diff --git a/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets.md b/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets.md index e0622fcc7d6..219d651dc5e 100644 --- a/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets.md +++ b/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets.md @@ -139,6 +139,72 @@ To view detailed forecast information in a budget, click {{< ui >}}View Performa Learn more about how [forecasting][3] works and data requirements. +## Customize your budget forecast + +Datadog automatically generates a **Bits forecast** for each budget, projecting future costs from your historical spend. When you have knowledge that the Bits forecast cannot capture, such as a planned product launch, migration, seasonal demand, or retired workloads, you can override it with your own values. This override is called a **custom forecast**. + +Custom forecast values are: + +- Editable with the `ccm_forecast_write` permission (see [Permissions](#permissions)). +- Editable for the current and future months. + +For [hierarchical budgets](#set-up-budgets), you edit custom forecast values at the child level. The parent level reflects the sum of its children. + +Once set, your custom values take precedence over the Bits forecast on the budget status page, in the forecast totals on the Budgets page, and in [budget monitors][2]. + +### Add or edit custom forecast values + +{{< tabs >}} +{{% tab "When creating a budget" %}} + +1. Follow the steps in [Set up budgets](#set-up-budgets) to start creating a budget. +1. Toggle {{< ui >}}Customize Bits Forecast{{< /ui >}} to display forecast columns interleaved with the budget columns. Each month shows a {{< ui >}}Budget{{< /ui >}} column and a {{< ui >}}Forecast{{< /ui >}} column. + + {{< img src="cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create.png" alt="Toggle Customize Bits Forecast to display forecast columns" style="width:100%;">}} + +1. Each forecast cell displays the Bits forecast as a gray placeholder. Enter a dollar amount to override it. Negative values are not allowed. + + The preview chart updates as you edit, so you can review the final forecast before saving. + + {{< img src="cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create-table.png" alt="Toggle Customize Bits Forecast to display forecast columns" style="width:100%;">}} + +1. Click {{< ui >}}Save{{< /ui >}}. + +{{% /tab %}} +{{% tab "When editing a budget" %}} + +1. On the [Budgets page][1], click the edit icon for a budget. + + The forecast columns appear automatically if you have the `ccm_forecast_write` permission. Each forecast cell displays your saved override, or the Bits forecast as a gray placeholder when no override exists. + +1. Enter or change a dollar amount in any forecast cell. Negative values are not allowed. +1. To compare your overrides against the original automatic values, toggle {{< ui >}}Show Bits AI forecast{{< /ui >}} to display a read-only Bits AI column next to each forecast column. +1. Click {{< ui >}}Save{{< /ui >}}. + +[1]: https://app.datadoghq.com/cost/plan/budgets + +{{% /tab %}} +{{< /tabs >}} + +While editing, the appearance of each forecast cell indicates its state: + +| Cell appearance | Meaning | +|---|---| +| Gray text | Bits forecast placeholder: no override is set for this cell. | +| Black text | A saved custom forecast override. | +| Black text with a blue outline | An override you entered but have not saved yet. | + +To remove an override, clear the cell. The cell reverts to the gray Bits forecast placeholder. + +
Datadog saves the budget first, and then saves the custom forecast. If the budget saves but the custom forecast does not, a notification prompts you to retry from the edit page.
+ +### How custom forecasts are used + +- **Budget status**: The budget status page and the forecast totals on the Budgets page include your custom forecast. +- **Budget monitors**: When [budget monitors][2] evaluate, a custom forecast takes precedence over the Bits forecast when one is present. +- **CSV export**: Downloading a budget as a CSV includes the custom forecast values where they are set. +- **Deleting a budget**: Deleting a budget also deletes its associated custom forecast values. + ## Permissions | Action | Required Permission | @@ -155,4 +221,4 @@ For the full list of CCM permissions, see the [Permissions documentation][4]. [1]: https://app.datadoghq.com/cost/plan/budgets [2]: /cloud_cost_management/cost_changes/monitors/ [3]: /cloud_cost_management/planning/forecasting -[4]: /cloud_cost_management/setup/permissions \ No newline at end of file +[4]: /cloud_cost_management/setup/permissions diff --git a/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/forecasting.md b/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/forecasting.md index eb449ff4afe..364a400e419 100644 --- a/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/forecasting.md +++ b/content/en/cloud_cost_management/planning/forecasting.md @@ -50,6 +50,14 @@ To generate accurate forecasts, CCM requires: - **At least 64 consecutive days of cost data**: This helps ensure the model has sufficient information to identify meaningful patterns. If fewer days are available, the model pads the remaining days with zeros to generate a forecast. - **Recent data**: The model uses up to the last 64 days of your cost history to generate predictions. +## Bits and custom forecasts + +The forecast that Datadog generates automatically from your historical spend is called the **Bits forecast**. Because it is trend-based, it projects past patterns forward but cannot account for planned business events, such as a product launch, migration, or seasonal demand. + +In [budgets][3], you can override the Bits forecast with your own monthly values, called a **custom forecast**. Datadog overlays your custom forecast on the Bits forecast, so your overrides take precedence wherever you set them. Budgets and budget monitors use the forecast with your overrides by default. + +To set custom forecast values, see [Customize your budget forecast][4]. + ## View forecasts in reports Navigate to [**Cloud Cost > Analyze > Reports**][1] in Datadog to enable forecasts on Cost reports and Budget reports. @@ -104,9 +112,13 @@ To view detailed forecast information: {{< img src="cloud_cost/forecasts/updated_budget_status_forecast-1.png" alt="Budget performance view showing the forecast toggle and forecasted costs displayed with a hatched pattern" style="width:100%;" >}} +By default, Datadog combines the automatic Bits forecast with any custom forecast values you set in budgets. To override the Bits forecast with your own monthly values, see [Customize your budget forecast][4]. + ## Further reading {{< partial name="whats-next/whats-next.html" >}} [1]: https://app.datadoghq.com/cost/analyze/reports [2]: https://app.datadoghq.com/cost/plan/budgets +[3]: /cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets +[4]: /cloud_cost_management/planning/budgets#customize-your-budget-forecast diff --git a/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create-table.png b/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create-table.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..b78dc0e2555 Binary files /dev/null and b/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create-table.png differ diff --git a/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create.png b/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create.png new file mode 100644 index 00000000000..9365caf4ccd Binary files /dev/null and b/static/images/cloud_cost/budgets/cust-fcst-during-create.png differ