Explanation
Why the waste happens and who it affects.
These instances offer significant cost advantages over traditional x86-based VMs, with comparable or better performance in many cases. When teams default to legacy instance types, they miss an easy opportunity to reduce compute spend. Unless workloads have known compatibility issues or specialized requirements, Graviton should be the default instance family used in Databricks Clusters.
Billing model
The pricing dimensions that drive this cost.
Databricks compute is billed based on:
- Databricks Units (DBUs): Determined by cluster configuration, including instance type
- AWS Infrastructure Charges: Graviton-based instances (e.g., m6g, r6g, c6g) are generally priced lower than their x86 equivalents, billed per second or minute
Choosing x86-based instances when Graviton would suffice leads to higher infrastructure costs for equivalent performance.
How to detect
4 checks to find it in your estate.
- Query cluster configurations to identify use of non-Graviton (x86-based) instance types
- Check for absence of Graviton enforcement in workspace-level compute policies
- Review workload compatibility for clusters running frequently on x86
- Engage with teams to confirm whether Graviton instances have been tested or benchmarked
How to fix
3 ways to remove the waste.
- Monitor utilized instance types and recommend Graviton-based families
- Reconfigure default cluster templates to use Graviton by default
- Allow exceptions only for workloads with documented compatibility or performance issues
Documentation
Vendor references for pricing and configuration.