Amazon EBS Cost Optimization: Best Practices to Reduce Storage Spend

Amazon Elastic Block Storage (EBS) is one of the most commonly used services within AWS. It provides block-level storage for EC2 instances and serves as the foundation for building file systems. It is used much like a traditional hard drive, with the added benefit of being dynamically configurable.

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However, while EBS offers flexibility and performance, it also comes with hidden costs that many users overlook. Understanding how to use EBS efficiently is key to controlling expenses and optimizing performance. This guide covers the best practices for EBS cost optimization. We will look at choosing the right volume types, managing snapshots effectively, and using AWS tools to maximize your spending efficiency.

How to Choose the Best Volume Type?

‍Depending on your needs, you can choose from several types of Amazon EBS volumes.

• General Purpose SSD: The most common type, well-suited for development, testing, and small to medium-sized databases. These include General Purpose SSDs (gp2, gp3).
  
  
• Provisioned IOPS SSD: For I/O-intensive applications that require constant, low-latency performance. These include Provisioned IOPS SSDs (io1, io2).
  
  
• Throughput Optimized HDD: Best for data warehousing and log processing. These handle large datasets that require frequent access.
  
  
• Cold HDD: Designed for infrequently accessed workloads where cost efficiency is a priority.

When to Use Each Volume Type?

‍Each storage type has its own cost-performance balance. In most cases, General Purpose SSD (gp2 or gp3) should be the default choice unless your workload requires higher IOPS consistency, such as databases or latency-sensitive applications.

For these scenarios, Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2) volumes deliver the performance needed but at a higher cost. It is essential to match the correct volume type and IOPS level to your specific workload requirements.

Best Practices for Cost Savings with EBS Volumes:‍

• Volume Upgrade: Consider upgrading to newer-generation volumes within the same category. Moving from GP2 to GP3 can save around 20% while improving performance. For Provisioned IOPS, newer io2 and io2 Block Express offer better performance at the same or lower cost than io1.
  
  
• Define the Desired IOPS: gp3 volumes include 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput by default, at no extra cost. gp2 volumes require around 1,000 GB of storage to achieve 3,000 IOPS. Choosing the right baseline IOPS can significantly reduce cost.
  
  
• Unattached EBS Volumes: When EC2 instances are deleted, attached EBS volumes may continue to run unless "Delete on Termination" is enabled. Always monitor and remove unattached volumes to avoid unnecessary charges.
  
  
• Stopped Instances: Even when EC2 instances are stopped, EBS volumes still incur costs. To save money, convert unused volumes into snapshots. These cost roughly 50% less. Once needed again, snapshots can be restored to active volumes.
  
  

EBS Snapshots

‍EBS Snapshots provide point-in-time backups of your EBS volumes to Amazon S3. Snapshots are incremental, meaning only the changed data blocks since the last backup are stored. This saves both time and storage. These snapshots allow you to restore data quickly to a new EBS volume without downtime.

Best Practices for Cost Savings with EBS Snapshots:‍

• Lifecycle Policies: Define policies for the organizational snapshot lifecycle, such as automatically deleting snapshots older than 6 months. Implementing Data Lifecycle Manager (DLM) helps retain only the necessary data and reduce costs.
  
  
• Snapshots Archive: Use EBS Snapshot Archive or AWS Backup to move long-term backups into lower-cost storage. Archival snapshots can reduce storage costs by up to 75% compared to standard snapshots while still meeting compliance and recovery requirements.
  
  

Summary

‍Optimizing Amazon EBS usage requires balancing cost and performance. Upgrading to newer volume types, such as gp3, can reduce costs by up to 20%. Effective monitoring, lifecycle policies, and snapshot archiving further optimize spending.

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AWS tools like Cost Explorer and Trusted Advisor offer additional insights and recommendations to ensure you maintain high performance while minimizing waste. By applying these best practices, you can achieve a more cost-efficient, scalable, and high-performing AWS storage environment.