Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - AWS storage cost-optimization best practices (STG202)

Summary

• Mark and Mary, AWS storage experts, presented best practices for optimizing storage costs in AWS.
• They emphasized the importance of choosing the right storage solutions upfront to avoid unnecessary costs.
• The session covered various AWS storage services, including S3, EBS, FSx, and EFS, and how to optimize them for cost.
• They discussed the significance of understanding application requirements, usage patterns, and the total cost of ownership (TCO) rather than just focusing on per-gigabyte costs.
• Mark highlighted the benefits of using EBS IO2 Block Express (IO2BX) for high-performance workloads and the cost savings from transitioning from GP2 to GP3 volumes.
• Mary introduced S3 Intelligent Tiering as a key tool for cost savings and detailed how to use S3 lifecycle policies effectively.
• They also discussed the importance of object size in S3 and recommended batching smaller objects into larger ones to reduce costs.
• S3 Storage Lens was recommended for gaining visibility into storage usage and optimizing costs.
• Customer examples were provided to illustrate the potential cost savings from using AWS storage services effectively.

Insights

• Choosing the Right Storage Solution: It's crucial to select the appropriate AWS storage service based on application and workload requirements. This can lead to significant cost savings and better performance.
• Understanding TCO: Customers should consider the total cost of ownership, including factors like API costs, data retrieval, and storage tiering, rather than just the cost per gigabyte.
• EBS Optimization: Transitioning from EBS GP2 to GP3 volumes can result in a 20% cost reduction. Using EBS IO2 Block Express can provide high performance at a lower cost compared to other volume types.
• S3 Intelligent Tiering: This service can automatically move data across different storage tiers based on access patterns, leading to substantial cost savings without manual intervention.
• Lifecycle Policies: For predictable access patterns, S3 lifecycle policies can be more cost-effective than Intelligent Tiering by moving data to colder storage classes sooner.
• Object Size Matters: In S3, larger objects are more cost-effective due to the way transition and request costs are structured. Batching smaller objects into larger ones can reduce costs.
• Visibility and Monitoring: Tools like S3 Storage Lens provide insights into storage usage and can help identify opportunities for cost optimization.
• Customer Examples: Real-world examples from companies like Cisco, FINRA, FICO, and GE Healthcare demonstrated the tangible benefits of optimizing AWS storage, including cost savings and operational efficiencies.