Johanna Hendrix

Effective strategies, tips and tricks to save on AWS EBS (Elastic Block Storage)

Effective strategies, tips and tricks to save on AWS EBS (Elastic Block Storage)

Here are some effective strategies, tips, and tricks to save on AWS EBS (Elastic Block Store) storage:

  1. Choose the right EBS volume type:

    • General Purpose SSD (gp2) volumes are cost-effective for most workloads.
    • Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1) volumes are suitable for I/O-intensive workloads but are more expensive.
    • Throughput Optimized HDD (st1) and Cold HDD (sc1) volumes are cheaper for infrequently accessed data.

  2. Right-size your EBS volumes:

    • Allocate only the necessary storage capacity to avoid over-provisioning.
    • Monitor your storage usage and adjust volume sizes as needed.

  3. Use Elastic Volumes:

    • Elastic Volumes allow you to modify the size, performance, or volume type of your EBS volumes without downtime.
    • Adjust your EBS volumes dynamically based on changing requirements to optimize costs.

  4. Enable EBS Snapshots:

    • Create regular snapshots of your EBS volumes for backup and disaster recovery purposes.
    • Snapshots are incremental, so only changed data is stored, reducing storage costs.

  5. Use Lifecycle Policies for Snapshots:

    • Implement lifecycle policies to automatically delete older snapshots that are no longer needed.
    • This helps in managing snapshot storage costs and prevents unnecessary accumulation of snapshots.

  6. Utilize EBS Encryption:

    • Enable EBS encryption for volumes containing sensitive data.
    • Encryption adds a small overhead but provides enhanced security at no additional cost.

  7. Consider EBS-Optimized Instances:

    • Use EBS-optimized instances for better performance and dedicated I/O bandwidth.
    • This can lead to cost savings by avoiding the need for larger or higher-performance EBS volumes.

  8. Monitor and Optimize I/O:

    • Monitor EBS volume performance using Amazon CloudWatch metrics.
    • Optimize I/O patterns and access patterns to minimize unnecessary I/O operations and reduce costs.

  9. Use Reserved Instances for Long-Term Usage:

    • If you have predictable and consistent storage requirements, consider using Reserved Instances for EBS.
    • Reserved Instances offer significant discounts compared to On-Demand pricing for long-term commitments.

  10. Delete Unused Volumes:

    • Regularly review your EBS volumes and delete any unused or unattached volumes.
    • Unused volumes still incur charges, so removing them can result in cost savings.

  11. Consider Data Archiving:

    • Move infrequently accessed data to lower-cost storage options like Amazon S3 or Amazon Glacier.
    • This can help reduce EBS storage costs for data that doesn't require frequent access.

  12. Use Spot Instances with Caution:

    • If using Spot Instances, be cautious when attaching EBS volumes to them.
    • Spot Instances can be terminated unexpectedly, so ensure that critical data is backed up or replicated.

Remember to regularly review your EBS usage, monitor costs using AWS Cost Explorer, and implement appropriate cost optimization strategies based on your specific workload requirements.