AWS CLF-CO2 : Billing, Pricing, and Support

Disclaimer

This blog is part of a 4 part series covering the 2024 AWS (CLF-CO2) study guide. While there is tremendous value in going through this blog even if you are not writing the exam , please be aware that the content is centered around the exam.

As with any exam , the curriculum and the course content will evolve over time , please pay attention to when this blog was written and take into account that the exam and its content may have changed.

AWS Pricing Models

1. Compute Purchasing Options:
   • On-Demand Instances: Pay-as-you-go model with no long-term commitments.
   • Reserved Instances: Offers significant discounts with a one- or three-year commitment.
   • Spot Instances: Provides up to 90% savings by utilizing unused EC2 capacity, but instances can be terminated with short notice.
   • Savings Plans: Flexible pricing model that provides savings across EC2, Lambda, and Fargate with a commitment to a consistent spend.
   • Dedicated Hosts: Physical servers fully dedicated to a single customer.
   • Dedicated Instances: Virtual instances on hardware dedicated to a single customer.
   • Capacity Reservations: Reserve capacity for specific Availability Zones.
2. Data Transfer Charges:
   • Between Regions: Involves charges for data leaving one region to another.
   • Within the Same Region: Charges apply when data leaves an AWS Availability Zone.
3. Storage Options and Tiers:
   • Amazon S3 Storage Classes: Different classes like S3 Standard, S3 Glacier, and S3 Intelligent-Tiering provide cost-effective storage based on data access patterns.
   • Block Storage: Amazon EBS pricing varies by volume type and provisioned capacity.
4. Identifying and Comparing Compute Purchasing Options:
   • Evaluate compute purchasing options based on workload longevity, predictability, and fault tolerance.
5. Reserved Instance Flexibility:
   • Regional Flexibility: Reserved Instances apply to any Availability Zone in the purchased region.
   • Instance Size Flexibility: Adjusts to different instance sizes in the same family.
6. Reserved Instance Behavior in AWS Organizations:
   • Reserved Instances can be shared across linked accounts in an AWS Organization to maximize cost savings.
7. Storage Pricing Options and Tiers:
   • Understand the trade-offs between cost and performance across storage tiers:
     • S3 Standard: Best for frequently accessed data.
     • S3 Glacier: Ideal for archival storage with infrequent access.
     • Amazon EBS General Purpose SSD: Suitable for most workloads requiring a balance of price and performance.

Resources for Billing, Budget, and Cost Management

1. Billing Support and Information:
   • Support Channels: Access the AWS Billing Console for detailed billing info and connect to the AWS Support Center for assistance.
   • Knowledge Base: Explore AWS documentation and FAQs for specific billing questions.
2. Pricing Information for AWS Services:
   • Check the AWS pricing pages, where detailed service pricing info and cost structures are laid out.
3. AWS Organizations:
   • Use AWS Organizations to centralize management of multiple accounts, apply unified policies, and control billing.
4. AWS Cost Allocation Tags:
   • Categorize resources with cost allocation tags, which are used to organize and filter costs by specific criteria like department or project.
5. AWS Budgets, AWS Cost Explorer, and AWS Billing Conductor:
   • AWS Budgets: Set custom budgets and receive alerts.
   • AWS Cost Explorer: Visualize costs and usage trends to identify optimization opportunities.
   • AWS Billing Conductor: Customize the allocation and presentation of shared costs.
6. AWS Pricing Calculator:
   • Estimate the costs of AWS services and architecture using the AWS Pricing Calculator.
7. AWS Organizations Consolidated Billing:
   • Consolidate billing to generate a single invoice for all linked accounts, simplifying cost management and enabling discount sharing.
8. Cost Allocation Tags and Billing Reports:
   • Tags: Tag resources based on purpose (e.g., environment or project) for clearer cost tracking.
   • Reports: Use billing reports like the AWS Cost and Usage Report for granular cost breakdowns

AWS Technical Resources and AWS Support Options

1. Resources and Documentation Available on Official AWS Websites:
   • Locate technical documentation, whitepapers, and blog posts on the AWS website for comprehensive learning resources.
2. AWS Support Plans:
   • Understand the various support plans offered by AWS:
     • Basic: Access to customer service and community forums.
     • Developer: Business hours support via email.
     • Business: 24/7 access via email, chat, and phone.
     • Enterprise On-Ramp: Enhanced response times and guidance for rapid growth.
     • Enterprise: Assigned Technical Account Managers and proactive management.
3. Role of the AWS Partner Network (APN):
   • Learn about APN and its partner types:
     • Independent Software Vendors (ISVs): Offer software solutions on AWS.
     • System Integrators (SIs): Provide consulting, integration, and deployment services.
4. AWS Support Center:
   • Access support tickets, service health, and other services via the Support Center.
5. Locating AWS Whitepapers, Blogs, and Documentation:
   • Navigate the AWS documentation site, blogs, and knowledge base for in-depth guides.
6. AWS Technical Resources:
   • Use key technical resources like:
     • AWS Prescriptive Guidance: Best practices and implementation advice.
     • AWS Knowledge Center: Commonly asked questions and troubleshooting tips.
     • AWS re:Post: Q&A community-driven knowledge base.
7. AWS Support Options for Customers:
   • Access services for different customer needs:
     • Customer Service and Communities: Forums and help pages.
     • AWS Developer Support: Email support with a 12-hour response time.
     • AWS Business Support: 24/7 support and architectural guidance.
     • AWS Enterprise On-Ramp Support: Middle-ground support plan for scaling businesses.
     • AWS Enterprise Support: Advanced support with a Technical Account Manager.
8. Trusted Advisor, AWS Health Dashboard, and Health API:
   • Monitor cost, security, and performance with Trusted Advisor.
   • Track service health and incidents via the Health Dashboard.
   • Automate health checks with the AWS Health API.
9. AWS Trust and Safety Team:
   • Report and manage abuse cases through the AWS Trust and Safety Team.
10. Role of AWS Partners:

• Utilize the expertise and solutions offered by partners through:
  • AWS Marketplace: Curated software solutions.
  • Independent Software Vendors (ISVs): Cloud-ready software.
  • System Integrators (SIs): Professional consulting and implementation services.

Benefits of Being an AWS Partner:

• Gain partner benefits like:
  • Training and certification.
  • Networking events.
  • Volume discounts.

Key Services Offered by AWS Marketplace:

• Discover services like:
  • Cost Management: Simplify purchasing and cost tracking.
  • Governance and Entitlement: Control resource access and distribution.

Technical Assistance Options at AWS:

• Explore technical assistance services such as:
  • AWS Professional Services: Consultants for complex projects.
  • AWS Solutions Architects: Experts for architectural guidance.