Explanation
OCI Compute instances incur cost based on provisioned CPU and memory, even when the instance is lightly loaded. Instances that show consistently low usage across time, such as those used only for occasional tasks, test environments, or forgotten workloads, may be overprovisioned relative to their actual needs.
Relevant Billing Model
Charged per vCPU and memory provisioned per hour, regardless of utilization.
Detection
- Review instance-level CPU and memory utilization over a representative period
- Identify instances with consistently low activity relative to their allocated resources
- Evaluate whether the instance supports critical workloads or is part of a dev/test environment
- Assess whether rightsizing (smaller shape) or scheduled shutdown is feasible
- Check for seasonal or workload-specific spikes that might justify current size
Remediation
- Rightsize the instance to a smaller shape that matches workload requirements
- Replace with burstable or flexible instance types where applicable
- Implement scheduled start/stop automation for predictable idle periods
- Decommission if no longer in use