Maximizing Kubernetes Cost Efficiency with Kubecost and Amazon EKS
Introduction
Kubernetes remains one of the fastest-growing new technologies after a full decade in the spotlight, and given how roaringly fast the industry has moved over that time, it’s quite an accomplishment. The sustained popularity is well deserved. Kubernetes has all the sizzle of GenAI, but is nicely balanced by all the pragmatism of renewable energy. That’s all to say it’s pretty cool, but also super useful. Roughly 6 million developers and over 60% of all enterprises use Kubernetes and would probably agree with the sentiment.
For organizations running complex cloud environments, particularly within Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kubernetes is an indispensable asset and a highly sought-after skill (the people who understand it deeply have yet to grow on trees). However, for all the benefits Kubernetes delivers, there’s no escaping the complexity it brings with it. Things like security, compliance, and managing cloud costs in such environments can be as complicated as managing the control plane itself. The complexity only increases when organizations operate multiple Kubernetes clusters alongside an intricate cloud infrastructure in AWS, especially when you sprinkle in some on-premise K8s.
It All Starts With Visibility
One of the key challenges that teams often encounter is managing and tracking Kubernetes costs within these multi-faceted environments. Kubernetes cost visibility is not straightforward and can be further complicated when organizations rely on manual systems like spreadsheets or a cobbled-together group of scripts and tools for cost tracking. The difficulties are amplified when teams attempt to track costs across both Kubernetes and AWS environments, trying to combine in and out-of-cluster costs for a fuller picture. Without the right tools, these visibility challenges can lead to resource inefficiencies, budget overruns, missed opportunities for optimization… and friction between Finance and Engineering teams.
Purpose-Built Tools
To take away some of the sting, organizations have access to a variety of automated tools that can help them work with Kubernetes and AWS more easily. One such tool is Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS), which simplifies the deployment and operation of Kubernetes clusters on AWS infrastructure. Implementing Amazon EKS allows organizations to integrate their Kubernetes clusters and workloads with AWS services, streamlining operations and improving the developer and operator experience. Yet, tracking Kubernetes costs while using EKS adds yet another layer of complexity to an already heavily layered, challenging process.
This is where Kubecost can help. Teams that utilize Amazon EKS can leverage Kubecost to address these challenges head-on with a tool that was purpose-built to solve the problems faced by Kubernetes users. Kubecost works alongside Amazon EKS to manage, optimize, and monitor Kubernetes costs, providing the visibility that organizations need to stay on top of their cloud expenditures.
Let’s delve deeper into some of the challenges associated with monitoring and managing costs in EKS and explore the numerous benefits of using Kubecost and Amazon EKS together in complex AWS environments.
The Challenges of Cost Management with Amazon EKS
Tracking costs in Amazon EKS can be a murky process. AWS provides limited insights into cost allocation across Kubernetes deployments, making it difficult for teams to effectively understand and optimize their cloud costs. When data-driven insights are restricted, as they often are in AWS, teams struggle to make informed decisions about resource allocation, leading to inefficiencies.
Moreover, managing multiple Kubernetes environments presents additional hurdles. Organizations need specialized tools and knowledge to manage costs effectively in these settings. The manual processes that many teams rely on—such as spreadsheets or basic tracking systems—are no longer sufficient, and they certainly don’t scale. The complexities of AWS environments require more robust solutions with more granular visibility and control.
The lack of granular cost visibility within AWS and EKS can create significant barriers to effective cost management. Without detailed insights into where money is being spent, it becomes challenging for teams to optimize resources and prevent budget overruns. Finance, FinOps, and Engineering teams typically leverage different tools in different ways and wonder why they arrive at disparate and disconnected data. Using specialized tools like Kubecost provides a single source of truth for all cloud costs and optimization opportunities for every team and stakeholder.
