Activity - Optimize Utilization

Activity overview
In this activity, you will optimize the AWS resources that are used to run the Café
web application. Specifically, you will:

Uninstall the decommissioned local database from the Café instance to decrease the
instance’s storage requirements.

Change the instance type to T3 micro to reduce costs.

This diagram illustrates the topology of the Café web application runtime
environment before and after the optimization.

Before and after resource optimization topology diagrams:

before and after optimization topology graphic

Activity objectives
After completing this activity, you will be able to:

Optimize an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) instance to reduce costs.
Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate AWS service costs.

Business case relevance

A new business requirement for Café—Optimize resources to reduce AWS service costs

cafe scene

After the migration to Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) was
completed (an action taken in a prior activity), Sofîa identified a number of
optimization opportunities that she could implement to reduce AWS service costs.
First, she realized that the decommissioned local database could be uninstalled to
reduce the storage requirements of the Café instance. She also realized that the
Café instance could be downsized to a smaller instance type because the database
process was no longer running on it.

In this activity, you will take on the role of Sofîa, and work on optimizing the
Café instance to save costs.

Activity steps
Duration: This activity requires approximately 50 minutes to complete.

Accessing the AWS Management Console

At the top of these instructions, click Start Lab to launch your lab.

A Start Lab panel opens displaying the lab status.

Wait until you see the message "Lab status: ready", then click the X to close the
Start Lab panel.

At the top of these instructions, click AWS

This will open the AWS Management Console in a new browser tab. The system will
automatically log you in.

Tip: If a new browser tab does not open, there will typically be a banner or icon
at the top of your browser indicating that your browser is preventing the site from
opening pop-up windows. Click on the banner or icon and choose "Allow pop ups."

Arrange the AWS Management Console tab so that it displays along side these
instructions. Ideally, you will be able to see both browser tabs at the same time,
to make it easier to follow the lab steps.

Task 1: Optimize the website to reduce costs

Because the local database was migrated to Amazon RDS, you can reduce AWS service
costs by performing the following actions on the Café EC2 instance:

Remove the local database from the instance. This action will reduce costs in both
CPU and storage utilization.
Change the instance type from t3.small to t3.micro. Because the database process no
longer runs on the instance, the smaller instance type will be both effective and
also cheaper to run.
In this task, you use the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) to perform these
actions. You begin by opening a Secure Shell (SSH) session to the Café instance and
the CLI Host.

Task 1.1: Connect to the Café instance by using SSH

If you are a Windows user, follow the steps described in Task 1.1.1. Otherwise, if
you are a macOS or Linux user, follow the steps in Task 1.1.2.

macOS/Linux users—Click here for login instructions

Task 1.1.1: Windows SSH

These instructions are for Windows users only.

If you are using macOS or Linux, skip to the next section.

Read through the three bullet points in this step before you start to complete the
actions, because you will not be able see these instructions when the Details panel
is open.

Click on the Details drop down menu above these instructions you are currently
reading, and then click Show. A Credentials window will open.
Click on the Download PPK button and save the labsuser.ppk file. Typically your
browser will save it to the Downloads directory.
Then exit the Details panel by clicking on the X.
Download needed software.

You will use PuTTY to SSH to Amazon EC2 instances. If you do not have PuTTY
installed on your computer, download it here.
Open putty.exe

Configure PuTTY to not timeout:

Click Connection
Set Seconds between keepalives to 30
This allows you to keep the PuTTY session open for a longer period of time.

Configure your PuTTY session:

Click Session

Host Name (or IP address): Copy and paste the public IP address for the Instance
instance. To find it, return to the AWS Management Console, go to the EC2 service
page and click on Instances. Check the box next to the CafeInstance and in the
Details tab copy the IPv4 Public IP value.

NOTE: The setup for this lab takes a few minutes, because an RDS database instance
must first be created before the CafeInstance EC2 instance is created, and RDS
instances take a few minutes to create. If you do not yet set the CafeInstance EC2
instance, you will need to wait until the lab setup completes before you can
complete this step.
Back in PuTTy, in the Connection list, expand SSH

Click Auth (don't expand it)

Click Browse

Browse to and select the lab#.ppk file that you downloaded

Click Open to select it

Click Open

Click Yes, to trust the host and connect to it.

