Does your AWS Config bill seem to be spiking unusually high? You are not by yourself. Config is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to managing costs/tasks within the cloud; however, its pricing can often catch teams by surprise. AWS Config serves for cloud compliance and governance, but its pricing model can sometimes catch teams off guard. So, fret not! This guide is meant to support you in understanding the pricing intricacies of AWS Config, pinpointing cost drivers, and developing cost optimization frameworks while still accruing its full benefits.
By the time you reach the end of the guide, you will have learned:
How AWS Config works and why it’s pivotal for your cloud operations
A detailed breakdown of AWS Config pricing
Practical tips to optimize AWS Config costs
Let’s dive in then.
What is AWS Config?
AWS Config is a fully managed service that helps you monitor, assess, and audit the configurations of your AWS resources. It serves as a sort of “always-on” auditor for cloud environments, tracking resource configurations against compliance rules.
Key Features of AWS Config
Continuous monitoring of resource configurations
Configuration history to track resource changes over time
Compliance checks using AWS Config rules and conformance packs
Resource tracking, including relationships between resources
No matter whether you run a startup or a large enterprise, It helps in maintaining information security, compliance, and leading operational best practices seamlessly.
Why Does AWS Config Matter?
AWS Config helps to keep track of your resources for compliance with HIPAA, SOC 2, or PCI DSS. Put bluntly, misconfigured resources are the leading culprit behind security breaches in the cloud, which makes AWS Config essential for the safeguarding and streamlining of your AWS ecosystem.
How Does AWS Config Work?
(Image source: AWS Config)
To learn about the pricing of AWS Config, you need to first understand its features and how it works. Here is the short summary:
Resource Tracking
AWS Config keeps track of AWS resources like EC2 instances, S3 buckets, security groups, etc. It creates “Configuration Items (CIs)” for each change that happens.
Recording Modes
AWS Config has two recording modes:
- Continuous Recording captures every configuration change as it happens.
- Periodic Recording saves captured resource configurations at specific time intervals.
Rule Evaluations
Rules automate the performance evaluation and compliance checks:
- Managed Rules are pre-defined by AWS (e.g., ensuring S3 bucket encryption).
- Custom Rules are made through AWS Lambda and can be tailored for certain compliance criteria.
Conformance Packs
Bundles of rules for compliance frameworks such as PCI-DSS or CIS benchmarks offer streamlined governance and are grouped as conformance packs.
Integration with Other AWS Services
AWS Config’s integration with other services such as CloudTrail, S3, SNS, and Lambda improves monitoring and automation.
Deep Dive into AWS Config Pricing Structure
AWS Config works under a pay-as-you-go pricing model with no upfront fees, minimum payments, or recurring commitments. Here's a breakdown of its pricing components alongside practical calculations:
1. Configuration Items (CIs)
AWS Config creates a Configuration Item every time a supported resource undergoes a change. Pricing changes depending on the recording mode:
Continuous Mode: $0.003 per CI (preferred for most users)
Periodic Mode: $0.012 per CI
Example:
If you record 10,000 CIs in a month:
Continuous Mode: 10,000 × $0.003 = $30
Periodic Mode: 10,000 × $0.012 = $120
2. Rule Evaluations
AWS Config rules are either assessed at the time of resource change or during a set evaluation period. Costs are tiered:
First 100,000 evaluations: $0.001 per evaluation
Next 400,000 evaluations (up to 500,000): $0.0008 per evaluation
Over 500,000 evaluations: $0.0005 per evaluation
Example:
If you perform 50,000 evaluations in a month:
50,000 × $0.001 = $50
For 250,000 evaluations:
100,000 × $0.001 = $100
150,000 × $0.0008 = $120
Total: $100 + $120 = $220
3. Conformance Pack Evaluations
Conformance packs bundle multiple rules together. Pricing matches rule evaluations:
First 100,000 evaluations: $0.001 per evaluation
Next 400,000 evaluations (up to 500,000): $0.0008 per evaluation
Over 500,000 evaluations: $0.0005 per evaluation
Example:
If you evaluate 5 conformance packs with 10 rules each, evaluated 300 times per month:
5 × 10 × 300 = 15,000 evaluations
15,000 × $0.001 = $15
4. Additional Costs
Additional charges may apply for:
S3 Storage: Maintaining configuration histories and snapshots
SNS Notifications: For configuration change alerts
Lambda Executions: For custom rules using Lambda
Real-World Pricing Example
Let’s calculate the total monthly cost for a real scenario in the US East (N. Virginia) region:
10,000 CIs recorded (continuous mode): $30
50,000 rule evaluations: $50
15,000 conformance pack evaluations: $15
Total Monthly Cost: $30 + $50 + $15 = $95
(Note: This excludes S3, SNS, or Lambda charges.)
