# Low Reserved Node Coverage for Steady-State Redshift Provisioned Clusters Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/low-reserved-node-coverage-for-steady-state-redshift-provisioned-clusters Production Redshift provisioned clusters usually run continuously with a fixed node type and node count for long periods, which is exactly the usage... By: PointFive Updated: 2026-09-28 [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) The short version Production Redshift provisioned clusters usually run continuously with a fixed node type and node count for long periods, which is exactly the usage pattern reserved nodes are designed for. PointFive Research Cloud cost research at PointFive AWS service [AWS Redshift](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/aws-redshift) Category [Databases](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/databases) Reference CER-0365 Type Suboptimal Pricing Model ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. When those nodes are billed at on-demand rates, the organization pays the most expensive rate for its most predictable data warehouse capacity. The Redshift documentation advises to use on-demand pricing during evaluation and proofs of concept, then reserve nodes once production needs are established. Coverage gaps appear because Redshift commitments are separate from every other AWS commitment product: Compute Savings Plans do not apply to Redshift, and Redshift is not among the services covered by Database Savings Plans. Reservations are also tied to a Region, node type and node count, so teams delay purchases while a resize or node-type migration is being considered, and reservations that retire at the end of their term silently return nodes to on-demand billing. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Provisioned cluster nodes are billed at on-demand rates unless a matching active reservation exists. On-demand node-hours Each compute node is billed hourly at the on-demand rate for its node type and Region, and billing stops only when the cluster is paused or deleted Reserved nodes 1- or 3-year reservations for a specific Region, node type and number of nodes, with No Upfront, Partial Upfront or All Upfront payment Charged regardless of use The reservation's hourly rate applies for every hour of the term whether or not a matching node is running Unmatched nodes Nodes beyond the reserved count, or of a different node type after a resize, are billed at the on-demand rate ## How to detect 5 checks to find it in your estate. - Review the Trusted Advisor check Amazon Redshift reserved node purchase recommendations , sourced from Cost Optimization Hub, and Cost Explorer reservation recommendations for Amazon Redshift with a 30- or 60-day lookback - Compare the node type and node count of each long-running cluster with active reservations in the same Region (describe-reserved-nodes, or the Reserved nodes page in the Redshift console) to find nodes billed on-demand - Group Redshift spend by Purchase Option in Cost Explorer to see how much node usage is on-demand - List reservations with their end dates and flag those retiring soon, since retired reservations stop discounting nodes that keep running - Exclude clusters that are paused on a schedule, are being migrated to Serverless, or are planned for a node-type change from the baseline you intend to reserve ## How to fix 5 ways to remove the waste. - Purchase reserved nodes for the node type, count and Region of clusters that will keep running for the term; AWS documents No Upfront at about a 20 percent discount and Partial or All Upfront at larger discounts depending on duration - Complete planned resizes or node-type migrations before buying, because a resize to a different node type moves the nodes to on-demand rates while the original reservation keeps billing until its term ends - Reserve only the steady node count, leaving temporary resizes and concurrency scaling at on-demand rates - Remember that reserved node benefits are shared across accounts under consolidated billing, and account for linked accounts when deciding how many nodes to reserve - For steady Redshift Serverless usage, consider serverless reservations, which commit to an RPU level billed hourly with usage above it charged at on-demand rates ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [Reserved nodes docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/redshift/latest/mgmt/purchase-reserved-node-instance.html) - [Amazon Redshift Pricing aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/redshift/pricing/) - [Accessing reservation recommendations docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cost-management/latest/userguide/ri-recommendations.html) - [Cost optimization - AWS Support docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/awssupport/latest/user/cost-optimization-checks.html) - [Billing for serverless reservations docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/redshift/latest/mgmt/serverless-billing-reserved.html) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - AWS Redshift CER-0363 ### [Inactive Redshift Provisioned Cluster](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/inactive-redshift-provisioned-cluster) A provisioned Amazon Redshift cluster bills every compute node for every hour it is available, whether or not any query runs. Clusters created for a proof of concept, a migration, a one-off analysis or a reporting workload that has since... Databases - AWS Redshift CER-0364 ### [Missing Pause Schedule for Non-Production Redshift Provisioned Clusters](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/missing-pause-schedule-for-non-production-redshift-provisioned-clusters) Development, test and staging Redshift provisioned clusters are typically used during working hours and by scheduled test runs, but they stay available around the clock because nobody set up a pause and resume schedule. Every night and... Databases - AWS Redshift CER-0366 ### [Overprovisioned Base Capacity in Redshift Serverless Workgroups](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/overprovisioned-base-capacity-in-redshift-serverless-workgroups) Redshift Serverless bills compute in RPU-hours for the capacity in use while queries run, and the base capacity setting of a workgroup determines the capacity Redshift uses to serve queries. The default base capacity is 128 RPUs, and many... Databases --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.