When prompted login as, enter: ec2-user

This will connect you to the EC2 instance.

Windows Users: Click here to skip ahead to the next task.

Task 1.1.2: macOS/Linux SSH

These instructions are for Mac/Linux users only. If you are a Windows user, skip
ahead to the next task.

Read through the three bullet points in this step before you start to complete the
actions, because you will not be able see these instructions when the Details panel
is open.

Click on the Details drop down menu above these instructions you are currently
reading, and then click Show. A Credentials window will open.
Click on the Download PEM button and save the labsuser.pem file.
Then exit the Details panel by clicking on the X.
Open a terminal window, and change directory cd to the directory where the
labsuser.pem file was downloaded.

For example, run this command, if it was saved to your Downloads directory:

cd ~/Downloads
Change the permissions on the key to be read only, by running this command:

chmod 400 labsuser.pem

Return to the AWS Management Console, and in the EC2 service, click on Instances.
Check the box next to the CafeInstance and click on the Details tab.

NOTE: The setup for this lab takes a few minutes, because an RDS database instance
must first be created before the CafeInstance EC2 instance is created, and RDS
instances take a few minutes to create. If you do not yet set the CafeInstance EC2
instance, you will need to wait until the lab setup completes before you can
complete this step.
Copy the IPv4 Public IP value.

Return to the terminal window and run this command (replace <public-ip> with the
actual public IP address you copied):

ssh -i labsuser.pem ec2-user@<public-ip>

Type yes when prompted to allow a first connection to this remote SSH server.

Because you are using a key pair for authentication, you will not be prompted for a
password.

Task 1.1.3: Configure the AWS CLI

Before you can run AWS CLI commands on the instance, you must first configure the
AWS CLI environment to define the AWS account credentials, Region name, and output
format to use.

Discover the region in which the CLI Host instance is running:

curl http://169.254.169.254/latest/dynamic/instance-identity/document | grep region

You will use this region information in a moment.

Update the AWS CLI software with the credentials.

aws configure
At the prompts, enter the following information:

AWS Access Key ID: Click on the Details drop down menu above these instructions,
and then click Show. Copy the AccessKey value and paste it into the terminal
window.
AWS Access and Secret Keys

AWS Secret Access Key: Copy and paste the SecretKey value from the same Credentials
screen.
Default region name: Type in the name of the region where your EC2 instances are
running, which you just discovered a moment ago. For example, us-east-1 or eu-west-
2.
Default output format: json
Leave this terminal window SSH session open. You will return to use it later in the
activity.

Task 1.2: Connect to the CLI Host instance by using SSH

Follow the same instructions that you used in Task 1.1 to open an SSH session to a
different EC2 instance—the CLI Host instance.
Do not close the connection to the CafeInstance, instead, create a connection to
the CLI Host in a new window (using putty on Windows or using an additional
terminal window on macOS/Linux).

You can find the CLI Host public IP address in the EC2 console, or by clicking on
the Details drop down menu above these instructions, and then click Show.

After connecting, be sure to also configure the AWS CLI client software on the CLI
Host EC2 instance, by running the aws configure command.

Task 1.3: Uninstall MariaDB and resize the instance

Stop the local database and uninstall it from the Café instance. In the SSH window
for the CafeInstance, enter:

sudo systemctl stop mariadb

sudo yum -y remove mariadb-server
If the last command runs successfully, you will see a Complete! message in the
output.

Close the SSH window for the CafeInstance because you no longer need it.

Determine the Instance ID of the CafeInstance. Switch to the SSH window for the CLI
Host instance and enter:

aws ec2 describe-instances \

--filters "Name=tag:Name,Values= CafeInstance" \
--query "Reservations[*].Instances[*].InstanceId"
Record the value returned as:

CafeInstance Instance ID: i-nnnnnnnnnn

Stop the Café instance and change its instance type to t3.micro. In the SSH window
for the CLI Host instance, enter:

aws ec2 stop-instances --instance-ids <CafeInstance Instance ID>

In the command, substitute <CafeInstance Instance ID> with the value that you
recorder earlier.

