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Reserved Instance Reporting

What is it​

Features within AWS Cost Explorer and other cost management tools that allow you to monitor and analyze the utilization and coverage of your Reserved Instances (RIs) and Savings Plans.

What it's for​

Optimizing the use of RIs and Savings Plans, identifying savings opportunities, and ensuring you are maximizing the benefits of these long-term commitments.

Use cases​

  • View RI and Savings Plans utilization over time.
  • Identify underutilized or unused RIs.
  • Analyze RI coverage to determine if more RIs are needed.
  • Forecast potential savings from purchasing new RIs or Savings Plans.
  • Generate reports for audit and compliance.

Key points​

  • Cost optimization: Helps reduce computing costs by ensuring efficient use of RIs and Savings Plans.
  • Visibility: Provides insights into the performance of your long-term commitments.
  • Alerts: Can be combined with AWS Budgets to receive alerts about low RI utilization.
  • Cost Explorer integration: Most RI reports and analyses are accessible through AWS Cost Explorer.
  • Recommendations: AWS provides RI purchase recommendations based on your usage history.

Comparison​

  • Reserved Instance Reporting (via Cost Explorer) vs. Manual analysis: Manual analysis of RI utilization would be extremely complex and time-consuming, while AWS reporting tools automate this process and provide actionable insights.