Kubernetes Cost Reduction: How to Cut K8s Costs in 5 Steps

What Is Kubernetes Cost Reduction? 

Kubernetes cost reduction involves optimizing the way you manage and deploy your applications on Kubernetes to minimize the overall costs. This can involve a variety of strategies, including optimizing configurations, using fewer resources, and leveraging cost-saving tools and techniques. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that your Kubernetes clusters are running efficiently and cost-effectively, without sacrificing performance or stability.

The rise of Kubernetes has made it easier than ever to manage and scale containerized applications, but it has also introduced new challenges when it comes to managing costs. With the increasing complexity of container orchestration and the growing number of tools and services available, it is easy for costs to spiral out of control if you’re not careful.

In this article, we’ll explain the importance of cost reduction in Kubernetes and provide a 5-step process for reducing your Kubernetes costs. By implementing these steps, you’ll be well on your way to maximizing savings and getting a higher return on your Kubernetes investment.

This is part of a series of articles about Kubernetes cost optimization.

Why Is Cost Reduction in Kubernetes So Critical? 

Cloud Infrastructure Expenses

Many organizations use cloud providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), or Microsoft Azure to host their Kubernetes clusters. While these providers offer a lot of flexibility and scalability, they can also lead to significant costs if not managed properly.

For instance, you may be paying for resources that you don’t need or use. Or you might be using more expensive resources when cheaper ones would suffice. By carefully managing your cloud infrastructure expenses, you can significantly reduce your Kubernetes costs.

This can involve strategies like rightsizing your instances, using spot instances, and taking advantage of discounts and reserved instances. It can also involve using cost management tools provided by the cloud providers to gain better visibility into your costs and identify areas where you can save.

Scaling Costs

Scaling costs are another important consideration in Kubernetes cost reduction. Kubernetes allows you to scale your applications easily to meet changing demand. However, scaling can also lead to increased costs, especially if not managed properly.

For instance, if you overprovision your resources to handle peak demand, you may end up paying for resources that you don’t need during non-peak times. On the other hand, if you underprovision your resources, you may not be able to handle peak demand, leading to poor performance and customer dissatisfaction.

By using strategies like autoscaling and demand forecasting, you can ensure that you have just the right amount of resources at any given time. This not only reduces costs but also ensures that your applications can handle any demand.

Efficient Resource Utilization

Kubernetes uses clusters of nodes (machines) to run containerized applications. Each node has a certain amount of resources (CPU, memory, storage) that can be used by the containers running on it. If these resources are not used efficiently, it can lead to unnecessary costs.

For instance, if a container is allocated more resources than it needs, these resources are wasted and can’t be used by other containers that might need them. On the other hand, if a container is allocated fewer resources than it needs, it can lead to poor performance and even application failure.

By optimizing resource utilization, you can ensure that each container has just the right amount of resources it needs to run efficiently. This not only reduces costs but also improves the performance and reliability of your applications.

Budget and Planning

Lastly, effective budgeting and planning are crucial for Kubernetes cost reduction. Without a clear understanding of your costs and a plan to manage them, it’s easy to overspend on your Kubernetes deployment.

This involves understanding your current costs, forecasting future costs, and setting a budget that aligns with your business goals. It also involves regularly reviewing and updating your budget and plan to ensure that they remain relevant and effective.

By having a clear budget and plan, you can avoid unnecessary costs and ensure that your Kubernetes deployment is cost-effective. This not only reduces your financial burden but also ensures that your Kubernetes deployment supports your business goals.

Learn more in our detailed guide to Kubernetes cost monitoring

Tips from the expert

Itiel Shwartz

Co-Founder & CTO

Itiel is the CTO and co-founder of Komodor. He’s a big believer in dev empowerment and moving fast, has worked at eBay, Forter and Rookout (as the founding engineer). Itiel is a backend and infra developer turned “DevOps”, an avid public speaker that loves talking about things such as cloud infrastructure, Kubernetes, Python, observability, and R&D culture.

In my experience, here are tips that can help you further reduce Kubernetes costs:

Implement Cluster Cost Visibility

Use tools like Prometheus and Grafana to create dashboards that provide real-time visibility into cluster costs. This helps in identifying high-cost areas and making data-driven decisions to reduce expenses.

Regularly Perform Cost Audits

Schedule regular cost audits to review your Kubernetes spend. Look for unused resources, redundant services, and inefficiencies. This practice can uncover significant savings opportunities.

Use Cost Anomaly Detection

Implement anomaly detection to identify unexpected spikes in costs. Automated tools can notify you of unusual patterns, allowing you to investigate and address issues promptly.

Optimize Pod Scheduling

Utilize advanced scheduling strategies like bin packing to maximize node utilization. Proper scheduling ensures that nodes are used efficiently, reducing the need for additional resources.

Leverage Resource Quotas and Limits

Apply resource quotas and limits at the namespace level to prevent teams from overconsuming resources. This enforces discipline in resource usage and helps control costs.

Reducing Your Kubernetes Costs in 5 Steps 

While there are many ways to optimize and reduce Kubernetes costs, here is a five step process that can generate significant cost savings in most environments.

1. Configure Autoscaling

One of the most effective ways to reduce Kubernetes costs is by configuring autoscaling for your workloads. Autoscaling enables your clusters to dynamically adjust the number of nodes and pods based on the current workload demands. This helps to ensure that you’re only using the resources you need when you need them, and it can help to prevent over-provisioning or under-provisioning resources.

There are two types of autoscaling in Kubernetes: horizontal pod autoscaling (HPA) and cluster autoscaling (CA). HPA adjusts the number of replicas for a given deployment based on the current CPU utilization or custom metrics, while CA adjusts the number of nodes in a cluster based on the overall resource demand.

To configure autoscaling in Kubernetes, you’ll need to create an autoscaling configuration file that defines the scaling policies for your workloads. You can then apply this configuration using the kubectl command-line tool. By properly configuring autoscaling, you can ensure that your clusters are always running at the optimal size, reducing costs and improving performance.

2. Run Fewer Clusters

Another effective strategy for Kubernetes cost reduction is to run fewer clusters. This may seem counterintuitive, but running multiple smaller clusters can actually be more expensive than running a single, larger cluster. This is because each cluster requires a certain amount of overhead, such as control plane resources and etcd storage, which can add up quickly when you’re running multiple clusters.

By consolidating your workloads into fewer clusters, you can reduce the overall overhead and make more efficient use of your resources. This can also help to simplify management and reduce the potential for configuration errors and security vulnerabilities.

To consolidate your clusters, you can start by identifying any duplicate or overlapping workloads and merging them into a single deployment. You can then use namespaces and other Kubernetes features to organize your workloads and ensure that they’re running efficiently within a single cluster.

3. Define Resource Limits

Defining resource limits for your Kubernetes workloads is another key strategy for cost reduction. By setting limits on the amount of CPU and memory that each container can use, you can prevent runaway resource usage and ensure that your workloads are running efficiently.

To define resource limits in Kubernetes, you’ll need to create a configuration file that specifies the limits for each container in your deployment. You can then apply this configuration using the kubectl command-line tool.

When setting resource limits, it’s important to strike a balance between cost efficiency and performance. Setting limits too low can lead to poor performance or even application crashes, while setting them too high can lead to wasted resources and higher costs. To find the right balance, you’ll need to monitor your workloads and adjust your limits as needed based on actual usage patterns.

4. Use Discounted Nodes

Using discounted nodes, such as Google Cloud Platform’s Spot VMs or Amazon Web Services’ Spot Instances, can help you significantly reduce your Kubernetes costs. These nodes are available at a lower price because they can be terminated by the cloud provider with little or no notice, making them suitable for workloads that can tolerate some level of disruption.

To take advantage of discounted nodes, you’ll need to configure your Kubernetes cluster to use the appropriate node type for your cloud provider. You can do this by creating a node pool with the discounted node type and then specifying this node pool when deploying your workloads.

Keep in mind that discounted nodes may not be suitable for all types of workloads. For example, stateful applications that require persistent storage or strict uptime guarantees may not be a good fit for discounted nodes. However, for stateless applications or batch processing jobs, discounted nodes can be an excellent way to reduce costs without sacrificing performance.

5. Use Cost Optimization Tools

Finally, using cost optimization tools can help you identify and address inefficiencies in your Kubernetes deployments. These tools can provide insights into your resource usage, help you identify underutilized or over-provisioned resources, and provide recommendations on how to optimize your configurations for cost efficiency.

A popular, open source Kubernetes cost optimization tool is Kubecost. It provides real-time cost insights and recommendations for your Kubernetes clusters, which can help you reduce costs. Full-fledged Kubernetes management platforms can provide additional capabilities such as automated optimization of Kubernetes resources, multi-cloud management and governance features.

By following the process we outlined, you can significantly reduce your Kubernetes costs and ensure that your deployments are running efficiently and cost-effectively. This will not only help you maximize savings, but it will also enable you to allocate more resources to other areas of your business and ensure that you’re getting the most value from your Kubernetes investment.

Learn more in our detailed guide to Kubernetes cost management

Achieving the Optimal Balance: Cost and Performance in Kubernetes with Komodor

In the world of Kubernetes, achieving cost optimization while maintaining performance and reliability is a critical but challenging task. Komodor, with its comprehensive cost optimization suite, comes to the rescue by providing visibility, ensuring right sizing, and maintaining reliability and availability.

Enhanced Visibility and Cost Allocation

Komodor’s advanced suite of cost optimization tools offers unparalleled visibility into your Kubernetes cost structure and resource usage. It provides you with the ability to segregate costs by business unit, team, environment, and even specific applications.

By examining costs trends over time, you can gain valuable insights, understand your cost efficiency, and uncover areas where savings are possible. Further, Komodor’s real-time spending alerts enable rapid detection and resolution of any resource consumption anomalies, promoting an environment of accountability and transparency.

Achieving Balance Between Costs and Performance

Komodor strikes a perfect balance between cost optimization and performance. Its real-time usage analysis allows organizations to identify areas that need enhancement. By scrutinizing and filling in any missing requests and limits, Komodor promotes efficient resource utilization. Its ability to identify and eliminate idle resources plays a pivotal role in trimming unnecessary costs. Komodor’s environment-specific optimization recommendations guide organizations to select the right strategies, making the implementation of these optimizations a breeze.

Prioritizing Reliability and Availability

The Komodor cost optimization suite extends its prowess beyond mere cost management. It actively analyzes the impact of optimization on your system’s reliability and availability. By proactively monitoring resources, it ensures your operations remain uninterrupted. Alerts for issues related to availability, memory shortage, and CPU throttling are instantly forwarded, keeping you in the loop. Komodor’s unique blend of performance and cost metrics helps organizations avoid operational silos and maintain a holistic view of their Kubernetes environment.

Why Komodor Stands Out

Komodor’s Cost Optimization product is a one-stop solution, offering immediate value in the same platform that you use to operate, troubleshoot, and control your Kubernetes applications. The need for additional vendors or tools is completely eliminated, simplifying your toolkit. With its ability to offer centralized visibility across multiple clusters and cloud providers, Komodor ensures the right level of visibility via Role-Based Access Control (RBAC). Trusted by developers and DevOps teams alike, Komodor is your comprehensive solution for Kubernetes cost optimization.

To learn more about how Komodor helps organizations achieve Optimal Balance: Cost and Performance  sign up for our free trial.