Change the instance type to t3.micro. In the SSH window for the CLI Host instance,
enter:

aws ec2 modify-instance-attribute \

--instance-id <CafeInstance Instance ID> \
--instance-type "{\"Value\": \"t3.micro\"}"
In the command, substitute <CafeInstance Instance ID> with the value that you
recorder earlier.

If the command completes successfully, no output is returned.

Start the Café instance. In the SSH window for the CLI Host instance, enter:

aws ec2 start-instances --instance-ids <CafeInstance Instance ID>

In the command, substitute <CafeInstance Instance ID> with the value that you
recorder earlier.

Check the current state of the instance, and wait until the status shows running.
In the SSH window for the CLI Host instance, enter:
aws ec2 describe-instances \
--instance-ids <CafeInstance Instance ID> \
--query "Reservations[*].Instances[*].
[InstanceType,PublicDnsName,PublicIpAddress,State.Name]"
In the command, substitute <CafeInstance Instance ID> with the value that you
recorder earlier.

The instance might take a few moments to reach the running state. Periodically
repeat the command until you can confirm that it is running. Also, record the
PublicDnsName and PublicIPAddress values that are returned by the command by using
the following format:

Downsized CafeInstance Public DNS Name: ec2-zzz-zzz-zzz-zzz.eu-west-

2.compute.amazonaws.com
Downsized CafeInstance Public IP Address: nnn.nnn.nnn.nnn
Information: Because you restarted the instance, Amazon EC2 will assign a different
Public DNS name and Public IP address to the instance than what it had before.

Test the Café website to make sure that it is functional. In a browser window,
enter the following URL:

http://<Downsized CafeInstance Public DNS Name>/cafe

Substitute <Downsized CafeInstance Public DNS Name> with the value that you
recorded.

Exercise the website's functions to verify that it works properly.

Great job! You have successfully uninstalled the decommissioned local database and
downsized the Café instance.

Task 2: Use the AWS Pricing Calculator to estimate AWS service costs
AWS provides a tool that allows you to estimate the monthly costs of the AWS
services that you use or are planning to use. In this task, you will use the AWS
Pricing Calculator to estimate the cost of running the Café website on AWS before
and after EC2 instance optimization. You will then calculate the projected cost
savings.

NOTE: The values that you will enter into the AWS Pricing Calculator have been
simplified to serve the purposes of this exercise. The intent is to show you the
basic use of the calculator and highlight the functions that it provides.

The pricing examples shown in this activity were current as of time of publishing,
April 2020, and is for informational purposes. Refer to the AWS website for current
pricing by service.

Task 2.1: Calculate the costs before optimization

First, calculate the costs of running the website in its before optimization
topology, that is, on a T3 small instance with a decommissioned local database
still occupying storage space.

Specifically, you will use the following service list and configuration to describe
the topology components:

Region: (the region where the CafeInstance EC2 instance is running)

Amazon EC2 instance:

Instance type: t3.small

Instance class: On-Demand
Utilization: 100% per month
Operating system: Linux
Amazon EBS volume: General Purpose SSD (gp2), 40 GB (including 20 GB occupied by
the local database)
Amazon RDS instance:

Instance class: db.t3.micro

Engine: MariaDB
Allocated storage: 20 GB

Open the AWS Pricing Calculator. In a web browser, go to:

https://calculator.aws
Click on Create estimate.

Browse down and choose Configure in the Amazon EC2 service box.

In the Region menu at the top of the page, select the region where the CafeInstance
EC2 instance is running.

For example, choose US East (N. Virginia) if your instances is running in us-east-
1.

If you are prompted to confirm the region change, choose Change Region.

Choose the Advanced estimate option.

In the EC2 instance specifications area, for the Operating system, choose Linux

In the Workload area:

Choose Constant usage.

