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Identify any Amazon RDS database instances that appear to be idle and delete them to help lower the cost of your monthly AWS bill

Risk Level

High

Address

Reliability, Security

Compliance Standards

HITRUST, SOC2, NISTCSF

Triage and Remediation

Remediation

To remediate the issue of idle RDS instances in AWS using the AWS Management Console, follow these steps:

  1. Identify Idle RDS Instances:

    • Log in to your AWS Management Console.
    • Go to the RDS service.
    • Click on “Databases” from the left-hand menu.
    • Identify the RDS instances that have been idle for a long time.
  2. Modify the Instance to Prevent Idleness:

    • Select the idle RDS instance that you want to modify.
    • Click on the instance name to view its details.
    • Click on the “Modify” button.
  3. Adjust the Instance Settings:

    • Increase the “Backup Retention Period” to ensure regular backups are taken.
    • Enable “Auto Minor Version Upgrade” to keep the instance updated.
    • Modify the “Maintenance Window” to schedule regular maintenance activities.
  4. Enable Enhanced Monitoring:

    • Enable Enhanced Monitoring to collect metrics on the instance’s performance.
    • This can help you identify any issues that may be causing idleness.
  5. Set up Alarms:

    • Create CloudWatch Alarms to monitor the instance’s CPU utilization, storage, and other metrics.
    • Set up notifications to alert you when the instance is idle or underutilized.
  6. Implement Database Activity Monitoring:

    • Use AWS services like Amazon CloudWatch Logs or Amazon RDS Performance Insights to monitor database activity.
    • Analyze the data to identify any patterns of idleness and take necessary actions.
  7. Implement Automation:

    • Utilize AWS Lambda functions or AWS Systems Manager Automation to automate tasks like stopping or resizing idle instances.
    • Set up a schedule to run these automation tasks regularly.
  8. Review and Optimize:

    • Regularly review the performance metrics and logs of your RDS instances.
    • Optimize the instance configurations based on the usage patterns to prevent idleness.

By following these steps, you can remediate the issue of idle RDS instances in AWS and ensure that your resources are utilized efficiently.

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