Description:
Unused Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes are storage volumes that are not attached to any active virtual machine (VM) or compute instance. These unused volumes continue to consume storage and incur costs even though they are not being used. Regularly identifying and removing unused EBS volumes helps optimize storage utilization and reduce unnecessary expenses.
Rationale:
Unused EBS volumes increase storage costs and may contain outdated or sensitive data that is no longer required. Removing unused volumes improves resource management, reduces unnecessary costs, and helps maintain a clean and secure cloud environment. This practice supports compliance with standards such as SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 27001 by ensuring proper asset lifecycle management.
Impact:
Deleting an unused EBS volume permanently removes the stored data.
If the volume is required in the future, ensure a backup or snapshot is available before deletion.
Removing unused volumes helps reduce storage costs and simplifies resource management.
Default Value:
By default, Utho does not automatically identify or delete unused EBS volumes. Administrators must periodically review and remove unused volumes.
Pre-requisites:
A Utho account with permission to manage storage resources.
Access to the Utho Console.
Permission to view and delete EBS volumes.
Verify that the volume is not required before deleting it.
Remediation
Test Plan:
Using the Utho Console
Sign in to the Utho Console using an account with appropriate permissions.
Navigate to Storage → EBS Volumes.
Review the list of available EBS volumes.
For each volume, click Manage to open its details page.
Go to the Attach/Detach tab to check whether an active virtual machine is attached.
Identify any volumes where no VM is attached — these are in the Available, Detached, or Unused state.
If any unused EBS volumes are found, follow the Implementation Steps to remediate the issue.
Using the Utho API
Retrieve the list of EBS volumes and verify that no unused volumes exist.
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer $UTHO_API_TOKEN" \
https://api.utho.com/v2/volumes
Verify that all returned volumes are attached to active virtual machines.
Note: Replace the API endpoint with the appropriate Utho Storage API endpoint if your environment uses a different endpoint.
Implementation Steps:
Using the Utho Console
Sign in to the Utho Console.
Navigate to Storage → Elastic Block Storage.
Review the list of EBS volumes and note which ones do not show an attached VM in the listing.
Click Manage on the unused EBS volume to open its details page.
Go to the Attach/Detach tab to confirm the volume has no server currently attached.
If the volume is confirmed unattached, verify with the resource owner or internal records that it is no longer required.
If required, go to the Snapshots section and create a snapshot or backup of the volume before deleting it.
Go back to Storage → Elastic Block Storage and select the unused EBS volume.
Click Destroy Volume.
Confirm the deletion in the prompt that appears.
Verify that the unused volume has been removed from the list.
Using the Utho API
Delete the unused EBS volume using the Utho REST API.
curl -X DELETE \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $UTHO_API_TOKEN" \
https://api.utho.com/v2/volumes/<volume-id>
Verify that the API request completes successfully and that the volume is no longer listed.
Note: Replace <volume-id> with the ID of the unused EBS volume and use the appropriate Utho Storage API endpoint if required.
Backout Plan:
If an EBS volume was deleted accidentally, verify whether a snapshot or backup exists.
Restore the EBS volume from the available snapshot or backup.
Attach the restored volume to the appropriate virtual machine.
Verify that the application or service can access the restored volume successfully.
Note: If no snapshot or backup exists, the deleted EBS volume and its data cannot be recovered.
References: