Cost Optimization
The practice of running systems to deliver business value at the lowest price point.
Cost Optimization is one of the six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework, focused on delivering business value at the lowest price point without overprovisioning. On CLF-C02 it appears both standalone and within Well-Architected questions, so know its pillar relationship. The pillar covers right-sizing resources, choosing the appropriate pricing model (On-Demand, Spot, Reserved, or Savings Plans), using managed services to reduce operational overhead, and monitoring spend. A common trap is confusing the pillar with cost monitoring — tools like AWS Cost Explorer and AWS Budgets support it but are not the pillar itself.
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