# Suboptimal Use of Intel-Based Instances in OpenSearch

Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-use-of-intel-based-instances-in-opensearch

[Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) 

# Suboptimal Use of Intel-Based Instances in OpenSearch

## Explanation

AWS Graviton processors are designed to deliver better price-performance than comparable Intel-based instances, often reducing cost by 20-30% at equivalent workload performance. OpenSearch domains running on older Intel-based families consume more spend without providing additional capability. Since Graviton-powered instance types are functionally identical in features and performance for OpenSearch, continuing to run on Intel-based clusters represents unnecessary inefficiency.

## Relevant Billing Model

OpenSearch is billed based on the underlying EC2 instance hours consumed by the cluster, plus storage and data transfer. Choosing less efficient Intel-based instance types (e.g., \`m5\`, \`r5\`, \`i3\`, \`i4i\`) results in higher cost per unit of performance compared to Graviton-based instances (\`m6g\`, \`c6g\`, \`r6g\`, \`i4g\`).

## Detection

- Review all active OpenSearch domains and identify clusters running on Intel-based instance types that have equivalent Graviton alternatives

- Assess whether workload performance requirements (CPU, memory, IOPS) could be met by moving to Graviton families

- Confirm OpenSearch version compatibility to ensure upgrade paths to supported Graviton instance types

- Evaluate whether production and non-production domains are consistently aligned with optimal instance families

## Remediation

- Migrate OpenSearch domains from Intel-based instances (e.g., \`m5\`, \`r5\`, \`i4i\`) to equivalent Graviton families (\`m6g\`, \`c6g\`, \`r6g\`, \`i4g\`)

- Leverage in-place instance type updates for clusters where supported to minimize downtime

- Benchmark performance after migration to validate expected cost-performance improvements

## Relevant Documentation

- Amazon OpenSearch Service Instance Types

[Submit Feedback](https://hub.pointfive.co/inefficiencies/suboptimal-use-of-intel-based-instances-in-opensearch)

## At a glance

Reference

CER-0130

Cloud provider

AWS

Service

AWS OpenSearch

Category

[Other](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/other)

Inefficiency type

Suboptimal Instance Selection

## Contributed by

- ### Jérémy Nancel

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