Right-sizing compute resource instances is the process of matching instance types and sizes to workload performance and capacity requirements at the lowest possible cost. It’s also the process of identifying opportunities to eliminate or downsize instances without compromising capacity or other requirements, which results in lower costs and higher efficiency1. Right-sizing is a key mechanism for optimizing cloud costs, but it is often ignored or delayed by organizations when they first move to the cloud. They lift and shift their environments and expect to right-size later. Speed and performance are often prioritized over cost, which results in oversized instances and a lot of wasted spend on unused resources2.
Right-sizing compute resource instances is the best action that the analyst should consider to lower costs and improve efficiency, as it can help reduce the amount of resources and money spent on instances that operate at a fraction of the full processing capacity. Right-sizing can also improve the performance and reliability of the instances by ensuring that they have enough resources to meet the workload demands. Right-sizing is an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring and analysis of the instance usage and performance metrics, as well as the use of tools and frameworks that can simplify and automate the right-sizing decisions1.
Consolidating into fewer instances, using spot instances, or negotiating better prices on the company’s reserved instances are not the best actions that the analyst should consider to lower costs and improve efficiency, as they have some limitations and trade-offs compared to right-sizing. Consolidating into fewer instances can reduce the number of instances, but it does not necessarily optimize the type and size of the instances. Consolidating can also introduce performance and availability issues, such as increased latency, reduced redundancy, or single points of failure3. Using spot instances can reduce the cost of instances, but it also introduces the risk of interruption and termination, as spot instances are subject to fluctuating prices and availability based on the supply and demand of the cloud provider4. Negotiating better prices on the company’s reserved instances can reduce the cost of instances, but it also requires a long-term commitment and upfront payment, which reduces the flexibility and scalability of the cloud environment5. References: Right Sizing - Cloud Computing Services; The 6-Step Guide To Rightsizing Your Instances - CloudZero; Consolidating Cloud Services: How to Do It Right | CloudHealth by VMware; Spot Instances - Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud; Reserved Instances - Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud.
