Right-sizing block storage is a good start. Knowing which volumes belong on Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is where the bigger savings are.
| 67% savings on eligible volumes |
56% reduction in total annual storage spend |
$111K saved annually |
Storage decisions can make or break a cloud migration strategy. Over-provisioning leads to spiraling costs, while under-provisioning creates performance bottlenecks that disrupt the business. For a Thailand-based integrated agro-industrial and food company, Cloudamize resolved that tension with a volume-by-volume analysis that pointed 54% of its data volumes to Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP (FSx for ONTAP), and delivered more than $111,000 in annual savings.
Meet our Partner, TradeSquare
TradeSquare Co., Ltd. is an AWS Advanced Tier Partner specializing in cloud transformation, data analytics platforms, and bespoke web and mobile development. Based in Thailand, TradeSquare helps enterprises modernize legacy infrastructure, apply AI and machine learning, and drive operational efficiency.
The Challenge: Storage Assumptions Are Expensive
Historically, mapping legacy storage to modern cloud storage has relied on broad assumptions. Standard block-level right-sizing recommendations, such as those for Amazon EBS, typically deliver 40% to 50% in annual storage savings. That is meaningful, but organizations moving to AWS often underestimate how much more they can save by migrating eligible workloads to FSx for ONTAP.
The catch is that not every volume benefits. The right answer depends on each drive’s performance profile, so the decision has to be made volume by volume.
The Solution: Volume-Level Analysis with Cloudamize
Cloudamize simplifies the cost comparison between standard EBS storage and FSx for ONTAP for non-boot data volumes. Using advanced analytics, the platform evaluates the performance profile, IOPS requirements, and utilization metrics of every individual drive.
With that precision, Cloudamize recommends FSx for ONTAP only for the volumes that gain the most from deduplication, compression, and automated data tiering. Drives that run more efficiently on standard Amazon EBS are routed there, so costs come down without sacrificing performance.
Cloudamize’s FSx for ONTAP estimate assumes 40% deduplication and compression efficiency. Total recommended storage cost accounts for high-performance SSD tiering, capacity pool storage for cold data, and any supplemental IOPS. For the client, 139 of 256 data volumes (54%) proved significantly more cost-effective on FSx for ONTAP than on EBS.
Cloudamize analysis of the client’s eligible data volumes: $55K on FSx for ONTAP versus $165K on equivalent EBS storage.
The Results: $111K in Annual Savings
By pairing Cloudamize’s analytical insights with the storage efficiency of Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP, the client achieved 67% savings on estimated annual cost for eligible volumes, and a 56% overall reduction in total annual storage expenditure. That represents over $111,000 USD in annual cost reductions.
Key Takeaways
- Block-level right-sizing typically saves 40% to 50%, but FSx for ONTAP can unlock substantially more for the right workloads.
- Not every volume belongs on FSx for ONTAP. Per-volume analysis of performance, IOPS, and utilization shows which ones do.
- The client’s 139 eligible volumes cost $55K a year on FSx for ONTAP versus $165K on equivalent EBS storage.
- Deduplication, compression, and automated tiering drive the savings, without giving up performance.
Ready to Find Your Own Storage Savings?
See which of your volumes are candidates for Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP. Contact us to get started.
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