Live Optics | Public Cloud Pricing

Introduction

Running workloads in the “cloud” can mean many things, but this discussion focuses specifically on Public Cloud infrastructure. A common scenario is migrating workloads to the cloud, only to later discover that the monthly cost is higher than expected. In most cases, this happens due to limited upfront planning or incomplete workload data.

Public cloud providers offer robust pricing calculators and APIs, but using them typically requires:

• Accurate VM inventories
• Deep understanding of pricing constructs
• Significant manual or scripting effort

Live Optics was designed to remove these barriers by making cloud pricing automated, fast, and point‑and‑click simple.

How Live Optics Helps

Live Optics solves two core problems in cloud planning:

1. Automated Inventory Collection
   Live Optics automatically inventories guest VMs using Optical Prime, eliminating the need for manual data gathering.
2. Automated Cloud Pricing and Comparison
   For every VM inventoried in a project, Live Optics automatically matches configurations against AWS, Azure, and GCP pricing models and returns comparable pricing results.

This makes it practical to evaluate hundreds or thousands of workloads across multiple cloud providers without manually entering data into individual calculators.

What’s the Goal?

It’s important to understand what this feature is and is not.

What This IS

• Directionally accurate cloud pricing based on commonly accepted inputs
• Consistent, neutral comparison across AWS, Azure, and GCP
• A planning and insight tool, not a billing engine

What This IS NOT

• A precision cloud cost calculator
• A fully customized cost optimization solution

Cloud pricing varies widely based on optional services and discounts. By standardizing assumptions, Live Optics provides a reliable baseline from which deeper insights can be derived.

What Is Being Submitted for Pricing

Live Optics uses VM configuration data captured through Optical Prime. Pricing is generated per Guest VM using the following inputs:

VM Configuration Inputs

• Number of vCPUs
• Memory (RAM)
• Operating System
• Storage capacity

Fixed Assumptions

• VMs run 24/7 for the full month
• Pricing is aggregated monthly
• Shared tenancy is assumed
• SSD storage is used
• Base OS licensing is included (no BYOL)
• Burstable instances are excluded
• Pricing applies only to Guest VMs
• Pricing is retrieved in USD

Starting April 2024, pricing retrieved in USD is converted daily into the selected currency for:

• On‑screen display
• Excel project exports
• Public APIs (PAPI)

Smart Approximation Logic

Because public cloud providers support a finite set of VM sizes, not every on‑premises configuration has an exact match. When no direct match exists, Live Optics uses Smart Approximation Logic.

Approximation Rules

• vCPU: Rounded up
• Memory:
• Rounded down if within ±10% (maximum 6 GB)
• Otherwise rounded up

Result Indicators

• Exact match: Instance configuration matched directly
• Nearest match: Closest larger configuration used
• Not available: Configuration unsupported by the provider

This ensures pricing remains realistic while avoiding under‑sizing risk.

Provider‑Specific Pricing Notes

AWS

• 1‑Year and 3‑Year pricing uses Convertible Reserved Instances
• Storage uses General Purpose SSD (GP2)

Azure

• Pricing excluded for:
• Low‑power SKUs (A0–A7)
• Promotional SKUs
• Storage uses SSD

Google Cloud Platform

• Storage uses Zonal SSD Persistent Disks

Commitment‑Based Pricing Models

Live Optics returns pricing for:

• On‑Demand
• 1‑Year Commitment
• 3‑Year Commitment

This reflects common migration behavior, where most organizations initially consume cloud services using On‑Demand pricing before committing long‑term. Including all three pricing models enables realistic planning at each stage of adoption.

Locating Cloud Pricing Results

Cloud Pricing data is available only within an Optical Prime project.

Results can be accessed by:

• Viewing the Cloud Pricing tab in the Live Optics Portal
• Exporting the Excel Project Report, where pricing is included in the same Optical Prime workbook

Working Across Clouds (and Back Again)

Live Optics collections are vendor‑ and platform‑agnostic. This allows customers to:

• Compare workloads across multiple Public Cloud providers
• Analyze workloads already running in the cloud
• Plan cross‑cloud migrations
• Evaluate cloud repatriation back on‑premises

What You Get Back

Live Optics returns:

• Aggregated monthly cost totals per provider
• Side‑by‑side pricing comparison across AWS, Azure, and GCP
• Average VM specifications and monthly cost insights
• Immediate visibility into:
• High‑cost VMs
• Cost outliers
• Unsupported configurations

Pricing becomes not just a cost metric, but a foundation for deeper infrastructure and modernization insights.