AWS Cost Efficiency

Optimizing AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Costs

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Amazon VPCs support IPv6, providing an address space of 2128 possible IP addresses compared to the 4.3 billion addresses in IPv4! This vast increase ensures that your network infrastructure can scale massively and accommodate the growing demand for internet-connected device.

Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), with a market share of 99.31% and ranking #1 serve as foundational elements for establishing secure and efficient network infrastructures. Companies with existing on-premises infrastructure extend their networks into the cloud by establishing private connections to VPCs using AWS Direct Connect or VPN.  

In this guide, you will learn about the factors that influence VPC costs and explore effective strategies for reducing expenses associated with VPC usage.

How to Calculate VPC Costs - Understand AWS VPC Pricing and Charges

Although creating a VPC is free, numerous services and features within Amazon VPC incur costs. Calculating VPC costs entails understanding the pricing models associated with different components and services within your Virtual Private Cloud.

1. Identify components used

Determine the AWS services and components utilized within your VPC, such as EC2 instances, NAT Gateways, VPN Connections, etc.

2. Review pricing models

Understand the pricing structure for each component, including hourly rates, data transfer fees, and other relevant charges.

VPC Component Description Pricing Model
VPN Connection Establish secure connections to AWS or on-premises networks.

Site-to-Site VPN: Per VPN connection-hour and data transfer rates.

AWS Client VPN: Per active client VPN endpoint-hour and data transfer rates.

Network Address Translation (NAT) Gateway Allows instances in a private subnet to initiate outbound traffic to the internet. Per NAT Gateway-hour and data processing rates.
Transit Gateway Centrally manage connectivity between VPCs and on-premises networks. Based on the number of attachments, data processing rates, and data transfer rates.
AWS PrivateLink Privately access services hosted on AWS without using public IPs. Based on the number of interface endpoints created and data transfer rates.
Gateway Load Balancer Scale outbound NAT, VPN, and internet gateway traffic. Based on the number of Load Balancer Capacity Units (LCUs) used and data processing rates.
IPAM Manage IP address allocation within your VPC. Not a specific AWS service; costs may involve Elastic IP addresses and other networking tools.
Network Access Analyzer Analyze network traffic behavior and security. No direct costs associated (diagnostic tool).
Traffic Mirroring Capture and inspect network traffic. Based on data processing rates and associated data transfer rates.
Reachability Analyzer Check network reachability. No direct costs associated (diagnostic tool).
Cloud WAN Connect branch offices and data centers to AWS resources. Pricing varies based on configurations and data transfer rates.

3. Estimate usage

Predict the usage for each component over a specific period, considering factors like active VPN connection hours and data transfer volume.

4. Calculate costs

Use the pricing information and usage estimates to compute the total cost for each component, either manually or using AWS's pricing calculator.

5. Consider additional factors

Account for other expenses, such as reserved instances, inter-region data transfer, or charges from third-party services.

Check the AWS VPC Pricing page for detailed pricing guidelines.

Factors affecting VPC costs

Several factors impact the costs of Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) in Amazon Web Services (AWS). Resource usage, including instances, is primary. Instance types, data volumes, and the usage duration of services like VPN connections, NAT Gateways, and Transit Gateways directly affect expenses. Elastic IP addresses, essential for network communication, add to costs. Optimization strategies, such as using reserved instances and monitoring tools, are crucial for effectively managing and reducing VPC expenses.

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Strategies to Reduce VPC Costs: Optimize AWS Virtual Private Cloud Charges

1. Avoid NAT Gateway Charges

To reduce NAT Gateway charges and optimize VPC costs, consider using NAT instances for smaller workloads and consolidating resources to optimize NAT Gateway usage. Review outbound traffic to eliminate unnecessary data transfer and explore IPv6 adoption where feasible. Investigate third-party NAT solutions and utilize AWS Private Link for private connectivity to AWS services. These strategies can effectively minimize expenses while maintaining network functionality within your VPC.

For example: 10 EC2 instances for 500GB data processed in private subnets require internet access within a VPC. Typically, a NAT Gateway is deployed for each subnet to handle outbound internet traffic. Cost considerations for the NAT Gateway must be analyzed to optimize expenses while ensuring uninterrupted internet connectivity for the EC2 instances.

- Each NAT Gateway costs $1.50 per hour.

- 10 EC2 instances generating outbound internet traffic.

- Each EC2 instance processes 500GB of data monthly.

Description Cost for using NAT Gateway for all ten EC2 instances Consolidate NAT Gateway usage to one for all ten EC2 instances, saving costs
Hourly Usage Rate $1.50/hour $1.50/hour
Data Processing Rate $75.00 $75.00
Total Hourly Usage Cost 10 * $1.50/hour = $15.00/hour 1 * $1.50/hour = $1.50/hour
Total Data Processing Cost 500 GB * $0.15/GB = $75.00 500 GB * $0.15/GB = $75.00
Total Monthly Cost (Hourly Usage + Data Processing) $15.00/hour + $75.00 = $90.00 $1.50/hour + $75.00 = $76.50

By consolidating resources and optimizing traffic, you can save $13.50 per month on NAT Gateway charges, totalling $162 annually.

Atlassian streamlined operations and cut costs by consolidating NAT Gateway usage in AWS, boosting network efficiency while reducing expenses significantly. - Ben McAlary Principal Engineer for Network Services.

