Smart Scaling, Smarter Savings: January’s Best from Octo
Scale smarter, not harder. Achieving growth without performance trade-offs and unlocking savings through innovative cloud cost optimization.
In today’s cloud-driven world, every dollar counts—and Octo is here to help businesses make the most of their cloud investments. Our tools empower organizations to proactively optimize cloud spending, turning complex cost challenges into opportunities for growth. Whether you’re scaling a startup or managing an enterprise, Octo delivers actionable insights to drive savings and ensure every dollar aligns with your goals.
With Octo’s latest updates, saving on cloud costs has never been easier. You can now act quickly on tailored recommendations to adjust resources—like scaling servers or storage—to match actual usage, cutting waste while keeping operations running smoothly. Octo also simplifies splitting AWS costs across accounts, teams, or projects, ensuring full transparency into where your money goes. Best of all, you can identify overspending issues and apply fixes directly within Octo—no extra steps or guesswork required.
The result? Less manual effort, clearer cost tracking, and a cloud setup that grows seamlessly with your business. Octo doesn’t just help you save—it helps you scale smarter.
Execute Recommendations
Managing cloud costs can be a challenge, but Octo makes it easier than ever! With Octo, users can optimize cloud costs by receiving actionable recommendations and applying them directly within the platform. Currently, Octo supports executing recommendations for AWS, with plans to expand to GCP and Azure soon. This simplifies AWS resource management and empowers teams to act quickly on cost-saving opportunities.
To ensure safe and compliant execution, Octo integrates AWS Change Manager, a tool within AWS Systems Manager. This feature ensures every change is reviewed and approved before implementation, reducing risks and maintaining alignment with company policies. By combining automation with governance, Octo allows organizations to implement cost-saving recommendations efficiently while adhering to approval workflows and industry best practices.
For more details on execute recommendation, check here.
Cost Allocation for AWS Fees
In this latest update, we’ve made significant improvements to simplify how you set up allocators in Octo’s Cost Allocation feature. Previously, configuring an allocator required using a JSON editor, which could be time-consuming and complex. Now, the process is more intuitive and user-friendly, marking the first of three key enhancements in cost allocation.
Here’s how it works: Octo’s cost allocation involves two main steps. First, you set the allocators—these define which fees will be allocated and which accounts they’ll be distributed to. Second, Octo automatically handles the distribution of AWS fees, saving you time and effort.
To make this even easier, we’ve streamlined the location of the allocator settings in the Cost Allocation Fees section, ensuring quicker access and a smoother experience.
For more details on this, check here.
Rightsizing Recommendations
Here are the five newly added supported recommendations for rightsizing:
EC2 Rightsizing: When an EC2 rightsizing recommendation is applied, the instance is resized to a more cost-efficient configuration based on usage patterns. This may involve changing the instance type to a smaller, more optimized option for better performance at a lower cost. The execution process includes stopping the instance, modifying its type, and restarting it to apply the changes.
Lambda Rightsizing: Applying a Lambda rightsizing recommendation adjusts memory allocation and architecture to optimize performance and cost. This involves updating memory settings based on usage and, if applicable, reconfiguring the function to a more efficient architecture like AWS Graviton for better price-performance or x86_64 for compatibility.
Changes are applied with minimal execution disruption. Currently, Octo supports rightsizing for Lambda functions using ZIP packages, with future support for image packages.
ECS Service Rightsizing: Applying an ECS service rightsizing recommendation involves updating the task definition to optimize resource allocation and platform configuration. This includes adjusting CPU and memory settings to match workload needs and, if beneficial, migrating to a different architecture (e.g., x86 to ARM/Graviton) for better cost performance.
If applicable, switching platforms (e.g., Windows to Linux) can reduce licensing costs and improve efficiency. Once updated, the service is redeployed with minimal disruption.
Auto Scaling Group Rightsizing: Applying an Auto Scaling Group (ASG) rightsizing recommendation updates the launch template to optimize instance type for cost and performance.
This applies only to ASGs using launch templates, not launch configurations. The process creates a new launch template version with the recommended instance type and updates the ASG accordingly. Existing instances are then gradually replaced via scaling policies or a manual refresh to minimize disruption.
RDS DB Instance Rightsizing: Applying an RDS rightsizing recommendation modifies the database instance class for cost and performance optimization. The change takes effect immediately, causing brief downtime as the instance restarts. To minimize disruption, users should schedule modifications during maintenance.
Future updates in Octo will allow DB instance class changes during the next maintenance window, enabling more flexible scheduling and reduced downtime.
Integrations with Brevo
Brevo has now been integrated to Octo to help manage and automate email campaigns for improved marketing strategy, with two ways to subscribe to updates related to Octo.
- Subscribe to updates during the onboarding process for new users. If you're new to Octo and still going through the onboarding process, you can subscribe to updates.
- Subscribe through Octo Preferences. If you are yet to decide on whether you want to subscribe during the onboarding process, you can also subscribe directly from the Octo Preferences.
Avatar Customization
While Octo previously allowed users to edit their avatars, the design options were limited to the preset choices. Now, users can upload their own images for both profile and cost group avatars.
Whether you want to introduce yourself or showcase the unique identity of your cost groups, this feature empowers you to express your individuality while making cloud cost management more enjoyable.
Pro Tip: Make sure to review the reminders before uploading your image to ensure a smooth and hassle-free experience.
Bug Fixes and Enhancements
Here are the list of bug fixes and enhancements that our team made for the month.
Logic Builder:
- Fixed the repetitive availability of selected attribute values from selecting again in the builder
- Fixed the layout of logic builder by reordering closing div in AttributeSelection.vue
Fees Allocation:
- Fixed the issue on allocator detail view
- Updated the localization for date fields to reflect ‘Month’
- Added a Japanese translation and removed the unused code
- Added a location percentage tracking in allocation target
- Improved the month selection logic and sorting
- Added a loading overlay to Fees View to fix visual issue
- Improved the editing of allocation target
- Filter the cost groups and accounts based on AWS options and vendor
- Improved the allocation creation and editing logic
Cypress Test:
- Added test cases for sub accounts
- Added test cases for recommendations
Octo-Brevo Integration: Enabled Updates on Preferences
Provider Account: Updated the navigation logic in Stackset component for improved routing
Recommendations: Support execute rightsizing and refactor some codes
Updated payload for allocation fees; removed the prepended string in accID: The allocator ID now uses the ‘target’ property of the account instead of the ‘id’ property.
Simplified data handling by removing regex in values: Data handling in the allocator is now simplified by eliminating regex on values, returning only the true value of the selected items.
Transform Your Cloud Strategy Today—Without the Guesswork
Ready to eliminate waste, boost performance, and slash unnecessary cloud costs? With Octo, you can act instantly on recommendations to rightsize instances, optimize storage, and align services with your demands without performance trade-offs.
Stop paying for what you don’t need. Visit our website: www.alphaus.cloud/en or [Book a Demo] to see how Octo turns cloud complexity into your competitive edge.
Thank you for your continued support! As always, we deeply value your feedback. Stay tuned for more exciting updates coming your way soon—we can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on!
For comments and suggestions, feel free to reach out to us at: support@alphaus.cloud.
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