For Number of instances choose 1.
In the EC2 instances area, in the search box, search for and then select the
t3.small instance type.

In the Pricing strategy area, set the pricing model to On-Demand

In the Amazon Elastic Block Storage (EBS) area:

Storage for each EC2 instance: General Purpose SSD (gp2)

Storage amount: 40 GB
Snapshot Frequency: No snapshot storage
Scroll to the bottom and select Add to my estimate.

Congratulations, you have now estimated the cost of the EC2 instance.

Next, you will add the RDS instance to your price estimate.

In the My Estimate page, click Add service.

In the Select service page, locate and click Configure in the Amazon RDS for
MariaDB service panel.
Configure as follows:

Region: (choose the same Region you chose for the EC2 instance)
MariaDB instance specifications: Standard (single-AZ)
Instance type: search for and select db.t3.micro
Quantity: 1
Pricing model: On-Demand Instances
Storage volume: General Purpose SSD (gp2)
Storage amount: 20 GB per month
Choose Add to my estimate.

The My Estimate page shows a breakdown of the estimated monthly cost of the AWS
services that you configured, and it provides a monthly total.

Choose Save and share.

If prompted, choose Agree and continue.

Choose Copy the public link and paste the link into another browser tab.

This is the estimated cost of your before optimization topology.

calculator services before optimization image

Export the estimate to a comma-separated values (CSV) file by choosing Action >
Export estimate.

In the export dialog window, click OK and save the file to your local computer. You
can optionally open it to see its contents.

Record the total estimated monthly cost (for example, $35.50) as:

AWS Services Before Optimization Estimated Monthly Cost: $35.50

Task 2.2: Calculate the costs after optimization

Next, you will calculate the costs of running the website after the Café instance
was optimized. Specifically, you will modify the following entries in the
calculator to reflect the effects of the optimization:

Amazon EC2 instance:

Instance type: t3.micro (Reduced size)

Amazon Elastic Block Store (Amazon EBS) General Purpose SSD (gp2), 20 GB (Reduced
from 40 GB because the local database was removed)
In the https://calculator.aws/#/estimate browser tab, click Edit next to the Amazon
EC2 entry.

In the EC2 Instances area, search for and select t3.micro as the instance type.

In the Amazon Elastic Block Storage (EBS) area, change the Storage amount to 20
GB.

Scroll down and click Save to see the monthly cost estimate.

The My Estimate page should show the estimate of

your monthly costs for the after optimization topology.
calculator estimate after optimization image

Export the estimate to a comma-separated values (CSV) file by choosing Action >
Export estimate.

In the export dialog window, click OK and save the file to your local computer. You
can optionally open it to see its contents.

Record the total estimated monthly cost (for example, $25.18) as:

AWS Services After Optimization Estimated Monthly Cost: $25.18

Task 2.3: Estimate the projected cost savings for Café

Because you calculated the costs of the AWS services that are needed to run the
Café website both before and after you optimize the instance, you can estimate the
overall projected cost savings as follows:

Before optimization monthly costs:

- Amazon RDS service $14.71
- Amazon EC2 service $20.89
--------
Total $35.60

After optimization monthly costs:

- Amazon EC2 service $10.47
- Amazon RDS service $14.71
--------
Total $25.18

Overall monthly cost savings $10.42

Pricing is current as of time of publishing, April, 2020, and is for demonstration
purposes only. Refer to the AWS website for current pricing by service.
Congratulations! By removing the decommissioned local database and downsizing the
Café instance type, you will save more than $10 per month in AWS service costs.

Update from Café

Cafe Logo

Martha and Frank are very happy that Sofîa's initiative resulted in cost savings
for the business. The amount of savings might be small, but it still helps the
business!

Activity Complete
Congratulations! You have completed the activity.

Click End Lab at the top of this page and then click Yes to confirm that you want
to end the lab.

A panel will appear, indicating that "DELETE has been initiated... You may close
this message box now."

Click the X in the top right corner to close the panel.