How to Cost Optimise in Cloud Computing

by | Jan 28, 2021 | Cloud Computing, Data, DevOps & Engineering | 0 comments

Last week, we discussed what questions you should ask before migrating to a cloud database. This week, we delve into cost optimisation and how you can reduce budget and utilise it elsewhere.

  1. Locate unattached or unused resources
  2. Consolidate your idle resources 
  3. Monitor your heatmaps and optimise accordingly
  4. One size does not fit all – What’s optimal for you?
  5. Take Advantage of Spot Instances
  6. Consider Multi-Cloud vs. Single Cloud

1. Locating Unattached or Unused Resources

A cloud cost optimisation strategy should begin with identifying any used or completely unattached resources. Ask your developers and administrators to review and list any past projects that may entail the use of a spin-off server for temporary use. These can be reviewed to ensure no storage is attached to instances terminated.

2. Consolidate your Idle Resources

An idle resource could be a computing instance that may not be fully utilised. Perhaps you wanted a computing instance that could maintain support for upcoming products or features on your roadmap. Objectives change and you’re left with a computing instance that is awfully under-utilised, however the cost still remains the same. 

The cloud offers autoscaling, load balancing, and on-demand capabilities that allow you to scale your computing power at any time.

3. Monitor your Heatmaps and Optimise Accordingly

What is a heatmap?

A heat map is a data visualisation tool that shows the magnitude of a phenomenon such as peaks and valleys in computing demand.

Your heatmap will be able to identify whether development servers can be safely shut down temporarily, saving you running costs. This process can be automated to start and stop, as manual attempts may not be as successful and consistent.

4. One Size does not fit all – What’s Optimal for you?

What is Right Sizing?

Right Sizing refers to the process of restructuring or reorganising your organisation’s IT infrastructure, networking, storage, data centers, hardware and/or other critical components.

Right Sizing aims to look at the bigger picture to identify and maintain the correct level of IT assets required to get the job done. This is not an easy feat, with administrators having combinations in the millions to choose from.

Not only does Right Sizing reduce costs, but it also optimises performance. Contact us and we can help you work out the most optimal solution for your organisation.

5. Take Advantage of Spot Instances

What is a Spot Instance?

A Spot Instance is an unused EC2 instance that is available for less than the On-Demand price. Spot Instances allow you to request unused EC2 instances at steep discounts, letting you reduce your Amazon EC2 costs significantly.

These Spot Instances can be purchased at auction for a competitive price with immediate usage. An example use for a Spot Instance is if your organisation requires a batch job that can be terminated swiftly.

6. Consider Multi-Cloud vs. Single Cloud

IT professionals are seeking out hybrid and multi cloud tools to reduce risk of being locked in to a specific provider. But what are the benefits to sticking to one service provider instead of several?

Loyalty to one service provider may offer discounts and additional benefits at particular price points. It can also reduce administrative hassles switching between platforms, paying for network traffic between tools, and staff training across multiple cloud networks.

Hosting a multi-cloud environment also offers a range of benefits, including the ability to find the best-in-class providers, competitive pricing, flexibility and scalability, enhanced risk management, and network performance improvements.

We pride ourselves on cloud optimisation and find passion in supporting our customers to reduce cost and optimise performance efficiently and effectively. Contact us today to begin your cloud optimisation journey. Crystal Delta is a global software engineering practice specialising in banking & finance, manufacturing, and education.