Commitment automation
Commitment automation helps you manage the risk of new cloud commitments by combining two capabilities: a utilization watchdog that monitors commitments during the 72-hour free-cancellation window offered by AWS and Google Cloud, and commitment insurance that covers under-utilization after the window closes.
The watchdog runs automated checks every six hours. If utilization trends below break-even, it can cancel the commitment before the window expires — at zero penalty. For commitments that pass the 72-hour window, insurance credits the unused portion automatically on your invoice.
Commitment automation is available as an early access feature. To request access, contact your DoiT account team or submit a support request.
Access Commitment automation
Sign in to the DoiT console, select Automation and operations from the top navigation menu, and then select Commitment automation.
Key metrics
At the top of the page, four KPI cards summarize the current state of your commitments:
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Active commitments: The total number of active commitments across providers, with the combined commitment value.
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Commitment coverage: The percentage of your on-demand workloads covered by commitments, with the change compared to the previous month.
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In 72-hour window: The number of commitments currently within the free-cancellation window, with watchdog status for each.
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Credited by insurance (YTD): The year-to-date amount credited through commitment insurance for under-utilized commitments.
72-hour utilization watchdog
AWS Savings Plans and Google Cloud committed-use discounts (CUDs) can be cancelled at no cost within the first 72 hours of purchase. The utilization watchdog acts entirely within that window, running automated checks every six hours to evaluate whether each commitment is on track to meet its break-even threshold.
Watchdog table
The watchdog table lists all commitments currently within the 72-hour cancellation window. Each row displays:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Commitment | The commitment name and details, including provider, term length, payment schedule, and associated scope. |
| Purchased | The date and time the commitment was purchased. |
| Window closes | A countdown showing the remaining time in the 72-hour cancellation window. |
| Utilization vs break-even | A progress bar showing current utilization relative to the break-even threshold (80%). The bar is green when utilization is above break-even and amber when it falls below. |
| Watchdog | A toggle to enable or disable automated monitoring for the commitment. |
| Projected decision | The watchdog's current recommendation: Keep (on track), Auto-cancel (will cancel automatically if utilization does not recover), or Manual review (watchdog disabled, no auto-cancel). |
| Action | A Cancel now button to immediately cancel the commitment at zero penalty. After cancellation, the column shows a confirmation with $0 penalty. |
Check timeline
Select a row to expand it and view the check timeline and assessment.
The timeline displays up to 11 check points at six-hour intervals (hours 6 through 66). Each check is color-coded:
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Green (on track): Utilization is above break-even at this check.
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Amber (trending under): Utilization has dropped below break-even.
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Red (cancelled): The commitment was cancelled at this check point.
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Grey (upcoming or skipped): The check has not yet occurred, or was skipped because the commitment was already cancelled.
The Assessment section provides a plain-language explanation of the watchdog's analysis, including utilization trends, projected savings or losses, and the recommended action.
Enable or disable the watchdog
Use the Watchdog toggle on each row to control automated monitoring:
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On: The watchdog monitors utilization and can auto-cancel the commitment if utilization trends below break-even by approximately hour 66.
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Off: The watchdog stops monitoring. The projected decision changes to Manual review and no automatic cancellation occurs. You can still cancel manually.
Cancel a commitment
To cancel a commitment within the 72-hour window, select Cancel now in the commitment's row. The cancellation takes effect immediately with zero penalty. The row updates to reflect the cancelled state, and the In 72-hour window KPI adjusts accordingly.
Commitment insurance
Commitment insurance provides post-window coverage for commitments that have passed the 72-hour cancellation period. If usage drops after the window closes — for example, because a workload was retired or an architecture changed — you pay only for what you used. The shortfall is credited automatically on your invoice with no claims process required. Coverage and commercial terms are defined in your DoiT agreement; contact your account team for details.
The insurance panel shows:
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Visual breakdown: A bar chart illustrating the split between the used portion of your commitment and the amount credited by insurance for a given month.
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Recent insurance credits: A list of recent monthly credits, showing the commitment, the reason for under-utilization, and the credited amount.