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Atomic’s Advice on Amazon Web Services
Managing Amazon Web Services can become complicated when it comes to AWS costs. Many companies find that managing cloud services like AWS is a big challenge. While the service can offer managed benefits, including a wide range of services and bespoke features, it requires strategic planning and continuous management to keep costs under control. That is why Atomic Digital Labs has developed 10 essential tips on managing AWS costs effectively.
1. Right-size your resources in Amazon Web Services
The process of right-sizing involves evaluating your company's existing resources and adjusting them to fit your realistic workload. Many companies make the common mistake of over-allocating resources to keep availability accessible, which can lead to cost waste. We recommend using AWS tools like the AWS Cost Explorer or the AWS Trusted Advisor to gain recommendations on over-provisioned or under-utilised examples. With these recommendations, you can make strategic decisions on downsizing or switching to a better instance type that suits your company's needs.
2. Use Auto Scaling
AWS’s tool, Auto Scaling, automatically adjusts the number of EC2 instances in your application based on demand. This unique tool makes it possible for you to have the right amount of resources during traffic spikes without over-provisioning for quit times. Auto scaling can help your company maintain its AWS performance while also minimising unnecessary AWS costs.
3. Leverage Spot Instances
Another valuable AWS tool is Spot Instances, which allows you to bid on unused EC2 capacity at lower costs than on-demand instances. By using Spot Instances for non-time-sensitive workloads, including batch processing and testing environments, you can save 90%. It is important to note that this tool is best used for stateless or fault-tolerant applications, as Amazon Web Services can also reclaim instances when further capacity is needed elsewhere.
4. Use Reserved Instances for Long-Term Workloads
If your company's workload is predictable and will run for over a year, you can use Reserved Instances to offer potential savings on On-Demand pricing. Depending on your commitment term and instance type, you could save up to 75%! Reserved Instances come in two types: Standard and Convertible. The convertible type allows more flexibility, for instance families and changes to your AWS operating system.
5. Monitor and Optimise Storage Costs in AWS
Your AWS storage can build up quickly if you are not properly monitoring what is being stored. Amazon Web Services offers many storage options, including S3 (Simple Storage), EBS (Block Storage), and Glacier. These three options are better suited for different types of data. To monitor storage efficiently, we recommend using lifecycle policies to automatically move data into cheaper storage options.
6. Take Advantage of the AWS Savings Plans
Amazon Web Service offers multiple savings plans that offer flexible pricing models in order to reduce costs for your company. AWS savings plans can give up to 72% discounts when you commit to long-term usage for over 1 - 3 years. They also offer flexibility for various instance types, regions, and Lambda (AWS services).
7. Consolidate Billing with AWS Organisations
Companies with more than one AWS account running can save AWS costs by consolidating their accounts under the AWS Organisations feature. This service allows companies to manage and control various AWS accounts in one place and use aggregated usage discounts to save costs across the board. This feature also allows companies to use consolidated billing to reach high-cost volume discounts faster.
8. Use Cost Explorer and Budgets
The AWS Cost Explorer is a useful way to track your spending and identify where you can save money. Through the AWS Budgets feature, you can also set budgets and usage thresholds for your company.
9. Optimise Data Transfer Costs
Data transfer can rack up high costs when not monitored properly due to “across the region” or “out to the internet” transfers. It is recommended to keep data transfers to the same region to save AWS costs. You can also save costs on data transfers by using content delivery networks to cache data near your users. CDNs like Amazon CloudFront can help reduce any outbound data transfer costs.
10. Turn Off Unused Resources
Our last tip to save AWS costs is simple and effective. Go through your resources, including EC2 instances, EBS Volumes, or RDS database, to decipher what is not in use and can be turned off so they don't incur extra costs. To save on efficiency, you can use the AWS Instance Scheduler to aid in the automation of unused instances that shut down during off hours.
Final Thoughts
Looking into the cost-saving methods in Amazon Web Services can be very complex. However, proper monitoring and management using AWS services can make your savings well worth the work. If you’re looking for an AWS Services agency to monitor and manage your AWS platforms, reach out to Atomic Digital Labs for effective AWS Development Skills and Solutions.
