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Triage AWS EBS High IOPS Volumes HIGH_IOPS_EXCEEDED

  1. Configure AWS EBS High IOPS Volumes
  2. Use Case for AWS EBS High IOPS Volumes
  3. Triage Guides by Violation Type
    1. Triage AWS EBS High IOPS Volumes HIGH_IOPS_EXCEEDED

Triage Guide: HIGH_IOPS_EXCEEDED

0. Understand​

High IOPS on EBS volumes lead to increased costs. Monitoring and addressing this ensures efficient cost management.

1. Validate​

  • Validation Steps:

    1. Confirm the alert by checking the volume's IOPS against the threshold.
    2. Run aws ec2 describe-volumes --volume-ids <volume-id> to retrieve current IOPS.
    3. The policy scans are reactive and run whenever a volume is observed.

  • Data Source: The policy uses AWS SDK's DescribeVolumesCommand.

2. Triage​

  • Impact: If left unaddressed, high IOPS can lead to excessive charges.
  • Worsening over time: Yes, if the volume usage or workload remains high.
  • Potential Downtime: Remediation steps such as changing volume types can cause downtimes. Plan and execute during maintenance windows.

3. Act​

  • Steps to Remediate:
    1. Identify if the high IOPS is necessary for performance needs.
    2. Consider downgrading to a lower IOPS or changing to a different volume type.
    3. Use AWS Console or CLI to modify EBS volume properties where applicable.

4. Reflect​

  • Next Steps:
    • If the alert was not useful, consider adjusting the ebs_volume_max_iops threshold based on actual usage patterns.
    • Review and possibly disable the policy if it consistently raises irrelevant alerts.