COST04-BP03 Decommission resources - AWS Well-Architected Framework (2023-04-10)

COST04-BP03 Decommission resources

Decommission resources initiated by events such as periodic audits, or changes in usage. Decommissioning is typically performed periodically and can be manual or automated.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: Medium

Implementation guidance

The frequency and effort to search for unused resources should reflect the potential savings, so an account with a small cost should be analyzed less frequently than an account with larger costs. Searches and decommission events can be initiated by state changes in the workload, such as a product going end of life or being replaced. Searches and decommission events may also be initiated by external events, such as changes in market conditions or product termination.

Implementation steps

  • Decommission resources: This is the depreciation stage of AWS resources that are no longer needed or ending of a licensing agreement. Complete all final checks completed before moving to the disposal stage and decommissioning resources to prevent any unwanted disruptions like taking snapshots or backups. Using the decommissioning process, decommission each of the resources that have been identified as unused.

Resources

Related documents:

Related examples: