigger array changes the deal value and so who can approve.
Deal value, discount and the authority limit are in one request and checked on every call.
Every problem returned in one answerOnly with workarounds
Rules tend to fire as the quote is saved or a step is completed, so a rep often fixes one error and meets the next.
All findings come back together, whatever order the choices arrived in.

What this validator catches: findings from its test cases

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Every rule is checked on every call, in any order the choices arrive; one problem never hides another. Blocking findings stop the quote; approval findings need a person to sign off; everything else is computed.

1700 TB raw is above the 640 TB the Quorrel//P55 G2 supports in its largest configuration.
2The customer needs 1,500 TB effective but 300 TB raw on the Quorrel//P55 G2 gives only 890.64 TB even at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
3The quote meets the 1,900 TB effective need only by claiming 5.0 to 1 data reduction; the datasheet basis is 4 to 1 (1,662.53 TB). Needs a sizing review.
4The Quorrel//P55 G2 draws up to 1,500 W at peak; the site allows 1,300 W.
5The Quorrel//P55 G2 can take up to 8 rack units with shelves; the site offers 6. Needs a site survey.
6Quorrel//V is block or unified block and file only; the customer needs object access or unified file and object.
7Quorrel//V is sold only under Continuum//Pledge as a Unified Vault Repository subscription, not as Steady on tier No Continuum//Pledge tier.
8Quorrel//V starts at 900 TB raw; the quote has 700 TB.
9The Crest tier has a minimum reserve of 40 TiB; the quote reserves 30 TiB.
10Unified Vault Repository is a 48-month subscription; the quote has 36 months.
11The power and rack assurance SLA on the Velox tier needs a reserve of at least 160 TiB; the quote reserves 120 TiB.
12The power and rack assurance SLA needs utilization of 75 percent or more and 208 to 250 V power; the site has 65 percent and 120 V.
13The requested SLA has no published minimum for the Crest tier. Product management must confirm eligibility.
14The buffer guarantee covers 20 percent of the reserve up to 800 TiB (80.0 TiB here); the quote asks 120 TiB.
15The existing rate holds on an expansion only up to 1,800 TiB in total and only above 75 percent utilization; this one reaches 2,300 TiB at 85 percent.
16A Continuum//Pledge renewal can rise by at most 15 percent over the prior rate; the quote raises it 20 percent.
17Opting out of auto-renewal needs 90 days notice; the request gives 45 days.
18Continuum//Steady renewal pricing stays flat to the initial reseller rate; the quote is 8 percent higher while annual PPI inflation is 3 percent (6 or less).
19Annual PPI inflation of 9 percent is above 6, so flat renewal pricing is open to negotiation; the quote is 8 percent higher.
20A controller upgrade on the Quorrel//P55 G2 needs 4 consecutive years since the last upgrade; the customer has 3.
21Continuum//Core does not include Continuum Renew controller upgrades, Capacity Merge or Swift Trade-in.
22Capacity Merge credit is capped at 40 percent of the new capacity and 20 percent of the subscription; the quote asks 50 and 0.
23Replaced capacity must come back within 30 days unless a non-return SKU is bought; the quote allows 45 days.
24Swift Trade-in credit cannot be combined with other promotions.
25Continuum//Elastic needs a reserve commitment of at least 35 percent of effective capacity; the quote has 25 percent.
26A Continuum//Pledge reserve commitment can only increase; the quote lowers it from 400 to 300 TiB.
2710 percent discount is above the 6 percent a rep can give; approvable up to 12 percent on this deal ($340,000).
2818 percent discount exceeds the 12 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $340,000.
2918 percent discount is above the 6 percent a rep can give; approvable up to 22 percent on this deal ($1,275,000).
30A controller upgrade on the Quorrel//P80 G2 needs 4 consecutive years since the last upgrade; the customer has 3.
31The customer needs 3,000 TB effective but 900 TB raw on the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives only 2,781.81 TB even at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
32The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity; the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives 2,781.81 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
3328 percent discount exceeds the 22 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $1,020,000.
3418 percent discount is above the 6 percent a rep can give; approvable up to 22 percent on this deal ($1,020,000).

Scenarios and results

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The recorded result of the validator for each scenario on this page: the request the AI agent sent, the verdict, and every finding, in the order they appear above.

1. Upgrade, sizing and discount: A controller upgrade deal that breaks eight blocking rules and needs one approval

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Steady controller upgrade on a Quorrel//P80 G2 with 900 TB raw, for a customer who needs 3,000 TB effective, with a 28 percent discount. The last controller upgrade was 3 years ago. It uses Capacity Merge for 50 percent credit, with the replaced capacity returned in 45 days. It also applies a Swift Trade-in credit and another promotion. The site has 1,300 W and 6 rack units, and the deal value is $510,000. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Not enough effective capacity. The customer needs 3,000 TB effective but 900 TB raw on the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives only 2,781.81 TB even at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
  • Controller upgrade too soon. A controller upgrade on the Quorrel//P80 G2 needs 4 consecutive years since the last upgrade; the customer has 3.
  • Capacity Merge credit above the cap. Capacity Merge credit is capped at 40 percent of the new capacity and 20 percent of the subscription; the quote asks 50 and 0.
  • Replaced capacity return window. Replaced capacity must come back within 30 days unless a non-return SKU is bought; the quote allows 45 days.
  • Swift Trade-in with other promotions. Swift Trade-in credit cannot be combined with other promotions.
  • Site power too low. The Quorrel//P80 G2 draws up to 1,640 W at peak; the site allows 1,300 W.
  • Quoted capacity does not match. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity; the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives 2,781.81 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
  • Discount above the maximum. 28 percent discount exceeds the 12 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $510,000.
  • Rack space needs a site survey. The Quorrel//P80 G2 can take up to 8 rack units with shelves; the site offers 6. Needs a site survey.

2. Upgrade, sizing and discount: The agent resizes the array and moves the upgrade date; the stated capacity and the site are still wrong

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Steady controller upgrade on a Quorrel//P80 G2 with 1,040 TB raw, for a customer who needs 3,000 TB effective, with a 28 percent discount. The last controller upgrade was 4 years ago. It uses Capacity Merge for 40 percent credit, with the replaced capacity returned in 30 days. The site has 1,300 W and 6 rack units, and the deal value is $589,000. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Site power too low. The Quorrel//P80 G2 draws up to 1,640 W at peak; the site allows 1,300 W.
  • Quoted capacity does not match. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity; the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives 3,214.54 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction.
  • Discount above the maximum. 28 percent discount exceeds the 12 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $589,000.
  • Rack space needs a site survey. The Quorrel//P80 G2 can take up to 8 rack units with shelves; the site offers 6. Needs a site survey.

3. Upgrade, sizing and discount: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Steady controller upgrade on a Quorrel//P80 G2 with 1,040 TB raw, for a customer who needs 3,000 TB effective, with a 6 percent discount. The last controller upgrade was 4 years ago. It uses Capacity Merge for 40 percent credit, with the replaced capacity returned in 30 days. The site has 1,800 W and 8 rack units, and the deal value is $589,000. The quote states 3,214.54 TB effective capacity. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Sizing summary. 1,040 TB raw on the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives 3,214.54 TB effective at the 4 to 1 datasheet basis and 3,214.54 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1.

4. Pledge renewal terms: A Continuum//Pledge renewal with a small reserve, a poor site, a 20 percent increase and 45 days notice

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Pledge renewal on the Quorrel//P55 G2, service tier Velox, with a reserve of 120 TiB (the customer currently has 150 TiB). It includes the energy efficiency SLA and the power and rack assurance SLA; the site runs at 65 percent utilization on 120 V. The renewal raises the rate 20 percent, the customer opts out of auto-renewal with 45 days notice, and the buffer asked is 120 TiB. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Energy SLA reserve too small. The energy efficiency SLA on the Velox tier needs a reserve of at least 250 TiB; the quote reserves 120 TiB.
  • Power SLA reserve too small. The power and rack assurance SLA on the Velox tier needs a reserve of at least 160 TiB; the quote reserves 120 TiB.
  • Power SLA site conditions. The power and rack assurance SLA needs utilization of 75 percent or more and 208 to 250 V power; the site has 65 percent and 120 V.
  • Renewal increase above the cap. A Continuum//Pledge renewal can rise by at most 15 percent over the prior rate; the quote raises it 20 percent.
  • Opt-out notice too short. Opting out of auto-renewal needs 90 days notice; the request gives 45 days.
  • Pledge reserve lowered. A Continuum//Pledge reserve commitment can only increase; the quote lowers it from 150 to 120 TiB.
  • Buffer above the guarantee. The buffer guarantee covers 20 percent of the reserve up to 800 TiB (24.0 TiB here); the quote asks 120 TiB.

5. Pledge renewal terms: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Pledge renewal on the Quorrel//P55 G2, service tier Velox, with a reserve of 260 TiB (the customer currently has 150 TiB). It includes the energy efficiency SLA and the power and rack assurance SLA; the site runs at 80 percent utilization on 230 V. The renewal raises the rate 12 percent, the customer opts out of auto-renewal with 90 days notice, and the buffer asked is 50 TiB. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Sizing summary. 560 TB raw on the Quorrel//P55 G2 gives 1,662.53 TB effective at the 4 to 1 datasheet basis and 1,662.53 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1.

6. Program and discount: A Continuum//Core deal asking for Capacity Merge and a 28 percent discount

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Core new purchase on a Quorrel//PX160 G2 with 1,400 TB raw, for a customer who needs 4,000 TB effective, with a 28 percent discount. It uses Capacity Merge for 20 percent credit. The site has 3,400 W and 12 rack units, and the deal value is $1,020,000. The quote states 4,230.80 TB effective capacity. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Blocked.

  • Not included in Continuum//Core. Continuum//Core does not include Continuum Renew controller upgrades, Capacity Merge or Swift Trade-in.
  • Discount above the maximum. 28 percent discount exceeds the 22 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $1,020,000.

7. Program and discount: The agent resubmits after fixing the errors

The agent's request. Please quote a Continuum//Steady new purchase on a Quorrel//PX160 G2 with 1,400 TB raw, for a customer who needs 4,000 TB effective, with a 6 percent discount. It uses Capacity Merge for 20 percent credit. The site has 3,400 W and 12 rack units, and the deal value is $1,020,000. The quote states 4,230.80 TB effective capacity. It is ready to send.

Verdict: Allowed.

  • Sizing summary. 1,400 TB raw on the Quorrel//PX160 G2 gives 4,230.8 TB effective at the 4 to 1 datasheet basis and 4,230.8 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1.

Narration transcript

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The text of the narrated walkthrough, step by step.

  1. Welcome to a demo of Predictika's Validator. An AI sales agent prepares a storage array deal for a customer: array model, raw capacity, Continuum program, and more. Before it goes out, the agent sends it to Predictika, which checks it against a declarative model of the sizing, site-fit and Continuum program rules and returns a verdict, every reason and the capacity figures it computed. Ferrion Data, the Quorrel products, the Continuum programs and every figure here are fictional, invented for illustration.
  2. Each tab is a different request. We will start with the first one.
  3. The agent says. Please quote a Continuum//Steady controller upgrade on a Quorrel//P80 G2 with 900 TB raw, for a customer who needs 3,000 TB effective, with a 28 percent discount. The last controller upgrade was 3 years ago. The rest of the request is on screen. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity.
  4. Before it goes out, the agent calls the validator.
  5. Blocked, with eight findings and one approval, all in one answer. The customer needs 3,000 TB effective but 900 TB raw on the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives only 2,781.81 TB even at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction. A controller upgrade on the Quorrel//P80 G2 needs 4 consecutive years since the last upgrade; the customer has 3. Capacity Merge credit is capped at 40 percent of the new capacity and 20 percent of the subscription; the quote asks 50 and 0. The other five are on screen.
  6. The validator returned eight blocking findings and one approval in one answer. A check that reads one field at a time would pass most of this; it shows only when the choices in the quote are checked against each other.
  7. What this shows: for customer needs more capacity than the array gives at the 4 to 1 basis, and the quote claims a better ratio, a rules-based CPQ is error-prone for this.
  8. Now the agent resubmits.
  9. The corrected request. It changes the raw capacity to 1,040 TB, the years since last controller upgrade to 4, the Capacity Merge credit to 40 percent, the replaced capacity returned in to 30 days and the deal value to $589,000. It removes the Swift Trade-in with another promotion.
  10. It calls the validator again.
  11. Still blocked, with three findings and one approval, all in one answer. The Quorrel//P80 G2 draws up to 1,640 W at peak; the site allows 1,300 W. The quote states 3,000.0 TB effective capacity; the Quorrel//P80 G2 gives 3,214.54 TB at the claimed 4.0 to 1 data reduction. 28 percent discount exceeds the 12 percent anyone can approve on a deal of $589,000.
  12. Five findings cleared; still blocked on site power too low, quoted capacity does not match and discount above the maximum.
  13. The agent resubmits once more.
  14. The revised request. It changes the site power available to 1,800 W, the rack space available to 8 U, the discount requested to 6 percent and the quoted effective capacity to 3,214.54 TB.
  15. It calls the validator once more.
  16. This time the validator clears it.
  17. All four earlier findings are cleared, and the validator's figure matches the quote.
  18. Eight problems caught in one call, fixed in two passes, and a clean quote. That is the value of Predictika's validator: catching mistakes before they reach the customer.