Amazon RDS – Consider setting Aurora Serverless v2 clusters minimum capacity to 0.5 in non-production projects

Aurora Serverless v2 provides flexible scaling for Amazon RDS databases, with the ability to optimize costs by adjusting minimum capacity settings. By strategically configuring cluster capacity, organizations can significantly reduce unnecessary cloud spending, especially in non-production environments. Why This Policy Matters Aurora Serverless v2 allows for granular capacity management, which directly impacts cost efficiency: Cost…

Amazon VPC – Consider Avoiding Multiple VPC Endpoints for the Same Service

VPC endpoints can quickly become a source of unnecessary cloud spending if not managed carefully. Each VPC endpoint incurs approximately $80 in annual costs, making it crucial to optimize your endpoint strategy. Why This Policy Matters VPC endpoints provide private connectivity between your VPC and supported AWS services without requiring an internet gateway, NAT device,…

AWS ECS – Consider Graviton Instances

Amazon Web Services Graviton instances and Fargate containers are 20% cheaper than x86 equivalents, presenting a substantial opportunity for cost optimization in cloud infrastructure. Why This Policy Matters Cost and Performance Benefits Key Advantages of Graviton Instances Implementation Strategy Infrastructure-as-Code Transformation Example (Terraform) Before (x86 Configuration): After (Graviton-Optimized Configuration): Manual Migration Steps Best Practices Recommended…

Amazon EC2 – Consider Graviton Instances

Amazon Web Services Graviton instances offer a compelling opportunity for organizations to reduce compute costs while maintaining performance. By leveraging ARM-based processors, these instances provide significant cost savings and efficiency improvements for many workloads. Why Graviton Instances Matter Graviton instances are approximately 20% cheaper than equivalent x86 instances, making them an attractive option for cost-conscious…

Amazon RDS – Consider Single-AZ Databases in Non-Production Projects

Optimize cloud spending by using single-availability zone (single-AZ) RDS databases in non-production environments, potentially reducing costs by up to 50%. Why Single-AZ Databases Matter in Non-Production Environments Database infrastructure can quickly become a significant expense in cloud environments. For non-production workloads like development, staging, and testing, high-availability configurations are often unnecessary and can dramatically inflate…

AWS Lambda – Consider Graviton

AWS Lambda functions running on AWS Graviton processors can deliver significant cost savings and performance improvements for your cloud infrastructure. By migrating from x86 to ARM64 architecture, organizations can optimize their serverless computing strategy. Why Graviton Matters for Lambda Functions Graviton-based Lambda functions offer compelling advantages: Performance and Cost Benefits AWS Graviton processors, based on…

Amazon RDS – Consider Upgrading Version to Avoid Extended Support Costs

Database engine versions that reach end-of-standard support can significantly increase operational costs for organizations running Amazon RDS instances. Upgrading to a newer database engine version can help eliminate additional extended support fees while improving performance, security, and overall database efficiency. Why This Policy Matters Extended support for older database engine versions comes with substantial financial…

Amazon EKS – Upgrade Version to Avoid Extended Support Costs

Running outdated Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) clusters can significantly increase your cloud infrastructure expenses. Extended support for older Kubernetes versions comes with substantial cost implications that can be easily avoided through proactive version upgrades. Policy Overview Key Points: Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Amazon EKS imposes additional charges for extended support on older…

Amazon ElastiCache – Consider Using Latest Generation r-Family Nodes

Amazon ElastiCache r5 family nodes offer significant performance improvements and cost savings compared to older generations. By upgrading to the latest node types, organizations can optimize their in-memory caching infrastructure while reducing overall cloud spending. Why This Policy Matters The R5 generation of ElastiCache nodes represents a substantial leap forward in compute and networking capabilities:…

Amazon ElastiCache – Consider Using Latest Generation m-Family Nodes

Amazon ElastiCache provides performance and cost optimization opportunities by upgrading to the latest generation m-family nodes. By migrating from older generation instances to m5 nodes, organizations can achieve significant computational improvements and cost savings. Why Upgrading ElastiCache Node Generations Matters When considering infrastructure cost optimization, upgrading ElastiCache nodes represents a strategic opportunity to: Detailed Explanation…

Amazon ElastiCache – Consider Latest Generation Nodes for t-Family Nodes

Amazon ElastiCache t3 nodes offer significant performance improvements and cost savings compared to older generations. By upgrading from legacy t1 nodes to newer t3 instances, organizations can achieve better price-to-performance ratios while optimizing cloud infrastructure costs. Detailed Explanation Why This Policy Matters Upgrading ElastiCache node generations is crucial for several key reasons: Cost Reduction Potential…

Amazon OpenSearch – Consider Latest Generation t-Family Instances

Migrate Amazon OpenSearch clusters from t2 to t3 instances to leverage improved performance, better CPU credits, and support for gp3 storage at the same price point. Why This Policy Matters Performance and Cost Efficiency Upgrading to t3 instances provides critical advantages: Potential Cost Savings Organizations can realize significant benefits: Implementation Guide Infrastructure-as-Code Example (Terraform) Manual…