As seen in the above calculations, managing these factors helps save on operational costs, which is especially beneficial to new startups or enterprises seeking to scale.
Key Benefits in AWS Config Pricing
AWS Config helps in managing your costs with regard to monitoring the cloud environment. Here’s a quick breakdown of its core pricing benefits:
Free Tier
Get 7,500 configuration items free for the first 30 days in each region.
Helpful in testing AWS Config’s functionalities prior to incurring any costs.
Note: Evaluations of rules and conformance packs are not covered under the free tier.
Volume Discounts
The more evaluations you run, the less you pay per evaluation:
First 100,000: $0.001 per evaluation
Next 400,000: $0.0008 per evaluation
Over 500,000: $0.0005 per evaluation
Ideal for big companies to gain cost savings during high-volume usage.
Multi-Account Aggregation
Merge information from several accounts and regions for consolidated oversight.
Helpful for enhancing compliance, governance, and regulatory reporting.
Be aware of costs and scope your monitoring to evade unnecessary costs.
Scalable Pricing
Pay only for what you monitor, no upfront commitments or minimums.
Easily expand the area of focus as your requirements increase.
Case Study: Volkswagen Financial Services
Volkswagen Financial Services managed governance across 1,600 AWS accounts with an eight-person team. They were trying to resolve rising AWS Config billing issues while maintaining compliance and security operationally and strategically. The cost issues stemmed from tracking all resource types and performing redundant compliance checks of their rigged space.
Solution
The Managed Platform Services team solved the problem by:
Tracking Key Assets: Only tracking high-risk assets such as IAM roles and S3 buckets.
Streamlining Compliance Checks: Grouping compliance checks into fewer groups.
Adjusting Features: Disabling AWS Config in non-production accounts.
Results
Achieved a 35% reduction in daily AWS Config costs.
Enhanced scalability, which led to improved remediation times.
Saved hundreds of thousands of euros in licensing fees.
Achieved complete regulatory compliance and account oversight.
Improved operational efficiency significantly by leveraging automation through AWS, enabling engineers to innovate.
Tools and Tips To Cut AWS Config Costs
Scope Recording Only for Critical Resources
Focus on high-risk or high-value resources such as EC2, S3, and IAM.
Avoid tracking volatile resources like ephemeral servers unless necessary.
Use the Right Recording Mode
Choose continuous recording for dynamic environments requiring in-depth compliance.
Opt for periodic recording for low-risk, stable resources.
Consolidate Rules
Minimize redundancy by grouping rules into conformance packs.
Use AWS-managed rules to avoid custom Lambda charges.
Set Data Retention Policies
Adjust the default 7-year retention period to suit your compliance needs.
Use S3 lifecycle policies to transition older configuration data to cheaper storage tiers like Glacier.
Leverage Cost Monitoring Tools
Use AWS Cost Anomaly Detection to identify sudden spikes.
Analyze AWS Cost and Usage Reports via Amazon Athena for granular insights.
Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to get a clear understanding of your AWS Config costs.
Regularly Review Settings
Deactivate AWS Config in non-critical regions or accounts.
Periodically audit rule relevance to retire unused or redundant evaluations.
Conclusion
AWS Config is essential for enforcing security, compliance, and monitoring in the cloud. The pay-as-you-go approach that company uses incurs AWS costs. However, Config tracking is useful from the business side only if there is a cost-reduction strategy in place.
Cost reduction relies on understanding AWS Config pricing and following the optimization approach provided within this article, which increases value for the organization.
Do not go on overspending while improving cloud governance. Set up your AWS pricing calculator and optimize your AWS Config configuration to precisely predict costs
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