Amazon EBS – Consider Upgrading io1 Volumes to io2

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) io2 volumes represent a significant improvement over io1 volumes, offering enhanced durability and performance at the same price point. This policy guide helps organizations optimize their EBS volume configurations for better reliability and cost-effectiveness. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters The transition from io1 to io2 volumes provides critical benefits:…

Azure Monitor – Reduce Storage Costs with Retention Policies

Organizations can significantly reduce Azure Monitor storage costs by implementing strategic data retention policies. Without proper management, log and analytics data can quickly accumulate, leading to unnecessary and escalating cloud expenses. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Azure Monitor generates substantial amounts of operational and performance data that can rapidly consume storage resources. Without careful…

Amazon EBS – Update io1/io2 Volumes to gp3

Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) volume selection can significantly impact cloud infrastructure costs. By strategically migrating from io1 and io2 volumes to gp3, organizations can achieve substantial cost savings without compromising performance for many workloads. Why Switching from io1/io2 to gp3 Matters EBS volume type selection directly influences both performance and cost. For workloads requiring…

Azure App Service – Upgrade to Premium v3

Azure App Service Premium v3 offers significant performance improvements and potential cost savings compared to previous service plan tiers. Organizations can optimize performance and cloud spending by strategically upgrading their App Service plans. Why Upgrade to Premium v3? Premium v3 service plans provide substantial benefits: Detailed Explanation Performance and Cost Benefits The performance differences between…

Amazon EBS – Consider Upgrading gp2 Volumes to gp3

gp3 volumes represent the latest generation of general-purpose SSD-based Amazon EBS volumes that provide enhanced flexibility and cost-efficiency for cloud storage. By enabling performance provisioning independent of storage capacity, these volumes offer a strategic opportunity for organizations to optimize cloud infrastructure spending. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Cost Reduction Mechanics Organizations can achieve significant…

Amazon S3 – Consider Deleting or Moving Non-Current Object Versions

Amazon S3 versioning can inadvertently lead to significant cloud storage costs. Non-current object versions continue to consume storage space and incur charges, even when they’re no longer actively used. This policy provides guidance on managing these unnecessary object versions to optimize cloud spending and storage efficiency. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Object versioning in…

Azure Virtual Machines – Consider Upgrading DS Series Machines to Dv5

Systematically upgrade Azure DS series virtual machines to Dv5 or Ddsv5 series to leverage newer processor technologies, improve performance, and reduce monthly infrastructure costs. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters The evolution of Azure virtual machine series presents critical opportunities for FinOps professionals to: Cost Reduction Potential Upgrading from DS series to Dv5 or Ddsv5…

Azure App Service – Consider Upgrading Isolated Service Plans to v2

App Service Isolated v2 plans offer significant performance improvements and cost optimization opportunities for organizations running Azure App Services. This policy provides guidance on evaluating and migrating to the more cost-effective Isolated v2 service plans. Why This Policy Matters Azure App Service Isolated v2 plans represent a strategic opportunity for organizations to: Detailed Explanation Performance…

Azure Virtual Machines – Upgrade ND Series Machines

Optimize Azure VM costs by upgrading deprecated ND series machines to more modern and cost-effective NCas T4 v3 or NDamsr A100 v4 series virtual machines. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters The ND series virtual machines have reached end-of-life, presenting a critical opportunity for cost optimization and performance improvement in cloud infrastructure. As technology evolves,…

Google Compute Engine – Consider Predefined Machine Types

Predefined machine types in Google Compute Engine offer significant cost savings compared to custom machine types, providing optimized performance and pricing for most workloads. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters In the world of cloud cost optimization, selecting the right machine type is crucial for controlling expenses. Custom machine types typically cost 5% more than…

Azure Firewall – Consider Downgrading to Standard or Basic

Optimize Azure Firewall costs by selecting the appropriate tier based on your specific security requirements, potentially saving up to 67% on monthly infrastructure expenses. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters in FinOps In the world of cloud financial management, every dollar counts. Azure Firewall offers multiple pricing tiers with varying feature sets, and selecting the…

Amazon Cloudwatch – Consider Using a Retention Policy to Reduce Storage Costs

Implement log retention policies in AWS CloudWatch to optimize storage costs and prevent unnecessary log accumulation that can lead to significant cloud spending. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Log management is a critical aspect of cloud cost optimization. Without proper retention strategies, organizations can inadvertently accumulate massive storage costs from unchecked log data. CloudWatch…