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πŸ“ AWS EC2 Instance is overutilized 🟒

  • Contextual name: πŸ“ Instance is overutilized 🟒
  • ID: /ce/ca/aws/ec2/instance-overutilized
  • Located in: πŸ“ AWS EC2

Flags​

Our Metadata​

  • Policy Type: COMPLIANCE_POLICY
  • Policy Category:
    • COST
    • PERFORMANCE

Logic​

Description​

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Description​

Identify Amazon EC2 instances operating at high utilization levels that may be overburdened and require scaling or resizing to maintain optimal performance. Overutilized instances exhibit average CPU utilization above 80%, frequent CPU spikes above 95%. These criteria help pinpoint instances at risk of impacting workloads due to resource exhaustion.

Rational​

Overutilized EC2 instances often struggle to meet workload demands, leading to degraded application performance and potential downtime. Addressing overutilized instances ensures workloads remain responsive and scalable under peak demands. Remediation actions such as vertical or horizontal scaling enable improved performance and align resources with operational requirements, reducing the risk of performance bottlenecks.

Impact​

Scaling or resizing incurs additional costs. Implementing scaling strategies allows workloads to adapt dynamically to demand changes.

Audit​

This policy evaluates an EC2 instance based on its 14-day performance metrics.

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Remediation​

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Remediation​

Right-Size Overutilized Instances​

Change the Instance Type​
Key Requirements​

You can only change the instance type of an EC2 instance if:

  • It is an EBS-backed instance.
  • Its configuration is compatible with the new instance type.
Steps From Command Line​
  1. Stop the EC2 Instance

    Before changing the instance type, the instance must be stopped. Use the following command:

    aws ec2 stop-instances --instance-ids {{instance-id}}

    Replace {{instance-id}} with the actual EC2 instance ID.

  2. Modify the Instance Type

    After stopping the instance, use the command below to change its type:

    aws ec2 modify-instance-attribute --instance-id {{instance-id}} --instance-type "{\"Value\": \"{{new-instance-type}}\"}"

    Replace {{new-instance-type}} with the desired instance type.

Migrate to a New Instance Type​

If your instance's configuration is incompatible with the new instance type, or if it is an instance store-backed instance, consider these migration steps:

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policy.yaml​

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Linked Framework Sections​

SectionSub SectionsInternal RulesPoliciesFlags
πŸ’Ό Cloudaware Framework β†’ πŸ’Ό Resource Right-Sizing2
πŸ’Ό Cloudaware Framework β†’ πŸ’Ό Workload Efficiency3