No organization wants to overpay for cloud-native operations running on Kubernetes.
Kubernetes cost optimization got a boost today with Kubecost's release of the 2.0 version of its Kubecost cost monitoring and optimization solution for teams running Kubernetes. Kubecost 2.0 is a major release that includes powerful new capabilities to help enterprises control their Kubernetes-related cloud costs across complex, multicloud environments.
With Kubernetes adoption accelerating, many organizations are struggling to gain visibility into and reduce their Kubernetes spend due to factors such as overprovisioning, lack of granular insights, and cluster sprawl. Kubecost aims to address these challenges with Kubecost 2.0's array of upgraded features:
- Advanced network monitoring: New network traffic cost visibility enables teams to identify reasons behind unexpected network cost increases.
- Cost center reporting: Unified chargeback/showback reporting simplifies allocating costs and enhances data-driven decision-making.
- Improved cost forecasting: More accurate forecasts for Kubernetes and cloud spend facilitate optimization planning and financial stability.
- Anomaly detection: Alerts for budget overages and spend anomalies allow teams to quickly take action.
- Automation workflows: Users can easily create, view, and audit workflows for optimization actions like rightsizing.
"With Kubecost 2.0, users gain several capabilities that were either challenging or impossible with previous versions," Webb Brown, CEO and co-founder at Kubecost, told ITPro Today.
Kubecost 2.0 Provides Networking Monitoring Visibility
The Kubecost technology has its roots in the open source OpenCost project, which got debuted in 2022 and is hosted by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). Kubecost is the commercially supported product from the company of the same name.
Network Monitoring allows users to visualize and analyze their Kubernetes and cloud network costs in real time, enabling them to identify and address high-cost areas within their infrastructure.
"We've heard from many teams that network costs are a black box for them today," Brown said. "We've seen many cases where network costs will jump and teams have to spend significant time and resources to investigate the cause."
Brown said that the new network monitoring feature in Kubecost 2.0 helps teams quickly and easily understand where their networking spend is going. With the new feature, users can dynamically navigate where cost drivers are and what their relationship is with the rest of their infrastructure, he added.
"Kubecost’s Network Monitoring allows teams to strategically reduce and optimize costs, ensuring efficient network utilization and maximizing their Kubernetes investment," he said.
The Key to Kubernetes Optimization Is Automation of Cost Optimization
One of the critical components of Kubecost 2.0 is the "Actions" functionality.
Brown explained that Kubecost Actions is designed to streamline and automate Kubernetes cost optimization by providing teams with a very simple way of setting up automation to help save money.
"Users can configure the actions via the UI with a couple of clicks, or they have the option of configuring the actions via a .yaml file if they prefer to go the infrastructure-as-code route," he said.
Sitting underneath the optimization is enhanced real-time cost estimation. Brown said Kubecost 2.0 harnesses sophisticated algorithms and data analytics to provide a level of accuracy and immediacy that was previously unattainable for cost estimation. By learning the discounts or adjustments made via Kubecost's reconciliation pipeline — which updates costs based on the discounts users get in their cloud bill — Kubecost is able to have a real-time accurate measure of current costs and also the ability to forecast future costs, he said.
"It represents a significant leap forward in our mission to provide users with the most reliable and actionable cost management tools," Brown said.
About the author
Sean Michael Kerner is an IT consultant, technology enthusiast and tinkerer. He consults to industry and media organizations on technology issues.
