- TechOps Examples
- Posts
- The 3 Layers Framework of Cloud Cost Control
The 3 Layers Framework of Cloud Cost Control
Govardhana M K
January 20, 2025
TechOps Examples
Hey — It's Govardhana MK 👋
Along with a use case deep dive, we identify the remote job opportunities, top news, tools, and articles in the TechOps industry.
IN TODAY'S EDITION
🧠 Use Case
The 3 Layers Framework of Cloud Cost Control
🚀 Top News
👀 Remote Jobs
Wikimedia is hiring a Release Engineer
Remote Location: Worldwide
GR8TECH is hiring a Middle DevOps Engineer
Remote Location: Worldwide
📚️ Resources
📢 Reddit Threads
🛠️ TOOL OF THE DAY
TerminalApps - A collection of awesome Termincal UI apps from around the web.
Cool UI terminals for Git, GitHub, Docker, k9s and more..
🧠 USE CASE
The 3 Layers Framework of Cloud Cost Control
Some of you may feel shocked by this unexpected, pent up cloud bill.
However, seasoned pros are used to this.
It has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen.
The simple and more commonly heard solution would be:
1) Set up billing alerts.
2) Refer to step 1.
This is necessary but not sufficient.
In my decade plus experience in cloud, I consistently observe that even the so called mature companies lack a framework for approaching cloud cost control.
For most, it is an afterthought, and many only wake up to shocking cloud bills.
Here I’ve tried to encapsulate the cloud cost control framework into three layers.
Download a high resolution PDF of this framework diagram here.
Layer 1. Strategic Foundation
It’s about the clarity of what you are paying for, why, and whether it delivers value. Building this foundation helps eliminate blind spots in cost ownership, encourages transparency across teams, and ensures every dollar spent has a purpose.
Key actions:
Align Cloud Costs with Business Goals
Understand Pricing Models
Select Cost Effective Cloud Services
Establish Accountability for Costs
Define KPIs for Cloud Efficiency
Promote a Cost Conscious Culture
Layer 2. Planning
This is where you bring structure to your cost control efforts. It is about establishing proactive mechanisms to ensure costs do not surprise you.
This includes making forecasting an ongoing practice and embedding cost tracking as part of resource planning cycles.
The real advantage? Teams can spot risks early, and control spending before it gets out of hand.
Key actions:
Set Budgets and Thresholds
Forecast Resource Demands
Allocate Costs to Teams/Projects
Enable Billing Alerts
Create Alerts for Usage Spikes
Identify Critical Workloads
Regularly Review Cost Trends
Track Shadow IT
Layer 3. Execution
This is the “action mode” of cost control. It is not just about identifying inefficiencies but about implementing fixes swiftly and continuously. It involves operational tuning to keep costs in check while scaling seamlessly.
Key actions:
Monitor Usage in Real Time
Automate Scaling
Optimize Resource Allocations
Rightsize Instances
Terminate Idle Resources
Use Reserved and Spot Instances
Optimize Network Egress Costs
Conduct Post Billing Review
Despite all this, the cloud bill may still bring surprises.
You can monitor, measure, optimize, and control (to a greater extent), but you cannot completely avoid them.
Welcome to the cloud!
For those 9,999,999,999 boys and girls who get confused about Kubernetes architecture components and what they do.
Here I've simplified it for you.
32K+ read my free bite-sized weekday (Mon-Fri) daily TechOps examples newsletter: techopsexamples.com/subscribe
What do we cover:… x.com/i/web/status/1…
— Govardhana Miriyala Kannaiah (@govardhana_mk)
1:28 PM • Jan 18, 2025