Introduction
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed, serverless NoSQL database designed to deliver single-digit millisecond performance at any scale. While DynamoDB is powerful and highly scalable, managing its cost structure—across Provisioned Capacity, On-Demand Capacity, Storage, and Data Transfer—can quickly become complex. With CloudPi by Purple Data Inc., organizations gain a robust platform to simplify cost management, optimize usage, and maintain transparency across their DynamoDB workloads.
Provisioned Capacity: Predictable Costs and Performance
Provisioned Capacity allows users to pre-allocate Read Capacity Units (RCUs) and Write Capacity Units (WCUs) to ensure consistent performance and predictable costs.
Cost Dimensions:
- Read Capacity Units (RCUs): Represents throughput capacity for reads.
- Write Capacity Units (WCUs): Represents throughput capacity for writes.
- Pay for Provisioned Capacity: Charges apply regardless of actual usage.
Use Cases:
- Performance-Critical Applications: Guarantees predictable throughput for high-traffic workloads.
- Low-Latency Requirements: Ensures rapid response times for latency-sensitive applications.
- Predictable Costs: Simplifies budget planning with consistent costs.
Charges for RCUs:
- 4 KB Item: 1 RCU for a strongly consistent read, 0.5 RCUs for an eventually consistent read.
- 12 KB Item: 3 RCUs for a strongly consistent read, 1.5 RCUs for an eventually consistent read.
- Charge for RCUs: Provisioned RCUs are charged for the entire duration of the table’s operation.
Charges for WCUs:
- 1 KB Item: 1 WCU.
- 2 KB Item: 2 WCUs.
Monthly Costs:
- 100 RCU (Monthly): $2.76
- DynamoDB Data Storage Cost (Monthly): $0.25
- 100 WCU (Monthly): $9.34
1-Year Reserved Capacity:
- Upfront Read Cost: $30.00
- Upfront Write Cost: $150.00
How CloudPi Helps:
CloudPi’s PiSavings Recommendations analyze your read and write capacity patterns and suggest optimal provisioning or reserved capacity plans, reducing unnecessary expenses.
On-Demand Capacity: Pay-As-You-Go Flexibility
On-Demand Capacity offers cost-effective flexibility by charging based on actual read and write requests.
Cost Dimensions:
- Pay-Per-Request: Pay for the exact number of read and write requests.
- Bursting Capability: Supports occasional bursts in workloads without manual intervention.
Use Cases:
- Burstable Workloads: Ideal for unpredictable workloads with sudden traffic spikes.
- Unpredictable Usage: Suitable for workloads with inconsistent traffic patterns.
- Flexibility: Automatically scales with demand.
Backup and Restore Costs:
- On-Demand Backup Storage: 1 GB × $0.10 = $0.10
- Continuous Backup (PITR): 1 GB × $0.20 = $0.20
- Table Restore: 1 GB × $0.15 = $0.15
- Total Backup and Restore Cost: $0.45
How CloudPi Helps:
CloudPi’s Cost Anomaly Alerts proactively identify spikes in usage and optimize costs by analyzing burst activity patterns.
Data Transfer: Managing Regional and Outbound Costs
Data transfer costs can significantly impact DynamoDB billing, especially when transferring large datasets across regions or to the internet.
Cost Dimensions:
- Outbound Data: Charged for data transferred out of AWS regions.
- Inbound Data: Data transferred into DynamoDB from the internet is typically free.
Use Cases:
- Data Migration: Seamlessly transfer data during imports or migrations.
- Data Replication: Maintain regional replicas for disaster recovery.
- Data Integration: Integrate DynamoDB data with AWS services and third-party tools.
Data Transfer Costs Example:
Outbound to Internet:
- Inbound: 1 GB × $0.00 = $0.00
- Intra-region: 1 GB × $0.01 (outbound) + 1 GB × $0.01 (inbound) = $0.02
- Outbound to Internet: 1 GB × $0.09 = $0.09
- Monthly Cost: $0.11
Outbound to Other Regions:
- Inbound: 1 GB × $0.00 = $0.00
- Intra-region: 1 GB × $0.01 (outbound) + 1 GB × $0.01 (inbound) = $0.02
- Outbound to Other Regions: 1 GB × $0.02 = $0.02
- Monthly Cost: $0.04
How CloudPi Helps:
CloudPi’s Billing Views enable granular analysis of data transfer costs, identifying optimization opportunities for cross-region and internet-bound data flows.
Storage: Scalable and Durable
DynamoDB storage costs are based on the total amount of data stored, including backups and indexes.
Cost Dimensions:
- Storage Size: Charged based on the amount of data stored.
Use Cases:
- Structured and Unstructured Data: Supports diverse data formats, including JSON and binary data.
- High Availability and Durability: Data is automatically replicated across multiple Availability Zones.
- Scalability: Effortlessly scale storage capacity for growing datasets.
Storage Costs Example:
- Standard Table Class: 1 GB × $0.25 = $0.25/month
- Standard Infrequent Access (SIA) Table Class: 1 GB × $0.10 = $0.10/month
How CloudPi Helps:
CloudPi’s Right-Sizing Recommendations ensure storage costs align with usage trends, avoiding over-provisioning.
Table Classes: Standard vs. Standard Infrequent Access (SIA)
Standard Table Class:
- Monthly Write Cost: $9.34
- Monthly Read Cost: $2.76
- Storage Cost: $0.25
Standard Infrequent Access (SIA) Table Class:
- Monthly Write Cost: $6.20
- Monthly Read Cost: $7.57
- Storage Cost: $0.10
Use Cases:
- Standard Class: Ideal for general-purpose workloads with frequent read/write activity.
- SIA Class: Suitable for infrequently accessed data such as archives and backups
.
How CloudPi Helps:
CloudPi’s Usage Insights suggest appropriate table classes based on workload access patterns, optimizing costs.
Why Choose CloudPi for AWS DynamoDB Optimization?
- Policy-Based Usage of DynamoDB Service:
Implement policy-driven controls to manage and optimize DynamoDB workloads efficiently. - PiSavings Recommendations:
Gain actionable insights for Reserved Capacity and cost optimization strategies. - Customizable Dashboards:
Build tailored dashboards to visualize costs, trends, and opportunities in real time. - Remediations Automated:
Automate optimization tasks and workflows to prevent manual errors and ensure continuous efficiency.
Conclusion
AWS DynamoDB is a powerful database solution, but without proper cost optimization, expenses can quickly escalate. CloudPi simplifies monitoring, cost optimization, and resource planning, ensuring your cloud database workloads remain cost-efficient and scalable.
Take control of your AWS DynamoDB costs with CloudPi today and drive smarter financial decisions!