Which solution will meet these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?
Access usage cost-related data by using the AWS Cost Explorer API with pagination.
Access usage cost-related data by using downloadable AWS Cost Explorer report .csv files.
Configure AWS Budgets actions to send usage cost data to the company through FTP.
Create AWS Budgets reports for usage cost data. Send the data to the company through SMTP.
Explanations:
The AWS Cost Explorer API provides programmatic access to cost data, including current year usage and forecasted costs for the next 12 months. It allows for detailed querying and supports pagination, making it efficient for continuous access with minimal operational overhead.
Downloadable .csv files from AWS Cost Explorer reports require manual downloads and are not suitable for programmatic access. This increases operational overhead and does not facilitate easy integration into dashboards for real-time cost analysis.
Configuring AWS Budgets to send data through FTP requires setting up and maintaining an FTP server, which adds significant operational overhead. Additionally, AWS Budgets are primarily for tracking and alerts, not for programmatic access to detailed cost data.
Sending AWS Budgets reports through SMTP involves email management and is not a programmatic solution. It also does not provide the necessary real-time data access and requires additional operational efforts to manage email reports and integrations into the dashboard.
I infer that the answer is:
Access usage cost-related data by using the AWS Cost Explorer API with pagination.