AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a popular cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services to businesses of all sizes. While the flexibility and scalability of AWS makes it a valuable asset for many organizations, it can also lead to the inefficient use of resources if not managed properly. This is where “right sizing” comes in.
Why Right Sizing is Important
Right sizing is the process of optimizing the use of AWS resources to ensure that you are paying for what you actually need, and not overspending on unnecessary resources. Regular AWS usage right sizing discussions are necessary for tech organizations for several reasons.
- Cost optimization: One of the primary reasons to right size your AWS usage is to reduce costs. By regularly evaluating the resources you are using and adjusting them as necessary, you can ensure that you are not overspending on resources that you don’t need. This can result in significant cost savings for your organization, especially if you have a large AWS footprint.
- Improved performance: Another benefit of right sizing your AWS usage is improved performance. By using the right amount of resources for your workloads, you can avoid resource constraints that can slow down your applications. This can result in faster and more reliable applications, which can improve user satisfaction and increase productivity.
- Better resource utilization: When you right size your AWS usage, you can ensure that you are using your resources in the most efficient way possible. This can result in better resource utilization, which can help you to avoid resource contention and ensure that your workloads are always running optimally.
- Improved scalability: Right sizing your AWS usage can also help you to improve scalability. By understanding the resources that your workloads require, you can be better prepared to scale up or down as necessary. This can help you to avoid scaling too quickly, which can result in increased costs, or scaling too slowly, which can result in performance issues.
- Better planning: Regular AWS usage right sizing discussions can help you to plan for future growth. By understanding the resources that your workloads require, you can be better prepared for future growth and ensure that you have the resources you need to meet your business needs.
Best Ways to Conduct “Right Sizing” Exercises
So how can you conduct regular AWS usage right sizing discussions? Here are some steps to help you get started.
- Collect data: The first step to right sizing your AWS usage is to collect data about your current usage. This can include information about the number of instances you are using, the type of instances, the size of your storage volumes, and more. You can use tools like CloudWatch and Cost Explorer to collect this information.
- Evaluate your usage: Once you have collected data about your current usage, you can use this information to evaluate your usage. Consider the performance of your applications, the resources they require, and the cost of those resources. Look for areas where you can optimize your usage, such as by using smaller instances or by using more cost-effective storage options.
- Make adjustments: Based on your evaluation, make any necessary adjustments to your AWS usage. This could mean resizing instances, adjusting storage volumes, or changing the type of instances you are using. Be sure to test your changes to ensure that they are working as expected.
- Monitor and repeat: After you have made your adjustments, be sure to monitor your usage to ensure that you are getting the results you expected. Repeat the process regularly to ensure that you are always using your AWS resources in the most efficient way possible.
Typically, my teams hold their right sizing meetings just prior to or at the start of the iteration planning meeting. This ensures that A) we are keeping a proper cadence for monitoring and adjusting resource management as needed and B) we are well aware of the current state of things prior to the team introducing new functionality or components to the system. I’m interested in learning how others using AWS handle this work, how often they do it and how much importance their organizations puts on right sizing.
