To leverage cloud-specific discounts for your website, particularly if you’re running non-critical, flexible workloads, you can make use of Spot Instances (AWS), Low-priority VMs (Azure), or Preemptible VMs (Google Cloud). These options can significantly reduce costs by allowing you to use cloud computing resources at a fraction of the standard price, with the caveat that these instances/VMs can be terminated by the cloud provider if their resources are needed for higher-priority workloads. Here’s how to implement these cost-saving measures across different cloud platforms:
AWS: Spot Instances
What They Are: Spot Instances allow you to request unused EC2 capacity for up to 90% off the standard price.
How to Use:
- Identify Suitable Workloads: Spot Instances are ideal for stateless, flexible, fault-tolerant applications such as batch processing, development and test environments, or large scale compute workloads.
- Set Up Spot Instances: Through the AWS Management Console, you can specify the maximum price you’re willing to pay and the desired instance types.
- Spot Fleet: Use Spot Fleet to manage thousands of Spot Instances, specifying the capacity you need and letting AWS optimize the allocation to achieve the lowest cost.
Azure: Low-priority VMs
What They Are: Low-priority VMs are part of Azure Batch, allowing you to run batch jobs at a significantly lower cost.
How to Use:
- Batch Processing: Ideal for batch jobs that can be interrupted, such as rendering or big data analysis.
- Configure Azure Batch Account: When setting up your Azure Batch pool, select low-priority VMs as your compute nodes.
- Cost Management: Monitor your job execution and costs through the Azure portal to optimize usage.
Google Cloud: Preemptible VMs
What They Are: Preemptible VMs are short-lived instances that can last for up to 24 hours and are priced lower than standard instances.
How to Use:
- Suitable Workloads: Similar to AWS and Azure, these are best for workloads that can tolerate interruptions, like data analysis, batch jobs, and computational workloads.
- Implementation: When creating a new VM instance in the Google Cloud Console, select the option for a preemptible instance.
- Combine with Regular Instances: For workloads that need a mix of reliability and cost savings, use a combination of preemptible and regular instances to balance cost and availability.
General Tips for Using These Services
- Backup and Recovery: Implement strategies to checkpoint and save progress frequently. This ensures minimal loss of work if your instance is preempted or terminated.
- Monitoring and Alerts: Use cloud monitoring tools to track your usage and costs, and set up alerts to inform you of any unexpected increases.
- Cost Analysis Tools: Leverage the cost management and optimization tools provided by AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud to analyze your spending and find more opportunities to save.