GCP cost optimization is a continuous process, as new GCP services and features are released and your workloads change over time. It is important to regularly review your GCP costs and implement new cost optimization strategies as needed. There are many different ways to optimize GCP costs, and the best approach will vary depending on your specific needs and workloads. However, some general principles can be applied to any GCP environment.
Maximize Your Savings on GCP
In this comprehensive blog, we delve into the intricacies of optimizing costs within Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The process begins with a thorough understanding of your current spending patterns, dissecting where resources are allocated and where excess may lie. We then explore various strategies for identifying opportunities to reduce costs, whether through rightsizing instances, leveraging discounts, or optimizing storage solutions. Implementing these strategies involves a combination of thoughtful planning and technical execution to ensure efficiency without compromising performance. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of continuous monitoring and regular reviews to adapt to evolving needs and to maintain cost-effectiveness over time. By following these steps, organizations can harness the full potential of GCP while keeping expenditures in check.
What is GCP Cloud Cost Optimization?
GCP cloud cost optimization is the process of reducing the cost of using GCP resources without sacrificing performance or reliability. It involves a combination of technical and financial strategies to ensure that you are getting the most value for your GCP investment.
Benefits of GCP Cloud Cost Optimization
There are many benefits to optimizing your GCP costs, including:
- Reduced operating costs
- Improved financial performance
- Increased agility and scalability
- Reduced risk of overspending
- Improved visibility and control over GCP costs
How to Get Started with GCP Cloud Cost Optimization
The first step to optimizing your GCP costs is to understand your current spending. You can use the GCP Billing and Cost Management console to view your costs by project, service, and region.
Once you have a good understanding of your current spending, you can start to identify opportunities to reduce costs. Some common GCP cost optimization strategies include:
- Resizing your resources: Resize your Compute Engine VMs, Cloud SQL databases, and other resources to match your actual needs.
- Using spot instances: Spot instances are unused GCP resources that are available at a discounted price. You can use spot instances for workloads that are not time-sensitive, such as batch processing jobs.
- Using GKE clusters with spot instances: You can create GKE clusters that use spot instances for worker nodes. This can help you to reduce the cost of running your Kubernetes applications.
- Using committed use discounts: Committed use discounts are available for Compute Engine VMs, Cloud SQL databases, and other resources. You can save up to 57% on your GCP costs by committing to use certain resources for a period of one or three years.
- Using sustained use discounts: Sustained use discounts are available for Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and other resources. You can save up to 30% on your GCP costs by using these resources consistently over a period of time.
GCP Cost Optimization Tools and Resources
Google provides several tools and resources to help you optimize your GCP costs, including:
- GCP Billing and Cost Management: The GCP Billing and Cost Management console provides visibility into your GCP costs and usage. You can use this console to create budgets, set alerts, and identify opportunities to reduce costs.
- GCP Recommendations: GCP Recommendations is a machine learning-powered tool that provides personalized recommendations for optimizing your GCP costs.
- GCP Cloud Optimizer: GCP Cloud Optimizer is a tool that helps you to optimize your GCP costs by identifying opportunities to resize your resources, use spot instances, and commit to resources.
Image 1 : A diagram of the GCP cost optimization process
Service-Specific GCP Cost Optimization Strategies
In addition to the general cost optimization strategies listed above, there are also a number of specific strategies that can be used to optimize the cost of specific GCP services. Here, we’ll delve into strategies for some popular GCP services and explore how Google Cloud Cost Management can further enhance your optimization efforts.
- Compute Engine VMs
- Using the right machine type: Choosing the machine type that best matches your workload requirements ensures you’re not paying for excess capacity.
- Sustained use discounts: Committing to using certain machine types for a period of one or three years through Google Cloud Cost Management can save up to 57% on costs.
- Preemptible VMs: Leverage preemptible VMs, unused GCP resources available at a discounted price, for workloads tolerant of interruptions (e.g., batch processing jobs). Google Cloud Cost Management can help identify workloads suitable for preemptible VMs.
- Cloud SQL Databases
- Choosing the right database tier: Selecting the database tier that aligns with your workload requirements prevents overspending on unnecessary features.
