Budgets and cost anomaly detection in AWS - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is an AWS Budget?

An AWS Budget is a tool that helps you plan and track your AWS costs and usage. It lets you set a spending limit and alerts you when your costs approach or exceed that limit.

beginner

What does AWS Cost Anomaly Detection do?

AWS Cost Anomaly Detection automatically finds unusual spending patterns in your AWS account and sends alerts so you can investigate and control unexpected costs.

intermediate

How can you receive notifications from AWS Budgets?

You can receive notifications via email or Amazon SNS when your actual or forecasted costs exceed the budget thresholds you set.

intermediate

What is a cost anomaly detection monitor in AWS?

A cost anomaly detection monitor is a resource that tracks your AWS costs and usage to detect anomalies. You can create multiple monitors for different accounts or services.

intermediate

Why is it important to use both AWS Budgets and Cost Anomaly Detection together?

Using both helps you plan your spending with budgets and quickly spot unexpected cost spikes with anomaly detection, giving you better control over your AWS expenses.

What happens when your AWS Budget threshold is exceeded?

A Nothing happens

B You receive an alert notification

C Your account is suspended

D AWS automatically stops your services

AWS Budgets send alert notifications when thresholds are exceeded, but they do not stop services or suspend accounts.

Which AWS service helps detect unusual spending patterns automatically?

A AWS Config

B AWS CloudTrail

C AWS Cost Anomaly Detection

D AWS Trusted Advisor

AWS Cost Anomaly Detection automatically finds unusual spending patterns to alert you.

How can you get notified about budget alerts besides email?

A AWS CloudWatch Logs

B AWS Lambda

C AWS IAM

D Amazon SNS

Amazon SNS can be used to send budget alert notifications to multiple subscribers.

What is a key benefit of setting a forecasted budget in AWS Budgets?

A It predicts future costs to help avoid surprises

B It automatically reduces your AWS usage

C It backs up your data

D It increases your service limits

Forecasted budgets estimate future costs so you can plan and avoid unexpected charges.

Can AWS Cost Anomaly Detection monitor multiple AWS accounts?

A Yes, by creating monitors for each account

B No, it only works for single accounts

C Yes, but only for accounts in different regions

D No, it only works for AWS Organizations

You can create multiple monitors to track costs across different AWS accounts.

Explain how AWS Budgets and Cost Anomaly Detection work together to help manage AWS costs.

Think about planning your spending and spotting surprises.

Describe the steps to set up a budget alert notification in AWS.

Focus on creating the budget and setting alerts.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of AWS Budgets in cloud cost management?

easy

A. To automatically reduce cloud service prices

B. To create backups of billing data

C. To set spending limits and receive alerts when costs approach those limits

D. To monitor network traffic between AWS services

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand AWS Budgets function

   AWS Budgets allow users to set cost or usage limits and get alerts when those limits are near or exceeded.

2. Step 2: Compare options to this function

   Only To set spending limits and receive alerts when costs approach those limits describes setting limits and alerts, which matches AWS Budgets' purpose.

3. Final Answer:

   To set spending limits and receive alerts when costs approach those limits -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   AWS Budgets = Spending limits and alerts [OK]

Hint: Budgets set limits and alert you before overspending [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Budgets automatically reduce costs
• Confusing Budgets with backup or network tools
• Assuming Budgets monitor traffic instead of costs

2. Which of the following is the correct way to create a cost anomaly detection monitor using AWS CLI?

easy

A. aws ec2 create-anomaly-monitor --name MyMonitor

B. aws ce create-budget --name MyMonitor

C. aws ce start-anomaly-monitor --monitor-name MyMonitor

D. aws ce create-anomaly-monitor --monitor-name MyMonitor

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify correct AWS CLI command for anomaly monitor

   The AWS Cost Explorer (ce) service uses 'create-anomaly-monitor' to create anomaly monitors.

