Explanation
Cost allocation tags are the correct solution because:
- Purpose: Cost allocation tags allow you to categorize and track your AWS costs by adding metadata (tags) to your AWS resources
- Functionality: You can apply tags to resources like EC2 instances, S3 buckets, and other AWS services
- Cost Tracking: AWS Cost Explorer and billing reports can then group and report costs based on these tags
- Categorization: Tags can represent departments, projects, cost centers, or any other organizational structure
Why other options are incorrect:
- AWS IAM: Manages access control and permissions, not cost tracking
- AWS Organizations: Helps manage multiple AWS accounts but doesn't directly provide resource labeling for cost categorization
- AWS Cost Management coverage report: Shows which services are covered by Cost Explorer, but doesn't provide the labeling mechanism itself
Best Practice: Use consistent tagging strategies across all AWS resources to enable detailed cost analysis and allocation.