Reconcile AWS Costs within CloudHealth: Total Costs From AWS Are Not Matching with CloudHealth

Products

• CloudHealth

Issue/Introduction

 

Compare Datasets

There are a number of reasons this may be the case but generally it all boils down to inconsistent data comparisons.  Unfortunately, these cost discrepancies can be some of the most time-consuming as they may result in .csv data pulls of the appropriate data.  Here are some steps to follow when comparing AWS and CH: 

 

Confirm that the Comparison is Apples to Apples

Always double-check that the data you are comparing is the same from AWS and CH.

 

Note the Date the Request was Sent

Check the date of the information.  A good example is looking for a discrepancy from AWS to CH in the first week of a new month as AWS may not have finalized the bill which could be the cause.

 

Ensure Account Configuration is Healthy

Take a look at account configuration in the CH platform to ensure that it all looks good.  A consolidated billing account in Critical status could be a quick answer to why data isn't adding up as expected.  The easiest way to check is to navigate to SETUP > ACCOUNTS > AWS and review the status on the right hand side.

Consolidated bill health is the most important priority when working with cost differences so always review any issues associated to them by clicking the associated "Warning" or "Critical" banner and resolving the issues listed (if applicable).  This single step could resolve any cost issues that were being experienced.  

 

NOTE   If overall total costs line up after the above steps are taken, this indicates that CloudHealth is ingesting all of the correct cost and any other differences the customer notes may simply come down to different categorizations.

 

Find the Differences

Pinpoint the what billing/service item(s) are responsible for the discrepancy.  This can potentially be the most time consuming part of the reconciliation process.  It's recommended to spot check data to try and nail down where differences could be between services without the need of digging through spreadsheets.  If it's not quickly identified, downloading .csv file details by service from CloudHealth and retrieving a similar view from Cost Explorer for comparison.  The best way to do this is the following:

• Navigate to the Cost History Report
• Categorize by "Service Items" (this should be default)
• Filter to the specific month in question
• Click the "Actions" dropdown and select "Download as .csv"

 

NOTE If the issue spans all months then it's still recommended to isolate a single month for simplicity's sake.  Be sure that the data received matches up correctly.

 

Once the two sets of data form CloudHealth and AWS Cost Explorer by service are pulled, you can begin to line up the service costs and locate where differences exist.  The easiest way to achieve this is by copy and pasting the data into the same spreadsheet and ensuring like service costs are lined up on the same row.  Then you can create a "DELTA" column where you subtract each cost item from the other to note differences. 

Resolution

Identify Main Cause of the Discrepancy

Once the main item(s) responsible for the discrepancy are identified, try to nail down what could be causing the difference.  The following are items that could be affecting overall total cost.

 

Credits

A good place to start is to check to see how credits are being represented.  You can get a good view of this by filtering by "Detailed Charge Type" and running through the various categories will provide insight into how refunds and credits are being applied.

 

Marketplace Charges

AWS has been known to add Marketplace charges to bills well after the close of a month.  This can result in differences based on the two data points you are comparing and when they were pulled.  The Cost History report by by default will be categorized by "Service Items" so Marketplace charges will be visible but you can also manually filter the report to easily find marketplace cost if they have been accrued.

 

EDP or Billing Rules Differences

If the charge difference appears to be due to EDP, be sure to double-check the Billing Rules configuration to ensure that everything is configured and displaying how it was intended.  You can review billing rules by navigating to SETUP > BILLING RULES.

 

A quick way to check and see if totals line up without billing rules is to update the Y-AXIS field to "Cost Without Billing Rules"