Virtual Tags

Overview

Managing and allocating native tagging systems from various cloud technologies can be complex and frustrating. Inconsistent tags across platforms, like an AWS resource labeled "Team A" corresponding to "Team Alpha" in Snowflake, lead to confusion and inefficiency. Additionally, native tagging lacks retroactive application, leaving historical data fragmented and obscured.

Finout's Virtual Tag feature addresses these challenges with a dynamic, real-time cost allocation solution. Virtual Tags offer a coherent and unified view, enabling the consolidation and analysis of costs across all cloud providers and services. Leveraging advanced filters allows you to segment your cost data into specific segments, creating a structured and comprehensive financial overview without modifying original resource labels. Tailored rules within each Virtual Tag refine cost visualization and management, streamlining how you manage your cloud spending.

A Virtual Tag acts like a funnel from the top down, and each rule further filters the data received after the preceding rule is run.

For example, with Virtual Tags, you can view the costs associated with logical categories:

• AWS and Kubernetes are used for different environments, such as development versus production.

• Snowflake queries for Data Team 1 versus Data Team 2.

• Snowflake, Kubernetes, and the cloud providers (such as AWS and GCP) for the Application, Backend, Data, and Analytics groups.

• You can even use Virtual Tags based on other Virtual Tags. So you can aggregate all Data Team's different Virtual Tags together to allocate the entire Data group cost.

Note: Finout also supports Relational Virtual Tags that enable the breakdown of shared infrastructure costs across multiple dimensions from a single telemetry while preserving the relationships between them. See Relational Virtual Tags for more details.

What is the structure of a virtual tag ?

• A virtual tag is made up of rules.

• A rule defines a condition based on the values (#2) of a specific key (#1).

• This rule is then allocated to a Custom value or a MegaBill key(#3) .

Create a Virtual Tag

1. In Finout, navigate to Virtual Tags.

   
2. Click Create New and Virtual Tag. ​The Create virtual tag page appears.

   
3. Name the Virtual tag. ​

   
4. You can optionally choose an endpoint to be notified about changes made to this virtual tag.

   

   
5. Create the rules for the Virtual Tags by setting Where conditions and corresponding Then actions.

   Important: The order of rules is crucial as it determines their priority. Rule 1 has the highest priority and is assessed first, with its tagging action overriding subsequent rules. Only if a resource does not meet Rule 1's conditions will it be evaluated against Rule 2, and so on.

   

   • WHERE:

     1. Select any cost center from the MegaBill.
     2. Select a filter key.

     3. Select an operator (One Of, Not one of, Is, Is not, Contains, Not Contains, Exists, or Not exists).

     4. Depending on the operation, select or enter one or more Filter values.

     5. To add a further criterion to the rule, click +.

     6. Select AND or OR.

     7. Complete the rule row as described above.

   • THEN: There are two options:

     1. Choose a static value for this portion of your infrastructure by choosing Custom Value and typing it into the text box.

     2. If you already have an appropriate allocation for this portion of your infrastructure in a cloud service provider tag, account name, or resource name, you can select that field using the MegaBill Key option to have those values populated for the Virtual Tag.

        Note: when selecting a key from the MegaBill, the key’s values will appear in the MegaBill when filtering or grouping by the Virtual Tag.

        

     Example - Rule 1 includes: Where conditions: The rule is structured to evaluate resources across different cloud providers: AWS, GCP, Azure, and Kubernetes. It will trigger if a resource within these providers has specific tags or labels that match predefined values. For AWS and Azure, the rule triggers for resources with any chosen values in 'environment' tags. For GCP, the rule is triggered if the 'env' label is exactly 'production'. For Kubernetes, it checks against specified 'label_environment' values. Then outcome: If a resource meets any of the 'Where' conditions, the 'Then' action tags it as 'Production'.

     
6. You can optionally set a timeframe for the virtual tag, allowing you to specify exact dates for the rule application.

   
7. Click Add rule to add additional rules as required.

   Note: The number of rules allowed in a virtual tag is 50.

   
8. You can optionally Set the value for the untagged cost field for all unallocated costs not covered by any rules are aggregated under the tag value "untagged." You can enter a custom name for these untagged costs to generate a single value or choose a key from the MegaBill to generate multiple values simultaneously. This feature enables continuous enhancement of Virtual Tag coverage and the creation of rules to reduce untagged costs.

