Microsoft Azure

Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of services and solutions for businesses and developers to build, deploy, and manage applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. Azure has become a critical player in the cloud computing landscape, providing scalable and cost-effective solutions for organizations of…

Multi-Cloud Strategy

A multi-cloud strategy is a cloud computing approach involving multiple cloud service providers to meet an organization’s IT infrastructure needs. This strategy combines services from different cloud vendors to optimize performance, cost, and flexibility while reducing reliance on a single provider. Key Components of a Multi-Cloud Strategy A successful multi-cloud strategy encompasses several critical elements:…

Open Policy Agent (OPA)

Open Policy Agent (OPA) is an open-source, general-purpose policy engine that enables unified, context-aware policy enforcement across the entire stack. Developed by Styra in 2016, OPA has gained significant traction in the cloud-native ecosystem. In the context of FinOps and cloud cost management, OPA plays a crucial role in enforcing cost policies, automating compliance checks,…

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a suite of cloud services designed to help businesses run their applications and workloads in a scalable, secure, and high-performance environment. OCI offers a broad spectrum of services, including compute, storage, networking, database, and analytics solutions. Key features of Oracle Cloud include: In the cloud market, Oracle positions itself as…

Platform Engineering

Platform Engineering emerged as a response to the increasing complexity of cloud-native environments and the need for streamlined, efficient operations. It bridges the gap between development, operations, and financial management, providing a unified approach to managing cloud resources. In the context of FinOps, Platform Engineering plays an important role in aligning technical decisions with financial…

Policy as Code

Policy as Code is a FinOps methodology that involves defining, implementing, and managing financial governance policies using programming languages and software development practices. This approach enables organizations to automate and scale their cloud cost management efforts by codifying rules and constraints that govern resource usage, spending limits, and compliance requirements. Evolution of Policy Management Traditional…

Preemptible VM Instances

Preemptible VM Instances are short-lived, cost-effective virtual machines offered by cloud providers that can be terminated at any time with limited notice. These instances play an important role in cloud computing by providing significant cost savings for suitable workloads while contributing to efficient resource utilization. In FinOps, preemptible instances are essential for optimizing cloud spending…

Pulumi

Pulumi is an open-source infrastructure as code (IaC) platform that enables developers to define, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure using familiar programming languages. Launched in 2018, Pulumi has quickly gained traction in the cloud-native ecosystem, offering a powerful alternative to traditional IaC tools. Pulumi provides a unique approach to infrastructure as code by allowing developers…

Reserved Instances

Reserved Instances were introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2009 as a way for customers to reduce their cloud computing costs by committing to a specific amount of compute capacity for a predetermined period. Since then, other major cloud providers, such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform, have adopted similar models. The primary…

Resource Scheduling

Resource scheduling in cloud computing refers to the process of allocating and managing computing resources such as CPU, memory, storage, and network bandwidth to various tasks, applications, or workloads. It is a fundamental component of cloud infrastructure management that directly impacts both operational performance and cost optimization. In FinOps, resource scheduling is particularly important as…

Resource Utilization

Resource utilization in the context of FinOps refers to the efficient use and management of cloud computing resources to optimize performance and cost. It is a critical aspect of cloud cost management that focuses on maximizing the value derived from cloud investments while minimizing waste and unnecessary expenses. Understanding and optimizing resource utilization has become…

Rightsizing

Rightsizing in cloud computing refers to the process of analyzing and adjusting cloud resources to align with actual usage patterns and performance needs. It involves identifying and eliminating waste by resizing or reconfiguring instances, storage, and other cloud services to match workload demands accurately. In FinOps, rightsizing plays a crucial role in achieving cost optimization…