Free tier usage monitoring in AWS - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Free tier usage monitoring

📖 Scenario: You have just started using AWS free tier services. To avoid unexpected charges, you want to monitor your usage of key AWS resources like EC2, S3, and Lambda.This project will help you create a simple script to track your free tier usage limits and current usage.

🎯 Goal: Build a script that stores AWS free tier usage limits, current usage data, calculates remaining free tier usage, and prints a summary report.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a dictionary with AWS service names as keys and their free tier limits as values

Create a dictionary with current usage values for the same AWS services

Calculate the remaining free tier usage for each service

Print a clear summary showing service name, usage, limit, and remaining free tier

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Monitoring free tier usage helps new AWS users avoid surprise bills by tracking how much of the free resources they have consumed.

💼 Career

DevOps engineers often build monitoring tools and alerts to manage cloud costs and resource usage efficiently.

1

Set up free tier limits data

Create a dictionary called free_tier_limits with these exact entries: 'EC2': 750, 'S3': 5000, 'Lambda': 1000000. These numbers represent the free tier limits for each service (hours for EC2, GB for S3, requests for Lambda).

AWS

# Create the free_tier_limits dictionary with exact entries
# Your code here

Hint

Use curly braces {} to create a dictionary with keys and values separated by colons.

2

Set up current usage data

Create a dictionary called current_usage with these exact entries: 'EC2': 300, 'S3': 1200, 'Lambda': 250000. These numbers represent your current usage for each service.

AWS

free_tier_limits = {'EC2': 750, 'S3': 5000, 'Lambda': 1000000}
# Create the current_usage dictionary with exact entries
# Your code here

Hint

Use the same dictionary syntax as before but with your current usage numbers.

3

Calculate remaining free tier usage

Create a new dictionary called remaining_usage using a dictionary comprehension. For each service in free_tier_limits, subtract the current_usage value from the free tier limit to get the remaining usage.

AWS

free_tier_limits = {'EC2': 750, 'S3': 5000, 'Lambda': 1000000}
current_usage = {'EC2': 300, 'S3': 1200, 'Lambda': 250000}
# Create remaining_usage dictionary using dictionary comprehension
# Your code here

Hint

Use a dictionary comprehension with {key: value for key in iterable} syntax.

4

Print usage summary report

Use a for loop with variables service to iterate over free_tier_limits. Inside the loop, print a line showing the service name, current usage, free tier limit, and remaining usage in this exact format: Service: EC2, Usage: 300, Limit: 750, Remaining: 450.

AWS

free_tier_limits = {'EC2': 750, 'S3': 5000, 'Lambda': 1000000}
current_usage = {'EC2': 300, 'S3': 1200, 'Lambda': 250000}
remaining_usage = {service: free_tier_limits[service] - current_usage[service] for service in free_tier_limits}
# Print the usage summary report
# Your code here

Hint

Use an f-string inside the print statement to format the output exactly as shown.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of AWS free tier usage monitoring?

easy

A. To avoid unexpected charges by tracking usage

B. To increase the AWS free tier limits automatically

C. To disable all AWS services after free tier expires

D. To get free AWS support for all services

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand free tier usage monitoring

   It is designed to track how much of the free tier you have used to prevent surprise bills.

2. Step 2: Compare options with purpose

   Only To avoid unexpected charges by tracking usage matches the goal of monitoring usage to avoid unexpected charges.

3. Final Answer:

   To avoid unexpected charges by tracking usage -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Free tier monitoring = avoid surprise charges [OK]

Hint: Free tier monitoring means tracking usage to avoid bills [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking free tier monitoring increases limits
• Believing it disables services automatically
• Assuming it provides free support

2. Which AWS CLI command correctly lists your free tier usage costs using Cost Explorer?

easy

A. aws free-tier usage --period 2024-01

B. aws ce list-usage --start 2024-01-01 --end 2024-01-31

C. aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-01-01,End=2024-01-31 --metrics "BlendedCost"

D. aws cost-explorer show-usage --from 2024-01-01 --to 2024-01-31

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct AWS CLI syntax for Cost Explorer

   The correct command uses 'aws ce get-cost-and-usage' with --time-period and --metrics parameters.

2. Step 2: Check options for correct syntax

   Only aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-01-01,End=2024-01-31 --metrics "BlendedCost" matches the official AWS CLI syntax for cost and usage retrieval.

3. Final Answer:

   aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-01-01,End=2024-01-31 --metrics "BlendedCost" -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct AWS CLI syntax = aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-01-01,End=2024-01-31 --metrics "BlendedCost" [OK]

Hint: Use 'aws ce get-cost-and-usage' with time period and metrics [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using non-existent commands like 'list-usage'
• Wrong parameter names like --start or --from
• Mixing service names incorrectly

3. Given this AWS CLI command output snippet for free tier usage:

{
  "ResultsByTime": [
    {"TimePeriod": {"Start": "2024-04-01", "End": "2024-04-30"}, "Total": {"BlendedCost": {"Amount": "0.00", "Unit": "USD"}}}
  ]
}

What does this output indicate about your free tier usage for April 2024?

medium

A. You have used services but incurred no cost within free tier limits

B. You have exceeded free tier limits and were charged

C. No AWS services were used in April 2024

D. The command failed to retrieve usage data

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the 'Amount' field in output

   The 'Amount' is "0.00" USD, meaning no cost was charged.

2. Step 2: Interpret zero cost with usage

   Zero cost with usage means usage stayed within free tier limits, so no charges applied.

3. Final Answer:

   You have used services but incurred no cost within free tier limits -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Zero cost means usage within free tier [OK]

Hint: Zero cost in output means usage stayed free [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming zero cost means no usage
• Thinking zero cost means command error
• Confusing free tier limits with no charges

4. You run this AWS CLI command to check free tier usage but get an error:

aws ce get-cost-and-usage --time-period Start=2024-01-01,End=2024-01-31 --metrics BlendedCost

What is the likely cause of the error?

medium

A. Incorrect date format in --time-period

B. AWS CLI is not installed

C. Using 'ce' instead of 'cost-explorer' in the command

D. Missing quotes around the BlendedCost metric value

Solution

1. Step 1: Check syntax for --metrics parameter

   The metric name must be enclosed in quotes, e.g., "BlendedCost".

2. Step 2: Validate other parts of the command

   Date format and 'ce' alias are correct; AWS CLI installation error would be different.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing quotes around the BlendedCost metric value -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Metric names need quotes in AWS CLI [OK]

Hint: Always quote metric names in AWS CLI commands [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Not quoting metric names
• Changing date format incorrectly
• Confusing service aliases
• Assuming AWS CLI not installed without checking

5. You want to set up an automated alert to notify you when your AWS free tier usage approaches its limit. Which AWS service combination is best suited for this task?

hard

A. AWS CloudTrail with AWS Lambda

B. AWS Budgets with Amazon SNS notifications

C. Amazon CloudWatch Logs with AWS Config

D. AWS IAM with AWS Organizations

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify service for cost and usage alerts

   AWS Budgets allows setting thresholds and alerts for cost and usage.

2. Step 2: Identify notification method

   Amazon SNS can send notifications via email or SMS when budget thresholds are met.

3. Final Answer:

   AWS Budgets with Amazon SNS notifications -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Budgets + SNS = automated cost alerts [OK]

Hint: Use AWS Budgets and SNS for free tier alerts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using CloudTrail which tracks API calls, not costs
• Confusing CloudWatch Logs with cost alerts
• Using IAM or Organizations which manage access, not alerts