Cloud Cost Management FAQ Guide

[Kieron Dean]

Welcome to our comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions guide for Cloud Cost Management

Q: What Clouds are supported?

A: AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are supported. All product features are supported for each cloud platform (visibility, right-sizing, business hours, unused machines, and unassigned machines)

Q: How does right-sizing work?

A: Cloud Cost Management pulls performance information from the cloud then analyses this information to come up with recommendations around size and compatibility. We look at the top 20% of utilization and not a raw average, so we do not allow for dials as this is far more complex than a simple average.

Q: How does unused machines work?

A: Cloud Cost Management uses the same data form the right-sizing performance information, but when the performance is analysed, the system determines the machine is so underutilized that it must not be used.

Q: How does business hours work?

A: The business hours capability uses our policy engine to determine machines that can be placed into a business hour policy and powered on and off automatically. This allows companies to save money by only running these machines when needed.

Q: How do tag categories work?

A: Tag categories allow for the normalization of tagging data. This enables companies to bring standardizations to tagging data where none may exist. This allows for group A and group B to use different names for the environment tag, for example, but for these groups tags would be able to be reported on as if they were the same.

Q: How does Reservation plans work?

A: Reservation plans helps optimize spend by making use of savings and discount plans for committed use of cloud resources. Customers receive guidance and recommendations to reserve cloud resources for a fixed duration to drive cloud savings and optimization based on usage patterns of reserved instances on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Q: How does Cloud budgets work?

A: To manage your cloud spend, you can define and monitor custom budget plans. The system compares the plans with billing data to calculate and report on how well budgets are being met. Understanding budget compliance by groups and service accounts can significantly improve oversight and reduce cloud spend. Each successful Billing download triggers budget refresh automatically. Budget refresh is also triggered manually when a new Budget policy is created.

Q: How often is data updated in ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management?
A: Data is updated daily, ensuring timely and accurate cost tracking for cloud resources across platforms.

Q: Does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management support Azure Marketplace spending?
A: Yes, Azure Marketplace spending is tracked and reported within the platform, ensuring comprehensive visibility into all cloud-related expenses.

Q: How does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management handle untagged resources?

A: The platform identifies untagged or mis-tagged resources and offers tools to correct and manage tags, helping ensure accurate cost allocation and tracking.

Q: Does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management provide recommendations for cost optimization?

A: Yes, it offers recommendations for right-sizing resources, identifying unused resources, and managing Reserved Instances (RIs) and Savings Plans (SPs) to optimize costs.

Q: Can users customize views and reports based on their needs?
A: Yes, users can customize dashboards and reports for different teams, departments, or user groups, tailoring the level of detail and abstraction to meet specific needs.

Q: Can ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management track credits, discounts, and incentives?
A: Yes, it tracks enterprise discounts, project-specific credits, and other incentives, providing full visibility into cost reductions and contract benefits.

Q: How does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management handle cost forecasting?
A: The platform uses past usage trends to predict future cloud costs. It also provides insights on cost anomalies and can track forecasted spending against actual usage.

Q: What external systems does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management integrate with?
A: The platform integrates with third-party collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams, as well as systems such as AWS Trusted Advisor and Azure Advisor.

Q: Does ServiceNow Cloud Cost Management support the management of container-based workloads (e.g., Kubernetes)?
A: Yes, the platform provides reporting and showback/chargeback capabilities for Kubernetes and other containerized workloads, allowing organizations to track and allocate costs accurately.