Amazon Web Services (AWS), the largest cloud computing platform, currently serves millions of customers and is engineered for the most demanding requirements. It offers dozens of solutions from cloud computing, to database storage, to content delivery. It allows a business to scale as well as be flexible and have a reliable network with rigorous cybersecurity standards.
While these impressive attributes make AWS an excellent option for any size business, it can also save you money. According to Amazon, AWS can reduce the cost of computing by an average of 30%, storage by an average of 51%, and relational databases by up to 28%.
But you can also save money on your AWS investment based on these six tips.
Choose the right size EC2 Instance
From the moment you decide to use AWS, it’s imperative to pick the right Instance. You don’t want to be left with more than you need for CPU, storage, memory, or networking. You’ll need to perform an analysis of your organization to determine what size is ideal. Because if you have too much, you’re paying too much.
Be conservative here because you can always adapt as needed and add more in the future as your business grows.
Employ Trusted Advisor
AWS offers users an intelligent tool with Trusted Advisor. It will scan your account and find features that aren’t being optimized. It will actually identify ways for you to save. It also checks on performance, security, fault tolerance, and service limits. Take advantage of these recommendations so your system is running optimally.
Think about reserved or spot pricing
You may already be familiar with AWS’s on-demand pricing, but you should also investigate reserved or spot pricing. With spot pricing, you have properly defined your needs, then you set a ceiling of what you are willing to pay for those. If you’re under the ceiling, you only pay for what you use. If you go above, your Instance is terminated. According to Amazon, you may be able to reap a discount of up to 90%, compared to their on-demand pricing. Learn more by viewing the Spot Instance Advisor.
Terminate any Instances not utilized
With the on-demand pricing model, knowing your usage is crucial to ensuring you garner ROI. If you have Instances that are not being used, then it’s time to terminate them. One recent survey found that not even half of AWS users are taking advantage of Removed Instances to save money. Monitor usage and find the gaps so you are only paying for what you really need.
Use CloudWatch and Auto Scaling
These are more tools from AWS that can improve your spend. CloudWatch monitors the usage of your infrastructure, providing you with data and actionable insights. By applying it, you can improve your operational performance and resource optimization.
Auto Scaling examines your applications and automatically adjusts capacity. You can scale up or down, ensuring you are paying the lowest price possible based on your actual usage.
Track cost drivers and usage trends with Cost Explorer
With the AWS Cost Explorer, you have a comprehensive view of usage trends with notifications when major changes occur. This tool also allows you to create custom reports that provide a clear analysis of your costs and usage. With this information, you can see what’s driving your costs and devise ways to lower them.Need help optimizing or setting up AWS services? Partner with our team of AWS experts to ensure you have a solution that provides what you need while also keeping costs down.