To optimize AWS ECS costs, focus on workload optimization by right-sizing resources, configuring efficient infrastructure with the appropriate instance types and mix, and making strategic purchasing decisions such as leveraging Savings Plans or Reserved Instances.
What are the three major levers to optimize AWS ECS costs?
1. Workload Optimization: The Starting Point
Understanding the CPU/memory impact and rightsizing resources is foundational. It’s about ensuring that your service runs on the optimal amount of resources — not too little, risking performance, and not too much, wasting money. This phase also includes understanding workload Service Level Objectives (SLOs), analyzing traffic patterns and considering whether the workload can tolerate disruptions or if ARM-based compute options are viable. Decisions made here set the stage for infrastructure choices.
2. Infrastructure Optimization: Building the Foundation
Once the workload's requirements are clear, the next step is to configure the infrastructure to support these needs efficiently. If the ECS launch type is used, this involves selecting the optimal instance type and mix, configuring EC2 Autoscaling policies. Choosing the balance between Spot and On-Demand instances is also key here.
3. Purchase Optimization: Enabling Financial Efficiency
The final leg of the journey focuses on making informed purchasing decisions to lock in savings. This involves forecasting workload growth to understand future needs and determining a commitment policy that aligns with your organization's financial strategies and operational flexibility. Making wise decisions on Savings Plans or Reserved Instances (RIs) can significantly reduce costs without compromising on service quality or availability.
