Methods for terminating an instance
Warning
Terminating an instance is permanent and irreversible.
After you terminate an instance, you can no longer connect to it, and it can't be recovered. All attached Amazon EBS volumes that are configured to be deleted on termination are also permanently deleted and can't be recovered. All data stored on instance store volumes is permanently lost. For more information, see How instance termination works.
Before you terminate an instance, ensure that you have backed up all data that you need to retain after the termination to persistent storage.
There are four ways to perform a user-initiated instance termination: default terminate, terminate with skip OS shutdown, force terminate, and force terminate with skip OS shutdown. The following table compares the key differences between the termination methods:
Note
You can't terminate an instance if termination protection is turned on. For more information, see Change instance termination protection.
| Termination method | Key purpose | Use case | CLI command |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default terminate | Normal instance shutdown with attempted graceful OS shutdown. | Typical instance termination. |
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| Terminate with skip OS shutdown | Bypasses the graceful OS shutdown when terminating an instance. | When bypassing graceful OS shutdown is required. |
|
| Force terminate | Handles stuck instances. Attempts a default termination first; if instance fails to terminate, then forcibly terminates the instance. | When instance is stuck in shutting-down state. |
|
| Force terminate with skip OS shutdown | Force terminates and bypasses the graceful OS shutdown when terminating an instance. | When force termination and bypassing graceful OS shutdown is required. |
|
For instructions on how to use each method, see the following:
