The year 2024 is well underway, but there’s still an opportunity to get your company’s AWS infrastructure humming perfectly in 2024!
What’s the best way to start a new resolution? With a checklist, of course! To help you get 2024 started right, our team has prepared the ultimate checklist for AWS success in 2024. Discover quick and easy tips on how to optimize your cloud resources and reduce unnecessary spending.
Let’s dive right in!
#1 Review Your Costs and Usage Trends
To make your AWS spending more efficient, start by analyzing your current consumption and costs. AWS operates on a consumption-based model, meaning your expenses are tied directly to your resource usage.
The
AWS Cost Explorer is an excellent tool to help track, filter, and forecast your usage and expenses. You can enable it via the
Billing and Cost Management console if it’s not already active.
Our
AWS Resell service customers also benefit from our in-house
Customer Portal tool, which provides an easy-to-digest overview of cloud expenses across services, accounts, and regions. Many find it simpler and more user-friendly compared to AWS Cost Explorer.
Partnering with AWS experts like
Webby Cloud can lead to smarter spending decisions. Our services include a 3% discount on expenses and a comprehensive review to potentially lower your AWS costs by up to 40%.
Book a Free Consultation with our experts to learn more.
#2 Eliminate Idle Resources and Resize Your Instances
After understanding your spending, the next step is optimization. Identifying and eliminating idle resources is a simple way to save money. These are resources you’re paying for but not fully utilizing.
AWS provides tools to identify underused instances, and third-party tools can also help pinpoint inefficiencies. Once identified, resizing instances—choosing the right instance type and size for your needs—can result in significant savings. For example, replacing two large instances with smaller, auto-scaling ones can save costs while meeting your requirements.
Webby Cloud offers a
Free AWS Cost Optimization Review for companies spending under $5,000 monthly and
AWS Resell customers. This review provides tailored advice and actionable
insights. Book a Free Consultation to get started.
#3 Utilize Reserved Instances and Savings Plans
For resources with predictable usage patterns, consider leveraging
Reserved Instances (RIs) or
Savings Plans (SPs). Both options offer substantial discounts by committing to long-term usage, typically one to three years.
- Standard RIs: Ideal for steady workloads, offering up to 72% savings. These are non-flexible but can be sold on the RI Marketplace.
- Convertible RIs: Provide up to 54% savings and the flexibility to adjust instance attributes.
- Scheduled RIs: Allow capacity reservation during specific time windows.
Savings Plans, such as
Compute SPs, apply to a broader range of AWS compute services and are highly flexible. They automatically adapt to eligible services like EC2, Lambda, and Fargate.
#4 Upgrade Outdated Instances and Storage
Reducing costs can also mean upgrading to more efficient technologies. AWS regularly releases improved offerings, such as the
Graviton CPUs, which can save up to 40% compared to similar Intel-based instances. Upgrading from older instance types or storage options like
gp2 to
gp3 can further lower costs while enhancing performance.
These upgrades are often simple and may not require downtime. Take a look at AWS’s upgrade paths to see where you can improve your infrastructure.
#5 Implement Instance Scheduling
Avoid unnecessary costs by scheduling your instances to run only when needed. The
Instance Scheduler enables you to set predefined schedules for EC2 and RDS resources, preventing overuse and cutting costs by up to 70%.
For a simpler setup, use
AWS Systems Manager Resource Scheduler, which manages instance schedules based on resource tags. Both options are easy to configure and can yield significant savings.
#6 Leverage Spot Instances Effectively
Spot Instances offer steep discounts—up to 90%—by utilizing AWS’s unused capacity. However, these instances may be terminated with minimal notice during high demand.
To counter this, consider using
Spot Fleets, which maintain target capacity by automatically replacing terminated instances. This ensures a more reliable service while maximizing cost savings.
#7 Explore Serverless Solutions
Running a serverless architecture eliminates the need for server management and can significantly reduce costs. AWS offers a range of serverless services, including
AWS Lambda,
DynamoDB,
RDS Aurora Serverless, and
Fargate, among others.
Though rearchitecting for serverless may seem challenging initially, it offsets costs in the long run. Amazon CTO Werner Vogels’ guide,
The Frugal Architect, provides
insights into cost-effective serverless operations.
#8 Maximize the AWS Marketplace
The
AWS Marketplace offers a variety of third-party applications with flexible payment options. Pay-as-you-go pricing, free trials, and annual subscription discounts can streamline costs and simplify billing.
For added savings,
Webby Cloud’s
AWS Resell customers enjoy a 5% discount on top-listed Independent Software Vendors (ISVs).
Learn more about how to leverage these benefits.
#9 Conduct an AWS Well-Architected Review
Finally, ensure your AWS setup follows best practices by undergoing an
AWS Well-Architected Framework Review. This evaluation covers six key pillars—operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimization, and sustainability.
Webby Cloud offers this review for free, providing actionable recommendations to help you optimize your AWS infrastructure.
Book a Free Consultation today!
