Netflix struggles to track AWS costs and usage

• Netflix uses AWS for cloud infrastructure but faces challenges in accurately tracking and managing its cloud costs.
• The company has developed tools like FPD and CEA to improve resource efficiency, but it continues to work on enhancing cost insight and detecting anomalies through predictive analytics and machine learning.

What happened: Netflix works on improving AWS cost management despite challenges

Netflix, a major user of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for its cloud infrastructure, admitted that tracking and understanding its cloud resource usage and associated costs is a difficult task. In a recent blog post, Netflix’s engineering team shared insights into their efforts to improve cloud efficiency. The company has developed two primary tools to address this challenge: the Foundational Platform Data (FPD) and Cloud Efficiency Analytics (CEA). These tools are designed to provide insights into resource usage, efficiency, and costs by centralising data and offering a platform to analyse efficiency metrics. However, despite these efforts, Netflix highlighted that its vast infrastructure, which includes custom features and multiple service owners, makes it hard to maintain accurate and complete cost insights. As a result, Netflix continues to refine its processes and aims to improve its understanding of cloud costs in the coming year.

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Why it’s important

Netflix’s ongoing challenges with cloud cost management serve as a reminder of the complexity that large-scale enterprises face when using public cloud services, even when equipped with advanced tools. For Netflix, the vast scale of its operations, coupled with the customisation of its infrastructure, makes it difficult to maintain accurate cost insights. Services with multiple owners and unique cost heuristics create additional hurdles in achieving a clear understanding of resource usage and associated costs. By developing tools like Foundational Platform Data (FPD) and Cloud Efficiency Analytics (CEA), Netflix is working to improve visibility and track efficiency metrics across its infrastructure. The company’s focus on predictive analytics and machine learning for anomaly detection and optimisation is critical for more effective cloud management. As public cloud adoption grows across industries, Netflix’s experience underscores the need for businesses to continuously refine their cloud cost management strategies. Even with advanced technologies, companies must be proactive in their approach to prevent over-spending and ensure efficient resource use, ultimately reducing the risk of unexpected costs as their cloud infrastructure expands.