Introduction

Cloud computing has revolutionized the way that organizations think about IT infrastructure. Cloud computing provides businesses with the ability to rapidly scale their resources up or down to meet the demands of their applications or customers. However, this flexibility also comes with a cost. Cloud computing can be expensive, and if not managed properly, costs can spiral out of control. Enter FinOps, the practice of optimizing cloud spend to promote better cloud resource use. In this blog post, we will explore how to implement FinOps in DevOps pipelines to reduce cloud costs, promote collaboration between DevOps and FinOps teams, and choose tools for FinOps and DevOps.

Implementing FinOps in DevOps Pipelines

To implement FinOps in DevOps pipelines, it is important to promote collaboration between the two teams. This collaboration involves sharing FinOps data with DevOps teams and DevOps data with FinOps teams. By sharing this data, both teams can work together to optimize cloud spend and promote better cloud resource use.

DevOps teams are responsible for building and deploying applications. To optimize cloud spend, it is essential to share FinOps data with DevOps teams. This data can help DevOps teams understand how their applications impact cloud costs. With this insight, DevOps teams can take steps to optimize their applications to make them more cost-effective.

Some examples of FinOps data that can be shared with DevOps teams include:

Cost reports for each application or service used by the application
Resource usage and utilization statistics for each application or service used by the application
Recommendations for cost optimization based on resource usage and utilization statistics

By sharing FinOps data with DevOps teams, DevOps teams can gain insight into how their applications impact cloud costs. They can then take steps to optimize their applications by optimizing code, implementing caching, or reducing the number of compute instances.

DevOps teams are responsible for building and maintaining the infrastructure used for applications. By sharing DevOps data with FinOps teams, FinOps teams can gain insight into how infrastructure costs impact cloud costs. For example, if a FinOps team discovers that infrastructure costs are high, they can work with DevOps teams to optimize infrastructure. These optimizations might include rightsizing compute instances or reducing the number of storage resources.

Discussing Costs as a Regular Part of DevOps Sprints

For successful implementation of FinOps in DevOps pipelines, it is essential to include cost discussions as part of DevOps sprints. By discussing costs regularly, DevOps teams can keep cloud costs in mind as they make decisions about infrastructure and application development. These regular discussions also help to ensure that both DevOps and FinOps teams are on the same page.

Challenges to Adopting FinOps Principles and Practices in DevOps

There are several challenges to adopting FinOps principles and practices in DevOps. One of the main challenges is cultural. DevOps teams are often focused on building and deploying applications quickly, while FinOps teams are concerned with managing costs. These competing priorities can make it challenging to integrate FinOps into DevOps. Another challenge is the complexity of cloud pricing models. Cloud providers have different pricing models for different services, and it can be challenging to understand how these pricing models fit into the big picture of cloud costs.

Choosing Tools for FinOps and DevOps

To make the implementation of FinOps in DevOps pipelines easier, there are several tools available. These tools can help teams manage cloud costs, visualize cloud spend, and optimize cloud resources. Some popular tools for FinOps and DevOps include:

Cloudability
CloudCheckr
Apptio
Spot

Monitor and Optimize Spend

Regular monitoring and optimization of cloud spend are essential to achieve optimal cloud cost management. This involves tracking cloud spending trends, assessing cost optimization opportunities, and fine-tuning the cloud infrastructure to ensure the most efficient use of resources. FinOps and DevOps teams should have real-time visibility into cloud costs to identify and address issues quickly.

Conclusion

Adopting FinOps principles and practices in DevOps pipelines can help organizations optimize cloud spend, promote better cloud resource use, and build collaboration between DevOps and FinOps teams. To successfully implement FinOps in DevOps, teams must share data, regularly discuss costs, and choose the right tools. With the right approach, DevOps teams can optimize cloud spend and promote better cloud resource use.

Optimizing Cloud Spend with FinOps in DevOps Pipelines