Use instance types with the least impact

Selecting and utilizing cloud hardware efficiently is integral for minimizing environmental impacts. Focusing on instance types with the least carbon footprint ensures that your architecture promotes sustainability while still meeting performance requirements. Continually reviewing and migrating to newer, energy-efficient instances is crucial for reducing overall carbon emissions.

Best Practices

Optimize Instance Selection

• Regularly review AWS instance types for energy efficiency improvements, as new generations may offer lower carbon footprints.
• Implement automated tools to track and migrate workloads to the most efficient instance types available.
• Evaluate the specific needs of your workloads to ensure you are not over-provisioning resources, which can lead to unnecessary energy consumption.

Utilize Spot Instances and Savings Plans

• Incorporate AWS Spot Instances for workloads that can tolerate interruptions, allowing you to use unused capacity from AWS and reduce environmental impact.
• Leverage Savings Plans to commit to usage over a period of time, which may encourage more efficient usage patterns and lead to optimizations in resource allocation.

Monitor and Optimize Resource Utilization

• Use AWS CloudWatch and other monitoring tools to continuously assess the performance and resource utilization of your instances.
• Adjust instance sizes and types proactively based on usage metrics to ensure workloads are running on the most efficient configurations.

Retire Legacy Resources

• Identify and retire old instances and resources that consume more power compared to newer, more efficient options.
• Assess the lifecycle of your workloads and migrate to more sustainable architecture choices as needed.

Educate Teams on Sustainability Practices

• Train your development and operations teams on the importance of selecting energy-efficient resources.
• Create a culture of sustainability by including energy efficiency metrics in performance reviews and project planning, ensuring that teams prioritize these considerations.

Questions to ask your team

• How often do you review and update your instance types to incorporate newer, more energy-efficient options?
• Have you assessed the performance and energy consumption of your existing instance types?
• Do you have a process for identifying and decommissioning underutilized resources?
• How do you monitor energy usage and efficiency across your cloud resources?
• Are you aware of any specific instance types that have lower carbon footprints, and have you considered them for your workloads?
• What metrics do you use to evaluate the sustainability impact of your current cloud services?

Who should be doing this?

Cloud Architect

• Analyze and recommend the most efficient instance types based on workload requirements.
• Stay updated on the latest instance types and energy efficiency improvements.
• Design cloud architectures that optimize for sustainability and minimize resource usage.

DevOps Engineer

• Implement and configure cloud infrastructure according to sustainability best practices.
• Monitor resource usage and performance to ensure efficient operation.
• Automate scaling and resource management to reduce excess capacity.

Sustainability Officer

• Define and communicate the organization’s sustainability goals related to cloud usage.
• Evaluate the environmental impact of current hardware and services.
• Lead initiatives to increase overall sustainability within cloud operations.

IT Procurement Specialist

• Source and evaluate cloud services that align with sustainability criteria.
• Negotiate with cloud providers to prioritize energy-efficient offerings.
• Work with vendors to understand the sustainability attributes of their products.

Operations Manager

• Oversee implementation of sustainability practices across cloud operations.
• Review performance metrics to ensure adherence to sustainability goals.
• Coordinate between teams for efficient resource management and reporting.

What evidence shows this is happening in your organization?

• Sustainability Assessment Report: A comprehensive report that assesses current cloud usage, identifies carbon footprint, and recommends the most energy-efficient instance types based on workload requirements.
• Instance Type Selection Checklist: A checklist to follow when selecting instance types, ensuring that energy efficiency, performance needs, and sustainability goals are aligned.
• Cloud Hardware Efficiency Policy: An organizational policy that mandates the continuous monitoring and evaluation of instance types for energy efficiency improvements and the adoption of new technologies.
• Sustainability Strategy Playbook: A playbook outlining strategies for optimizing cloud resource usage with a focus on sustainability, including guidelines for instance type monitoring and selection.
• Dashboard for Instance Type Monitoring: A real-time dashboard that displays the energy efficiency metrics and performance of selected instance types, enabling ongoing evaluation and adjustment.

Cloud Services

AWS

• AWS Cost Explorer: Helps you visualize and manage your AWS costs while allowing you to explore energy-efficient instance types and their usage.
• AWS Trusted Advisor: Provides real-time guidance to help you provision your resources following best practices for cost optimization, including the use of more efficient instance types.
• Amazon EC2: Allows you to select from a variety of instance types, including energy-efficient options, to better align with your sustainability goals.

Azure

• Azure Cost Management + Billing: Enables you to track your cloud spending and optimize it by selecting more energy-efficient resources.
• Azure Advisor: Offers personalized best practices to help you optimize your Azure resources, including suggestions for more sustainable instance types.
• Virtual Machines: Provides various types of virtual machines, including energy-optimized options, to help reduce your cloud workload sustainability impact.

Google Cloud Platform

• Google Cloud Billing: Helps you understand and manage your spending across Google Cloud services, allowing you to choose more energy-efficient resources.
• Google Cloud Recommender: Provides recommendations for optimizing your cloud utilization and cost, focusing on efficient instance types.
• Compute Engine: Offers a variety of machine types, including those optimized for energy efficiency, to help meet your sustainability targets.

Question: How do you select and use cloud hardware and services in your architecture to support your sustainability goals?
Pillar: Sustainability (Code: SUS)