2. Step 2: Check options for correct syntax and service

   aws ce create-anomaly-monitor --monitor-name MyMonitor uses 'aws ce create-anomaly-monitor' with correct parameter '--monitor-name'. Others use wrong commands or services.

3. Final Answer:

   aws ce create-anomaly-monitor --monitor-name MyMonitor -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Correct CLI command for anomaly monitor creation = aws ce create-anomaly-monitor --monitor-name MyMonitor [OK]

Hint: Use 'aws ce create-anomaly-monitor' to create monitors [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'create-budget' instead of anomaly monitor command
• Using EC2 service commands for cost anomaly detection
• Incorrect parameter names like '--name' instead of '--monitor-name'

3. Given this AWS CLI command output snippet for a cost anomaly detection alert:

{
  "AnomalyId": "12345",
  "AnomalyScore": 85,
  "Service": "Amazon S3",
  "StartTime": "2024-05-01T00:00:00Z",
  "EndTime": "2024-05-01T23:59:59Z"
}

What does the AnomalyScore of 85 indicate?

medium

A. A high likelihood of cost anomaly

B. A moderate likelihood of cost anomaly

C. A low likelihood of cost anomaly

D. An error in anomaly detection

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand AnomalyScore meaning

   AnomalyScore ranges from 0 to 100; higher scores mean higher likelihood of unusual cost behavior.

2. Step 2: Interpret score 85

   Score 85 is close to 100, indicating a high likelihood of a cost anomaly.

3. Final Answer:

   A high likelihood of cost anomaly -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   High AnomalyScore means high anomaly chance [OK]

Hint: Higher AnomalyScore means stronger anomaly signal [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking 85 is low or moderate score
• Confusing AnomalyScore with error codes
• Ignoring the score scale from 0 to 100

4. You created a budget with this AWS CLI command:

aws budgets create-budget --account-id 123456789012 --budget '{"BudgetName":"MyBudget","BudgetLimit":{"Amount":"100","Unit":"USD"},"TimeUnit":"MONTHLY","BudgetType":"COST"}'

But you receive an error. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Missing required parameter --notifications-with-subscribers

B. Incorrect JSON format for the budget parameter

C. Using --account-id instead of --account-id is invalid

D. BudgetLimit Amount must be an integer, not a string

Solution

1. Step 1: Check JSON format in --budget parameter

   The JSON string uses double quotes inside single quotes but may have formatting issues or missing escapes.

2. Step 2: Identify common CLI JSON errors

   Incorrect JSON formatting or missing escapes cause CLI errors; the command likely fails due to this.

3. Final Answer:

   Incorrect JSON format for the budget parameter -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   JSON format errors cause CLI command failures [OK]

Hint: Validate JSON syntax carefully in CLI commands [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming missing notifications cause errors
• Confusing parameter names like --account-id
• Thinking Amount must be integer, but string is allowed

5. You want to monitor your AWS costs and get notified only when unusual spending spikes happen in specific services tagged with Environment=Production. Which combination of AWS features should you use?

hard

A. Create a cost anomaly detection monitor filtered by tag and set SNS notifications for alerts

B. Create a budget with a fixed limit and enable email alerts for all costs

C. Use AWS CloudTrail to track cost changes and send alerts via Lambda

D. Set up AWS Config rules to monitor cost and trigger alarms

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify feature for unusual spending spikes

   Cost anomaly detection monitors unusual cost spikes, suitable for this use case.

2. Step 2: Use tags to filter specific services and set notifications

   Filtering by tag 'Environment=Production' and using SNS notifications matches the requirement.

3. Final Answer:

   Create a cost anomaly detection monitor filtered by tag and set SNS notifications for alerts -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Cost anomaly + tag filter + SNS alerts = Create a cost anomaly detection monitor filtered by tag and set SNS notifications for alerts [OK]

Hint: Use anomaly detection with tag filters and SNS for targeted alerts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using budgets which alert on fixed limits, not anomalies
• Confusing CloudTrail or Config with cost anomaly detection
• Ignoring tag filtering for specific environment costs