The Benefits and Use Cases of Kubecost and Amazon EKS
Kubecost offers a powerful solution for managing and optimizing costs within Amazon EKS environments. By providing deep cost visibility, automated optimization, and seamless integration with AWS, Kubecost addresses key challenges that organizations face when running Kubernetes clusters on AWS. Below, we explore the major benefits of using Kubecost with Amazon EKS, along with real-world use cases where these features shine.
1. Granular Cost Visibility and Detailed Insights
Kubecost allows teams to track costs across Kubernetes clusters, namespaces, pods, and labels, providing the detailed visibility needed to manage complex cloud environments. This level of granularity empowers teams to make informed decisions about resource allocation, budget forecasting, and cost management. In scenarios where organizations run multiple Kubernetes environments, Kubecost’s cost breakdown capabilities are invaluable.
Use Case: Allocation
A large enterprise running multiple Kubernetes clusters on AWS uses Kubecost to identify which namespaces and workloads are driving up costs, enabling them to optimize their budget allocation and prevent unnecessary spending.
2. Automated Cost Optimization
Kubecost does more than just provide visibility; it also automates cost optimization. By identifying opportunities to remove unassigned resources, optimize node and container usage, and leverage spot instances effectively, Kubecost can help organizations reduce Kubernetes costs by 30-50% or more. The automated workflows, such as dynamic request sizing and cluster turndown, enable teams to implement cost-saving strategies without manual intervention.
Use Case: Big Savings
A DevOps team leveraging Kubecost’s automated cost optimization features is able to reduce their Kubernetes spending by 40% over six months by eliminating unused resources and improving container efficiency.
3. Unified Cost Monitoring Across Environments
Kubecost’s capabilities extend beyond AWS to provide unified cost monitoring across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, including Azure, GKE, and on-premises setups. This comprehensive view of cloud costs allows organizations to manage their entire infrastructure from a single platform, making it easier to track and optimize spending no matter where their Kubernetes clusters are hosted.
Use Case: 100% Visibility
A company with a hybrid cloud strategy utilizes Kubecost to monitor costs across both their on-premises data centers and AWS cloud environments, ensuring they maintain control over their overall cloud budget.
4. Real-Time Cost Data for Agile Decision-Making
With real-time cost data, Kubecost empowers teams to make quick, informed decisions about their cloud spending. This real-time visibility helps organizations stay agile and responsive, preventing cost overruns before they occur.
Use Case: Real-Time Monitoring
A fast-growing startup uses Kubecost to monitor their cloud spending in real-time, allowing them to adjust resource allocations on the fly and avoid unexpected budget overruns.
5. Seamless AWS Integration for Comprehensive Cost Management
Kubecost integrates seamlessly with AWS, providing users with a complete and detailed view of their EKS costs. This close collaboration with AWS ensures that teams have access to the insights they need to optimize their cloud expenditures and improve resource utilization within Amazon EKS environments.
Use Case: Cloud Efficiency
An organization running Amazon EKS across multiple regions uses Kubecost’s AWS integration to track and optimize costs at both the cluster and service levels, leading to more efficient operations and reduced cloud expenses.
Conclusion
By combining the power of Kubecost with Amazon EKS, organizations can overcome the complexities of everything cost-related when managing Kubernetes clusters within AWS environments. Kubecost and Amazon EKS work hand in hand to provide teams with the tools they need to manage and optimize cloud costs effectively (without finance people being made to feel like developers, or vice-versa).
With Kubecost, teams can build and operate more cost-efficient AWS infrastructures while their applications and services remain performant. Organizations can drive greater value from their cloud investments and build a culture that includes efficiency. Whether you’re just getting started with Amazon EKS or are looking to enhance your existing Kubernetes operations, Kubecost is a critical component in your cost management toolkit.
Ready to optimize your cloud spend and enhance your Kubernetes operations on AWS? Contact us for a free trial or schedule a demo today to see how Kubecost can revolutionize your cloud cost optimization strategy.