Technical Foundations of FinOps on Google Cloud

(2 days)

 

Dive deep into the technical underpinnings of FinOps and gain the expertise to optimize your cloud spending and drive business value. This comprehensive course is designed for cloud architects, engineers, and technical professionals seeking to master the tools, technologies, and strategies that empower effective cloud financial management.

Course Objectives

  • Understand the core principles of FinOps and how it bridges the gap between technology and finance in the cloud.
  • Explore proven techniques to identify cost inefficiencies, optimize resource utilization, and achieve significant savings.
  • Utilize advanced monitoring tools and data-driven insights to track spending patterns, forecast costs, and make informed decisions.
  • Implement effective cost allocation models to accurately attribute cloud expenses to specific teams or projects.
  • Leverage IaC to automate cost management processes, enforce spending policies, and ensure consistent financial governance.
  • Use industry-leading FinOps platforms and tools to gain comprehensive visibility into your cloud spending and optimize resource usage.
  • Apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios through hands-on exercises and case studies.
  • Learn how to foster a culture of cost awareness and accountability within your organization.

Audience

  • Technical and Technical Management-related roles responsible for optimizing an organization’s cloud cost who wish to understand practical FinOps concepts and tasks.

Prerequisites

  • Knowledge of Google Cloud Infrastructure as discussed in Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure

Course Outline

 

Module 1: Foundations of FinOps on Google Cloud

  • Financial Governance Challenges
  • Google Cloud FinOps Framework
  • Cloud FinOps Operating Model
  • Google FinOps Journey

Module 2: Exploring and Understanding Billing Data

  • Google Cloud Billing Accounts
  • Cloud Billing Dashboard
  • Billing Account Access
  • Billing Export to BigQuery
  • Connecting Looker Studio to Billing Data
  • Exercise: Exploring Billing Data and Account
  • Exercise: Examining Billing Data in BigQuery
  • Exercise: Visualizing Billing Data with Looker Studio

Module 3: Resource Labeling and Tagging

  • Utilizing Labels on Resources
  • Define and bind Tag Keys and Values to Projects and Resources
  • Access Label and Tag information in billing data
  • Exercise: Using Labels with Resources
  • Exercise: Using Tags with Resources

Module 4: Budgets and Alerting

  • Creating Budgets and Alerts
  • Budget Roles and Permissions
  • Automating Budget Creation
  • Exercise: Budgets and Alerts

Module 5: BigQuery Cost Management and Optimization

  • Understand BigQuery Compute and Storage Costs
  • Use queries and tools to understand BigQuery costs
  • Recognize best practices for BigQuery cost management
  • Exercise: Examining BigQuery costs across the project, folder and organization

Module 6: Compute and GKE Cost Management and Optimization

  • Using Compute Resources efficiently and avoiding waste
  • Decipher computing and network charges
  • Google Kubernetes Engine cost management
  • Exercise: Working with Cloud Storage Cost Management
  • Exercise: Reviewing and Understanding Kubernetes Costs

Module 7: Cloud Storage and Database Costs

  • Optimize Cloud Storage costs based on location, access patterns, and lifecycle
  • Understand SQL database costs, including Cloud SQL, AlloyDB, and Spanner
  • Evaluate Database Committed Use Discounts (CUD)
  • Understand NoSQL database costs, including Memorystore, Firestore, and Bigtable
  • Exercise: Working with Cloud Storage Cost Management
  • Exercise: Reviewing and Understanding Database Billing

Module 8: Machine Learning and Vertex AI Cost Management

  • Decipher charges associated with machine learning model preparation, training, and hosting
  • Understand costs associated with generative AI usage, including subscriptions and API usage
  • Exercise: Reviewing Vertex AI costs in billing data

Module 9: Automated Billing Activities

  • Techniques for Automating Resource Management
  • Respond programmatically to budget alerts
  • Understand the Google FinOps Hub
  • Utilize the Cloud Asset AI for inventory and feeds
  • Exercise: Programming Budget Alert Actions using Pub/Sub and Cloud Run Functions
  • Exercise: Explore the FinOps Hub and Tools
  • Optional Exercise: Google Cloud Asset API Export and Feeds

Module 10: Building a FinOps Practice

  • Establishing a FinOps team
  • Goals, Milestones, and Metrics
  • Processes and Workflows
  • Measuring Success
  • Continuous Improvement
  • Exercise: FinOps challenge