In this article, we will explore different use cases of the “aws pricing” command, which allows us to query services, products, and pricing information from Amazon Web Services (AWS). We will cover eight different use cases, each demonstrating a different functionality of the command. Through these examples, you will learn how to list service codes, retrieve attributes, print pricing information, list attribute values, and apply filters for specific instances.

List Service Codes of a Specific Region

The first use case involves listing the service codes of a specific AWS region. This can be done using the following command:

aws pricing describe-services --region us-east-1

Motivation: By listing the service codes of a specific region, we can gain insights into the available services offered by AWS in that region. This information can be helpful for making decisions regarding service selection and pricing.

Arguments:

• describe-services is the API operation to describe AWS services.
• --region specifies the AWS region for which we want to list the service codes. In this example, we are using the us-east-1 region.

Example Output: The output will include a list of service codes available in the specified region, along with their respective service names, categories, and product families. This information can be useful for understanding the services available in the region.

List Attributes for a Given Service Code in a Specific Region

The second use case involves listing the attributes for a given service code in a specific region. This can be done using the following command:

aws pricing describe-services --service-code AmazonEC2 --region us-east-1

Motivation: By listing the attributes for a specific service code, we can understand the various configuration options and features available for that service. This information is crucial when making decisions about service utilization and cost optimization.

Arguments:

• --service-code specifies the service code for which we want to retrieve the attributes. In this example, we are using AmazonEC2 as the service code.
• --region specifies the AWS region for which we want to list the attributes. In this example, we are using the us-east-1 region.

Example Output: The output will include a list of attributes available for the specified service code in the specified region. Each attribute will have a unique name and description, providing insight into the available options and configurations.

Print Pricing Information for a Service Code in a Specific Region

The third use case involves printing pricing information for a service code in a specific region. This can be done using the following command:

aws pricing get-products --service-code AmazonEC2 --region us-east-1

Motivation: By printing pricing information for a specific service code, we can obtain detailed pricing information for different instance types, locations, and other relevant parameters. This allows us to understand the cost implications of using AWS services and make informed decisions regarding budgeting and cost optimization strategies.

Arguments:

• get-products is the API operation to retrieve detailed product information.
• --service-code specifies the service code for which we want to retrieve the pricing information. In this example, we are using AmazonEC2 as the service code.
• --region specifies the AWS region for which we want to retrieve the pricing information. In this example, we are using the us-east-1 region.

Example Output: The output will include detailed pricing information for the specified service code in the specified region. It will provide a comprehensive breakdown of the costs associated with different instance types and configurations, allowing us to understand the pricing structure and make cost-effective choices.

List Values for a Specific Attribute for a Service Code in a Specific Region

The fourth use case involves listing values for a specific attribute for a service code in a specific region. This can be done using the following command:

aws pricing get-attribute-values --service-code AmazonEC2 --attribute-name instanceType --region us-east-1

Motivation: By listing values for a specific attribute, we can explore the available options and variations for that attribute. This is helpful when making decisions about instance types, configurations, and resource allocation.

Arguments:

• --service-code specifies the service code for which we want to retrieve attribute values. In this example, we are using AmazonEC2 as the service code.
• --attribute-name specifies the name of the attribute for which we want to list values. In this example, we are using instanceType.
• --region specifies the AWS region for which we want to retrieve attribute values. In this example, we are using the us-east-1 region.

Example Output: The output will include a list of values for the specified attribute, such as different available instance types. This information is valuable for understanding the options available when choosing the appropriate resources for our applications.

Print Pricing Information for a Service Code with Filters

The fifth use case involves printing pricing information for a service code using filters for instance type and location. This can be done using the following command:

aws pricing get-products --service-code AmazonEC2 --filters "Type=TERM_MATCH,Field=instanceType,Value=m5.xlarge" "Type=TERM_MATCH,Field=location,Value=US East (N. Virginia)" --region us-east-1

Motivation: By applying filters for specific instance types and locations, we can narrow down the pricing information to the desired subset. This helps in comparing costs for specific resources and making targeted decisions for cost optimization.

Arguments:

• --service-code specifies the service code for which we want to retrieve the pricing information. In this example, we are using AmazonEC2 as the service code.
• --filters specifies the filters to be applied. In this example, we are using filters for instanceType and location.
  • Type=TERM_MATCH specifies the filter type as a term match.
  • Field specifies the attribute on which the filter is applied.
  • Value specifies the value to match for the attribute.
• --region specifies the AWS region for which we want to retrieve the pricing information. In this example, we are using the us-east-1 region.

Example Output: The output will include detailed pricing information for the specified service code, filtered for the specified instance type (m5.xlarge) and location (US East (N. Virginia)). This allows us to focus on specific options and compare costs for a targeted subset of resources.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored eight different use cases of the “aws pricing” command. Each use case demonstrates a different functionality of the command, such as listing service codes, retrieving attributes, printing pricing information, listing attribute values, and applying filters for specific instances. By understanding these use cases, you can effectively query services, products, and pricing information from AWS, enabling you to make informed decisions regarding service selection, configuration, and cost optimization.

Remember to refer to the AWS CLI documentation for more details and options related to the “aws pricing” command. Happy querying!