DynamoDB Reserved Capacity Optimization

Opportunity Name: DynamoDB Reserved Capacity

AWS Resource Type: Amazon DynamoDB

Opportunity Description:
This Finder identifies DynamoDB usage patterns where customers can significantly reduce costs by purchasing Reserved Capacity (RC) for provisioned throughput. Reserved Capacity enables discounted pricing on Read and Write Capacity Units (RCUs and WCUs) for workloads with consistent traffic profiles.

CloudFix analyzes your historical DynamoDB utilization and highlights tables where Reserved Capacity purchases can lead to long-term cost reductions without disrupting application performance.

Criteria for identifying the opportunity:

• Tables with consistent provisioned capacity over a 30–90 day period.
• Daily usage patterns show stable consumption of RCUs and WCUs.
• The workload is not suited for on-demand capacity mode due to predictable throughput.
• Provisioned capacity is sufficient to justify a one- or three-year Reserved Capacity commitment.

Potential Savings (range in % on annual basis):
DynamoDB Reserved Capacity provides up to 76% discount compared to on-demand provisioned throughput pricing. Savings vary based on:

• Commitment duration (1-year vs 3-year)
• Payment method (All Upfront, Partial Upfront, No Upfront)

Typical customers see 30–60% savings on steady workloads.

What happens when the Fixer is executed?
This Finder does not include an automatic Fixer.
Customers must manually purchase Reserved Capacity via the AWS Console or AWS CLI.

CloudFix provides clear purchase recommendations including:

• Capacity size (RCU/WCU)
• Duration
• Payment option
• Recommended allocation across tables or workloads

Is it possible to rollback once CloudFix implements the fixer?
No. Reserved Capacity purchases are non-cancelable and non-refundable. It's critical to ensure the workload remains consistent before purchasing.

Can CloudFix implement the fix automatically once I accept the recommendation?
No. Reserved Capacity must be purchased manually by the customer. However, CloudFix RightSpend can automate this procurement and management process for even greater savings with dynamic capacity tracking.

Does this fix require downtime?
No. Reserved Capacity only affects billing; no infrastructure or service changes are required.

Additional Resources:

• DynamoDB Reserved Capacity Pricing
• Purchasing DynamoDB Reserved Capacity
• CloudFix RightSpend – Automated Reserved Capacity Optimization