🛡️ Google GCE Disk is idle🟢

• Contextual name: 🛡️ Disk is idle🟢
• ID: /ce/ca/google/compute-engine/disk-idle
• Tags:
  • 🟢 Policy with categories
  • 🟢 Policy with type
  • 🟢 Production policy
• Policy Type: COMPLIANCE_POLICY
• Policy Categories: COST

Logic

• 🧠 prod.logic.yaml🟢
  • 📗 Google GCE Disk
  • 🔌 Google GCE Attached Disk - object.extracts.yaml
  • 🔌 Google GCE Disk - object.extracts.yaml
  • 🧪 test-data.json

Description

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Description

This policy identifies GCE persistent disks that are not attached to any Compute Engine instance and have remained unused for more than 30 days.

Rationale

Unattached persistent disks can accumulate in a project, leading to unnecessary storage costs if left unmanaged.

Impact

Before deleting a disk, confirm that it is not reserved for future use, retained for compliance purposes, or required for backup and disaster recovery. Deleting disks without validation may result in irreversible data loss.

Audit

This policy marks a Google GCE Disk as INCOMPLIANT if:

• The disk doesn't have a related Google GCE Attached Disk.
• The disk's lastAttachTimestamp is empty.
• The lastDetachTimestamp is more than 30 days old.

Disks of Type SCRATCH are marked as INAPPLICABLE.

Remediation

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Remediation

Before deleting a persistent disk, confirm that it is not required for current or planned services. Coordinate with application owners or your operations team to ensure the disk is not reserved for a future deployment or used for failover, archival, or compliance purposes.

Archive the Disk

Using gcloud CLI

If the disk must be retained for compliance or future recovery, create an image or snapshot before deletion:

gcloud compute disks snapshot {{disk-name}} \
    --zone {{zone}} \
    --snapshot-names {{snapshot-name}} \
    --project {{project-id}}

Release an Unused Persistent Disk

Using gcloud CLI

Permanently remove an unused persistent disk

gcloud compute disks delete {{disk-name}} \
    --zone {{zone}} \
    --project {{project-id}}

policy.yaml

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Linked Framework Sections

Section	Sub Sections	Internal Rules	Policies	Flags	Compliance
💼 Cloudaware Framework → 💼 Waste Reduction			25		no data