The Challenge

The client was experiencing a continuous increase in AWS monthly billing without clear visibility into the exact cost drivers. Despite stable application usage, infrastructure costs were rising due to:

• • Over-provisioned EC2 instances running at low utilization

• • Unused and stopped resources still incurring charges

• • Accumulation of unattached EBS volumes and outdated snapshots

• • No structured cost governance or optimisation cycle

• • Dependence on On-Demand pricing for predictable workloads

The client’s primary concern was to reduce AWS spend without impacting application performance or availability.

Discovery

DevOps TechLab conducted a detailed discovery and assessment exercise, collaborating with both technical and business stakeholders. During this phase:

• • AWS Cost Explorer was used to analyze 3–6 months of billing data

• • High-cost services such as EC2, EBS, and snapshots were identified

• • AWS Trusted Advisor highlighted underutilized and idle resources

• • AWS Compute Optimizer provided data-driven right-sizing recommendations

This discovery phase established a clear cost baseline and identified immediate and long-term optimisation opportunities.

Onboarding

Based on discovery findings, DevOps TechLab onboarded the client into a structured cost optimisation framework:

• • Established cost visibility using AWS Cost Explorer dashboards

• • Reviewed Compute Optimizer recommendations for EC2 right-sizing

• • Validated optimisation actions with application owners

• • Planned phased execution to ensure zero business disruption

This onboarding ensured all stakeholders were aligned before changes were implemented.

Onboarding

Based on discovery findings, DevOps TechLab onboarded the client into a structured cost optimisation framework:

• • Established cost visibility using AWS Cost Explorer dashboards

• • Reviewed Compute Optimizer recommendations for EC2 right-sizing

• • Validated optimisation actions with application owners

• • Planned phased execution to ensure zero business disruption

This onboarding ensured all stakeholders were aligned before changes were implemented.

Operations & Support

During execution, DevOps TechLab performed controlled optimisation activities with continuous monitoring:

• • Terminated unused EC2 instances after validation

• • Right-sized oversized EC2 instances based on Compute Optimizer data

• • Monitored performance metrics post changes to avoid degradation

• • Cleaned up unattached EBS volumes and orphaned snapshots

All changes were supported with rollback plans and active monitoring, ensuring operational stability throughout the exercise.

Optimisation & Advisory

After stabilizing the environment, DevOps TechLab focused on long-term cost optimisation and advisory:

• • Identified consistent baseline compute usage

• • Implemented AWS Savings Plans for predictable workloads

• • Ensured Savings Plans commitments aligned with business roadmap

• • Recommended ongoing governance using Cost Explorer, Trusted Advisor, and Compute Optimizer

Summary

By using AWS Cost Explorer, Trusted Advisor, and Compute Optimizer, DevOps TechLab successfully implemented a safe, structured, and data-driven cost optimisation exercise.

This approach ensures sustainable savings while maintaining system reliability and scalability.

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About DevOps TechLab

DevOps TechLab is an AWS Advanced Partner with proven expertise in cloud cost optimisation. We help organizations reduce AWS spend through best practices, automation, and continuous optimisation aligned with the AWS Well-Architected Framework.