15 years ago, the world listened with bated breath as futurists, tech industry insiders, and analysts told us about the amazing benefits that cloud computing and cloud infrastructure would bring. Lower costs, faster and smarter scaling, power on demand, and true digital mobility for companies were promised – and delivered – by cloud providers.
Today, cloud costs are on the rise, and while it remains a vital cog in the development cycle of most companies, managing prices and budgets has become a critical concern. Even so, the solution isn’t to move off the cloud but to find ways to optimize development to reap the benefits and mitigate the downsides.
The rising costs of the cloud
Today’s cloud costs have led companies to adopt a tried-and-true set of cost-saving measures to keep their budgets in line:
- Choosing the right cloud instances. Instead of spinning up large, expensive instances, companies will opt for larger numbers of smaller and cheaper machines.
- Constant monitoring. This one can be automated, but it’s a critical operation that’s also time-consuming. One of the largest sources of cloud bill shock is the existence of ghost instances and removing them has a significant impact on costs.
- Shifting to spot instances. Another way to keep costs down is to use spot instances – essentially borrowing unused instances at lower cost, but at the risk of losing them if they’re needed elsewhere. This is a popular method but comes with large downsides.
- Committing to reserved instances. These are generally the most cost-effective models, but they’re also restrictive. Organizations must commit to a provider for a set period, and you lose flexibility if you need to migrate, find better alternatives, or want to stop working on the cloud.
In addition to any and all of these, many organizations prefer to work with Linux instances, since they’re usually cheaper than Windows instances. Some, however, can’t always work on Linux, whether for internal, regulatory, or other limitations. One workaround for this issue is using Linux virtual machines (VMs). This comes with its challenges, though. For one, setting up this virtualization process – to run Windows workloads on Linux VMs, can be incredibly time-consuming and complex. There is no simple way to do this. If workloads aren’t meant to work on Linux (and in many cases, they’re not), you’ll need a conversion layer to handle all the necessary crossovers. Even then, you’ll need to translate your workloads with Linux APIs and do some heavy lifting to get it to work. t),
Meet the Smart Compatibility Layer
Instead of spending hours trying to set up everything juuuust right and struggling with it, you can always just push a button. That’s the idea with Incredibuild’s Smart Compatibility layer. Structuring your Windows workloads to operate on Linux VMs has never been easier, or more straightforward. How does it work?
- It automates the virtualization process. Instead of setting things up manually and making sure everything fits, Incredibuild automatically configures your settings and prepares your Windows workloads to work seamlessly on Linux VMs with our acceleration software.
- It integrates seamlessly into your existing dev environment. No loose cables, complicated setups, or difficult integrations. You simply turn the Smart Compatibility Layer on, and it works – no changes to your code, toolchains, or processes.
- It optimizes your performance. On top of Incredibuild’s acceleration, the Smart Compatibility Layer utilizes your existing resources more efficiently and effectively.
- It gives you a true hands-off experience. No need to constantly monitor, tweak, or fine-tune. Thanks to our automation, you can rest easy knowing you’re getting the best performance.
This is about more than simply shifting some work to a different instance to get a marginal benefit.
Let’s talk numbers
Let’s assume you’re already employing some mechanisms to save costs on your cloud infrastructure. Maybe you’re already using multiple VMs to boost your compute power and cut down build times. If you’re using Incredibuild, you may have already experienced a significant decrease in your cloud costs, but you can push it even further.
Let’s say you’re using 11 Windows VMs with Incredibuild, and your cloud costs are around $1.87 per hour. By adding the compatibility layer (and shifting the bulk of the work onto more cost-effective Linux VMs) you can remain compliant on Windows, but you can get your cloud costs even further to roughly $0.82 — a total savings between 44% and 70% when compared to doing your work solely on Windows instances.
Beyond the numbers – why Incredibuild is a smart play
Improving your builds and build times goes beyond just moving fast. If you’re just making the whole process more expensive, then you’re not seeing a benefit in having more resources. With Incredibuild and our Smart Compatibility layer, you can rest assured knowing that you’re always deploying exactly the resources you need for any task, and they’re being used optimally.
Most importantly, you don’t have to do any heavy lifting – Incredibuild does it automatically. From provisioning the right blend of instances to virtualizing your Windows workloads, our Smart Compatibility Layer makes life easier – it just works.
Learn more about the Smart Compatibility Layer here.