2. Leverage Existing Direct Connect Connections

To strategically reduce VPC costs and enhance network efficiency, organizations can leverage existing Direct Connect connections and related AWS networking features. By adopting targeted strategies, businesses can optimize their VPC architecture, improve overall performance, and effectively manage expenses. This involves utilizing established connections and associated AWS networking features to streamline connectivity, consolidate resources, and prioritize traffic. By implementing Transit Gateway, consolidating resources, and optimizing data transfer, organizations can centralize connectivity, reduce complexity, and minimize expenses. Additionally, implementing traffic engineering techniques enables efficient management of traffic within the VPC, further lowering charges and maximizing cost efficiency.

3. Use Snowball for Data Export

Snowball is a portable storage device designed for secure and efficient offline transfer of large volumes of data. Using Snowball for data export can significantly reduce VPC costs compared to S3’s “Data Transfer OUT to Internet” rate for large data volumes. For example, for 200 TB of data, savings could total approximately $4,000. Snowball offers a cost-effective alternative for exporting data from AWS without the need for a Direct Connect connection, cutting down on maintenance expenses. It streamlines data transfer, ensuring efficient migration and integration with AWS services while lowering overall VPC expenses.

4. Utilize VPC Peering

Reduce VPC costs by optimizing inter-region communication through VPC peering. Connect VPCs across AWS regions, eliminating the need for redundant resource deployment and lowering operational expenses. This streamlined approach ensures secure and efficient communication among applications deployed in various regions, enhancing overall cost-effectiveness and scalability.

Samsung Heavy Industries optimized costs and enhanced efficiency by leveraging AWS VPC peering and EC2 for their S.FLEET platform, cutting development time by three months. - Jaewoo Kim, Senior Researcher, SHI[5]

5. Content Delivery with CloudFront

Reduce VPC costs by using Amazon CloudFront as a content delivery network (CDN). Utilize CloudFront to deliver content from edge locations near end-users, effectively reducing data transfer expenses and reducing traffic from your VPC infrastructure. This approach enhances performance and cost-efficiency in content delivery while optimizing resource utilization within your VPC.

6. Monitor and optimize IP address usage

Optimizing IP address usage in your VPC is essential for cost reduction. Monitor and release unused addresses, minimize Elastic IP usage, utilize automation tools, explore AWS Private Link, tag addresses for tracking, and streamline instance launches.

7. Right-size your VPC resources

To right-size your VPC resources and reduce costs, start by evaluating the performance needs of your workloads. Rightsizing VPC resources involves optimizing the number of subnets, IP addresses, NAT gateways, and data transfer patterns. Key strategies actions are consolidating subnets, minimizing IP address ranges, utilizing VPC peering for data transfer between regions, and carefully choosing NAT gateway configurations to balance cost and performance. This assessment will help determine the appropriate resources required to support your applications efficiently.

Conclusion

Optimizing VPCs presents challenges in balancing network isolation and security alongside minimizing delays. To reduce costs, strategies include consolidating NAT Gateway usage, leveraging existing Direct Connect connections, utilizing Snowball for data export, and optimizing data transfer with VPC peering and CloudFront. Monitoring and optimizing IP address usage, along with right sizing VPC resources, enhance cost efficiency and performance. Careful planning and setup ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and security, bolstering overall efficiency.

References

1. Amazon VPC - Market Share, Competitor Insights in Private PaaS And IaaS

2. Logically Isolated Virtual Network - Amazon VPC Pricing

3. Reduce Cost and Increase Security with Amazon VPC Endpoints | AWS Architecture Blog

4. Atlassian Case Study | AWS Global Accelerator

5. Samsung Heavy Industries Case Study - Amazon Web Services (AWS)

FAQs

1. What are the general costs associated with AWS VPC?

The general costs associated with AWS VPC include charges for various components such as VPC itself, NAT Gateway, Internet Gateway, and VPC Peering. The AWS VPC cost can vary based on the VPC components, VPC charges, and VPC pricing.

2. How can I reduce costs for AWS VPC Peering?

To reduce VPC peering costs, you should understand the VPC peering pricing. Costs are incurred based on VPC peering connection pricing, VPC peering data transfer cost, and AWS peering connection pricing.

3. What is the cost of using NAT Gateway in AWS VPC?

The AWS NAT Gateway cost includes charges for data transfer and the hourly rate of the NAT Gateway. The VPC NAT Gateway pricing can impact your overall AWS VPC cost. To reduce expenses, consider AWS NAT Gateway cost optimization strategies and review NAT Gateway AWS price in the VPC cost breakdown.

4. Do AWS subnets and network interfaces incur additional costs?

Yes, AWS subnet pricing and network interfaces cost can contribute to the overall AWS VPC cost. AWS subnet cost varies based on the number of subnets and their configurations. Additionally, describe network interfaces cost for managing IP addresses and interfaces to avoid unexpected costs. Subnet pricing should be considered in your VPC billing AWS.

5. Are there any cost-saving options for managing AWS VPC and its features?

Yes, you can optimize AWS VPC costs by implementing cost-saving measures such as using the AWS VPC free tier for eligible resources, vpc cost optimization techniques, and reducing NAT Gateway costs. Utilize tools like the AWS reachability analyzer cost to manage resources effectively.

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