Implement cost optimization strategies and performance monitoring (~12% of exam).
Covers implementing cost optimization strategies including AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, cost allocation tags, Reserved Instances, Savings Plans, Spot Instances, and right-sizing recommendations from AWS Compute Optimizer. Also covers performance optimization including selecting appropriate instance types and sizes, EBS volume types (gp2, gp3, io1, io2, st1, sc1), placement groups, enhanced networking, and Elastic Network Adapter (ENA). Covers monitoring performance using CloudWatch metrics, Performance Insights for RDS, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing caching strategies with ElastiCache and CloudFront.
5 minutes
5 Questions
Cost and Performance Optimization is a critical domain in the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate exam, focusing on maximizing efficiency while minimizing expenses in AWS environments.
**Cost Optimization Strategies:**
AWS provides several tools and services for cost management. AWS Cost Explorer allows administrators to visualize spending patterns and identify trends. AWS Budgets enables setting custom alerts when costs exceed thresholds. Reserved Instances and Savings Plans offer significant discounts (up to 72%) for committed usage over 1-3 years. Spot Instances provide cost savings up to 90% for fault-tolerant workloads.
Right-sizing involves analyzing resource utilization through AWS Compute Optimizer and CloudWatch metrics to ensure instances match workload requirements. Eliminating idle resources, such as unattached EBS volumes or unused Elastic IPs, reduces unnecessary charges.
**Performance Optimization Techniques:**
Auto Scaling ensures applications maintain optimal performance by adjusting capacity based on demand. Implementing proper scaling policies (target tracking, step scaling, or simple scaling) helps balance cost and performance.
Caching strategies using ElastiCache or CloudFront reduce latency and database load. Content Delivery Networks distribute content globally for faster user access.
EBS optimization involves selecting appropriate volume types (gp3, io2, st1, sc1) based on IOPS and throughput requirements. Enhanced networking with Elastic Network Adapters improves network performance.
**Monitoring and Analysis:**
CloudWatch provides metrics, alarms, and dashboards for continuous monitoring. Trusted Advisor offers real-time guidance across cost optimization, performance, security, and fault tolerance categories.
AWS Organizations with consolidated billing simplifies cost tracking across multiple accounts. Cost allocation tags help categorize and track spending by project, department, or environment.
**Best Practices:**
Regularly review AWS Cost and Usage Reports, implement lifecycle policies for S3 storage classes, use AWS Lambda for event-driven workloads, and leverage AWS Graviton processors for better price-performance ratios. Continuous optimization requires ongoing monitoring, analysis, and adjustment of resources to maintain the ideal balance between cost efficiency and application performance.Cost and Performance Optimization is a critical domain in the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate exam, focusing on maximizing efficiency while minimizing expenses in AWS environments.
**Cost Optimization Strategies:**
AWS provides several tools and services for cost management. AWS Co…