- Sustained use discounts: Committing to specific database tiers for extended periods through Google Cloud Cost Management can yield savings of up to 30%.
- Resizing: Regularly evaluate and resize your Cloud SQL databases to match actual usage patterns using Google Cloud Cost Management recommendations.
- Resizing Resources
- Resizing your GCP resources, including Compute Engine VMs and Cloud SQL databases, to match actual needs is a significant cost-saving strategy. Google Cloud Cost Management can identify underutilized resources and recommend optimal sizes.
- Spot Instances
- Spot instances, similar to preemptible VMs, are discounted, unused GCP resources ideal for non-critical, time-flexible workloads (e.g., batch processing). Google Cloud Cost Management can help you determine if spot instances are suitable for your workloads.
- GKE Clusters with Spot Instances
- Utilize spot instances for worker nodes in your GKE clusters to reduce the cost of running Kubernetes applications. Google Cloud Cost Management can assist in setting up such clusters.
- Committed Use Discounts
- Google Cloud Cost Management facilitates securing committed use discounts, offering significant savings (up to 57%) by committing to specific resources (VMs, databases) for one or three years.
- Sustained Use Discounts
- Consistent resource usage over time qualifies you for sustained use discounts available for services like Cloud Storage and Cloud SQL. Google Cloud Cost Management can help you track usage patterns and identify opportunities for these discounts.
By employing these Cloud Cost Optimization Strategies and leveraging Google Cloud Cost Management tools, you can effectively manage your GCP expenses while maintaining optimal performance and reliability.
Cost Optimization Strategies for Managed Resources
GCP also offers a number of managed resources, such as Cloud SQL, Memstore Redis, and GKE. These resources are managed by Google, so you don’t have to worry about the underlying infrastructure. However, you can still optimize the cost of these resources by following some of the tips below.
Cloud SQL
To optimize the cost of Cloud SQL, you can:
- Choose the right database tier. There are four Cloud SQL database tiers: General Purpose, Memory Optimized, Balanced, and High Performance. Choose the tier that best suits your workload requirements.
- Use sustained use discounts. You can save up to 30% on your Cloud SQL costs by committing to use certain database tiers for a period of one or three years.
Memstore Redis
To optimize the cost of Memstore Redis, you can:
- Choose the right instance type. There are two Memstore Redis instance types: Standard and High Performance. Choose the type that best suits your workload requirements.
- Use sustained use discounts. You can save up to 30% on your Memstore Redis costs by committing to use certain instance types for a period of one or three years.
GKE
To optimize the cost of GKE, you can:
- Choose the right node pool type. There are three GKE node pool types: Regular, Preemptible, and Spot. Choose the type that best suits your workload requirements.
- Use sustained use discounts. You can save up to 30% on your GKE costs by committing to use certain node pool types for a period of one or three years.
Cost Optimization Strategies for Linux Licenses
If you are running Linux workloads on GCP, you may be required to pay for a Linux license. However, there are several ways to reduce the cost of Linux licenses on GCP.
One way to reduce the cost of Linux licenses is to use a free Linux distribution, such as CentOS or Ubuntu. Another way to reduce the cost of Linux licenses is to use a subscription-based Linux distribution, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
Subscription-based Linux Distributions
Subscription-based Linux distributions, such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise, offer a number of features and benefits that may be important to your organization. However, they can also be more expensive than free Linux distributions.
If you are considering using a subscription-based Linux distribution on GCP, you can reduce the cost of your Linux licenses by:
- Negotiating a volume discount with your vendor. If you are using a large number of Linux instances, you may be able to negotiate a volume discount with your vendor.
- Using committed use discounts. Some Linux vendors offer committed use discounts for their products. If you commit to using a certain number of Linux instances for a period of one or three years, you may be able to save money on your license costs.
- Using spot instances. You can use spot instances to run your Linux workloads on GCP. Spot instances are unused GCP resources that are available at a discounted price. However, spot instances can be preempted, so they are not suitable for all workloads.
