Essential Guide to Cloud Cost Management

Cloud adoption continues to accelerate as organizations migrate workloads to platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. However, as cloud adoption grows, managing and optimizing cloud costs has become increasingly complex and critical for businesses striving to maintain efficiency and financial control.

This book provides a practical, end-to-end guide to cloud cost management, taking you from foundational concepts to advanced optimization and governance. The book presents a comprehensive framework for managing cloud costs built on three pillars: observability, optimization, and governance. You will learn how to gain visibility into cloud usage and cost drivers, apply optimization strategies such as rightsizing, elasticity, modernization, and commitment-based savings to reduce waste, and establish governance through policies, allocation models, and cost-aware practices. The book also covers pricing fundamentals and real-world scenarios.

By the end of this book, you will be equipped to control cloud spending, implement sustainable cost strategies, and align technology decisions with business goals. Whether you are a cloud engineer, architect, or IT decision-maker, you will gain practical skills to manage cloud costs with confidence.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
● Gain visibility into cloud costs using native tools.
● Analyze spending patterns to identify inefficiencies and waste.
● Leverage analytics services for enhanced cost insights.
● Establish governance, guardrails, and cost-aware operational practices.
● Handle unexpected cost spikes and prevent budget overruns effectively.
● Leverage emerging technologies like GenAI and standards like FOCUS.

WHO THIS BOOK IS FOR
This book is designed for cloud engineers, architects, DevOps professionals, and IT decision-makers responsible for managing cloud spend and optimizing resources. It is suitable for beginners and experienced cloud practitioners seeking practical strategies to improve cost efficiency, strengthen governance, and maximize value from cloud investments.

1. Introduction to Cloud Cost Optimization
2. Gaining Visibility into Cloud Costs Using Native Tools
3. Cost Visualization Dashboards
4. Moving from Cost Observability to Cost Optimization
5. Optimizing Compute Cost
6. Optimizing Storage Cost
7. Optimizing Database Cost on Cloud
8. Optimizing Cloud Observability Cost
9. Designing Cost-Effective Cloud Security Architecture
10. Optimizing Data Transfer Charges on Cloud
11. Establishing Cost Governance and Guardrails
12. Advancing Cost Optimization Journey with GenAI

Manish Singh is a cloud technology leader with over 22 years of experience in the IT industry, driving enterprise support and customer success across cloud and managed services ecosystems. Throughout his career, he has held leadership roles at cloud providers including Amazon Web Services, Google, and Oracle, where he led teams in delivering high-impact cloud solutions for enterprise clients.

A specialist in cloud architecture and IT system design, Manish has spearheaded numerous large-scale initiatives focused on cloud transformation, migration, and hybrid architectures. He is an expert in cloud financial management and FinOps practices, helping organizations optimize cloud spending while maintaining operational efficiency. He has led several cost optimization initiatives that enable enterprises to gain better visibility and maximize cloud investment value.

Based in Bangalore, Manish actively shares insights on cloud architecture and cost optimization. His published work on Amazon S3 cost optimization is widely referenced by engineers and DevOps professionals.