Spot Instances are a cost-effective cloud computing resource offering that allows users to leverage unused capacity in cloud provider data centers at significantly reduced prices. These instances provide substantial savings compared to traditional On-Demand instances, making them an essential tool for organizations looking to optimize their cloud spending and implement effective FinOps strategies. The concept…
Reserved Instances were introduced by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in 2009 as a way for customers to reduce their cloud computing costs by committing to a specific amount of compute capacity for a predetermined period. Since then, other major cloud providers, such as Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform, have adopted similar models. The primary…
What is the meaning of FinOps, and what does it stand for? FinOps, a combination of Finance and DevOps (not to be confused with FinOps in finance, which stands for Financial Operations), is a cloud financial management practice that aims to bring teams together to ensure a company maximizes its cloud ROI (Return on Investment)…
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a comprehensive financial estimate that assesses the complete economic value of an investment over its entire lifecycle. In the context of FinOps, TCO is a concept for evaluating and managing cloud costs, helping organizations make informed decisions about their technology investments. Total Cost of Ownership encompasses all direct and…
Terraform is an open-source Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool that allows users to define, provision, and manage cloud infrastructure resources using a declarative language. Developed by HashiCorp, Terraform has become a crucial component in modern cloud infrastructure management, enabling organizations to automate and streamline their infrastructure deployments across multiple cloud providers. Core Concepts and Functionality…
Spotify Backstage is an open-source developer platform that helps organizations streamline software development, improve efficiency, and manage cloud infrastructure costs. Created by Spotify in 2020, this tool has gained significant traction in the tech industry, particularly in FinOps, for its ability to enhance visibility and control over cloud resources. The platform serves as a single…
Showback in FinOps is a cost allocation method that provides visibility into cloud resource usage and associated costs without directly charging internal teams or departments. The importance of showback in cloud cost management cannot be overstated. As organizations increasingly rely on cloud services, understanding and optimizing costs becomes crucial. Showback provides the necessary insights to…
Pulumi is an open-source infrastructure as code (IaC) platform that enables developers to define, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure using familiar programming languages. Launched in 2018, Pulumi has quickly gained traction in the cloud-native ecosystem, offering a powerful alternative to traditional IaC tools. Pulumi provides a unique approach to infrastructure as code by allowing developers…
Platform Engineering emerged as a response to the increasing complexity of cloud-native environments and the need for streamlined, efficient operations. It bridges the gap between development, operations, and financial management, providing a unified approach to managing cloud resources. In the context of FinOps, Platform Engineering plays an important role in aligning technical decisions with financial…
Microsoft Azure is a comprehensive cloud computing platform provided by Microsoft. It offers a wide range of services and solutions for businesses and developers to build, deploy, and manage applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. Azure has become a critical player in the cloud computing landscape, providing scalable and cost-effective solutions for organizations of…
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a practice in cloud computing and DevOps in which infrastructure is managed and provisioned through machine-readable definition files rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools. In the context of FinOps, IaC plays a crucial role in automating and optimizing cloud resource management, directly impacting cost efficiency and scalability….
HashiCorp is a software company specializing in infrastructure automation and management tools. Founded in 2012, HashiCorp has become a key player in the DevOps and cloud infrastructure space, offering a suite of products that help organizations streamline their infrastructure operations, enhance security, and optimize cloud costs. HashiCorp’s products are designed to address the challenges of…