GCP Reserved Instances
GCP reserved instances are a type of committed use discount that can be used to reduce the cost of your Compute Engine VMs and other GCP resources. Reserved instances are purchased for a period of one or three years. In return, you receive a discount on the hourly rate for your reserved instances.
To save the most money with reserved instances, you should purchase them for resources that you are confident you will use for the entire commitment period. You should also choose the right commitment term for your needs. If you are not sure how long you will need the resources, you can purchase a one-year commitment. If you are confident that you will need the resources for three years, you can purchase a three-year commitment.
Budgeting For GCP Costs
It is important to budget for your GCP costs. This will help you to avoid overspending. To budget for your GCP costs, you can use the GCP Billing and Cost Management console. The GCP Billing and Cost Management console provides visibility into your GCP costs and usage. You can use this console to create budgets and set alerts.
Choosing the Right GCP Instance Type
GCP offers a variety of instance types for Compute Engine VMs. Each instance type has its own combination of CPU, memory, and storage. When choosing an instance type, it is important to consider your workload requirements. If you are not sure which instance type to choose, you can use the GCP Compute Engine Instance Recommender tool. The GCP Compute Engine Instance Recommender tool will recommend the right instance type for your workload requirements.
On-demand Instances
On-demand instances are the most expensive type of GCP instance. On-demand instances are billed by the hour, and you can start and stop them at any time.
On-demand instances are a good option for workloads that are unpredictable or that need to be scaled up or down quickly. However, if you have workloads that are predictable and that you can run on a schedule, you may be able to save money by using reserved instances or spot instances.
Spot instances
Spot instances are the least expensive type of GCP instance. Spot instances are unused GCP resources that are available at a discounted price. However, spot instances can be preempted, so they are not suitable for all workloads.
Spot instances are a good option for workloads that can be interrupted, such as batch processing jobs.
Reserved instances
Reserved instances are a type of committed use discount that can be used to reduce the cost of your Compute Engine VMs and other GCP resources. Reserved instances are purchased for a period of one or three years. In return, you receive a discount on the hourly rate for your reserved instances.
Reserved instances are a good option for workloads that are predictable and that you can run for the entire commitment period.
Do’s and don’ts of GCP cost optimization
- Do’s:
- Monitor your costs regularly. This will help you to identify areas where you can reduce costs.
- Use the GCP Billing and Cost Management console. This console provides visibility into your GCP costs and usage.
- Use GCP recommendations. This machine learning-powered tool provides personalized recommendations for optimizing your GCP costs.
- Use GCP Cloud Optimizer. This tool helps you to identify opportunities to resize your resources, use spot instances, and commit to resources.
- Use reserved instances. Reserved instances can save you up to 57% on your GCP costs.
- Use spot instances. Spot instances can save you up to 90% on your GCP costs.
- Use sustained use discounts. Sustained use discounts can save you up to 30% on your GCP costs.
- Don’ts:
- Don’t overspend on resources. Make sure that you are only using the resources that you need.
- Don’t underprovision resources. Make sure that you are using the right resources for your workload requirements.
- Don’t forget to budget for your GCP costs. It is important to have a budget in place so that you don’t overspend.
- Don’t ignore your GCP costs. Monitor your costs regularly and make changes as needed to reduce costs.
How to Get the Maximum Savings out of the Cloud
To get the maximum savings out of the cloud, you need to optimize your costs. There are a number of ways to optimize your cloud costs, including:
- Use managed services. Managed services are cloud services that are managed by the cloud provider. This means that you don’t have to worry about managing the infrastructure.
- Use automation. Automation can be used to automate tasks such as provisioning, deploying, and monitoring cloud resources.
- Use open-source software. Open-source software is free software that is developed and maintained by a community of developers. Open-source software can save you money on licensing costs.
- Use a cloud cost optimization tool. A cloud cost optimization tool can help you to identify and eliminate waste in your cloud environment.
By following these tips, you can get the maximum savings out of the cloud.
Conclusion
Google Cloud cost optimization is a continuous process. There are many ways to optimize your GCP costs, and the best approach will vary depending on your specific needs and workloads. However, by following the tips in this blog post, you can reduce your GCP costs without sacrificing performance or reliability.