   
9. To see a preview, click Preview Virtual Tag. The virtual tag preview appears.

   

   
10. Click Apply Virtual Tag. The virtual tag is created.

    Note:

    • A Virtual Tag is active from the current period onwards.

    • The Virtual Tags configuration screen is accessible to all users on the account. Contact the Finout support team if you wish to set accessibility limitations for specific users.

    • Virtual Tags can also be duplicated or deleted as needed.

Manage Virtual Tags

Managing Virtual Tags allows you to edit, delete, and duplicate virtual tags to better organize and optimize your cloud cost allocation in Finout.

Edit Virtual Tags

Editing Virtual Tags allows users to refine and update their cloud resource categorization as their infrastructure evolves.

1. Navigate to Virtual Tags.

   
2. Click on the Virtual Tag you want to edit from the list and then click Edit Virtual Tag. The Edit virtual tag screen opens.

   
3. Edit Virtual Tag rules: Click on the rule you want to change.

4. In the Where option, you can change the criteria using the Filter keys dropdown to select different filter types, such as tags or labels, and modify the logical operators as needed.

   • Adjust the cloud environments by selecting or deselecting them.

   • In the Then section, update the tag value that will be assigned when the rule's conditions are met.

   • Add or Delete Rules using the + Add rule button to include new segmentation rules or the – button to remove an existing rule.

     Note: The number of rules allowed in a virtual tag is 50.

   • Adjust the rule order as desired using the Move rule function, which allows you to change their ranking, since the rules are applied from top to bottom.

5. Additional edits:

   • Adjust the time frame.

   • Edit the values for the untagged costs.

   • Set up notifications for changes.

6. Filter by conditions: Utilize the filter values dropdown options to narrow down your Virtual Tag based on specific chosen filters. This is particularly useful when the created Virtual Tag has many rules. Instead of manually searching for the specific item to edit within the Virtual Tag, you can use the filters option to drill down and easily find what you need to edit.

   Filter types:

   • Virtual Tag values: Filter based on the names assigned to the rule in the "Then" section.

   • Filter keys: Filter based on the keys chosen in your Virtual Tag.

   • Filter values: Filter based on the exact values that trigger the rule.

Duplicate Virtual Tags

1. Navigate to Virtual Tags.

   
2. Click on the Virtual Tag you want to edit from the list and then click Duplicate Virtual Tag. The virtual tag is duplicated.

Delete Virtual Tags

Warning: This action cannot be undone.

1. Navigate to Virtual Tags.

   
2. Click on the Virtual Tag you want to edit from the list and then click Delete Virtual Tag.

   
3. Click Delete. The virtual tag is deleted.

Use a Virtual Tag in Finout’s Dashboards

You can build widgets in the Dashboards using the Virtual Tags. To use a Virtual Tag, simply select it from the list of filters, and choose whether to include or exclude the associated costs. You can also select which of the categories (rules) of the Virtual Tag to include.

Once a Virtual Tag is created, it is automatically added to the Finout MegaBill as if it was always there.

You can also use a Virtual Tag for grouping.

Creating a Virtual Tag to track your spend across your entire cloud is the first step to truly understanding your spending, once done Finout’s Virtual Tags will allow you daily to under your allocated cost and to gain insight into the actions that happened and will need to happen in the feature to manage and reduce your spend.

If you are still struggling to create your ideal Virtual Tag, please reach out to your Customer Success so we can provide you with all the support you need to achieve 100% cost observability.

Virtual Tag Shared Cost Reallocation

Building upon this foundation, Finout takes it a step further with the Shared Cost Reallocation. The reallocation of Virtual Tags enhances the granularity of cost allocation, allowing for a more refined reallocation of shared expenses. Finout’s Shared Cost Reallocation not only addresses the direct challenges of shared cost management but also promotes a deeper understanding of cloud expenditure patterns, allowing you to make more informed financial decisions and strategic planning.

Finout offers four practical strategies for shared cost reallocation:

• Telemetric based reallocation
• Customized cost reallocation
• Cost ratio allocation - Coming soon!

For instructions on setting up telemetry based reallocation in Finout, please refer to the Setting Up a Telemetry Based Reallocation documentation.