# Delete EBS Snapshots for which corresponding volumes are not in use

## What It Does

Deletes Amazon EBS snapshots whose corresponding volumes are no longer in use. These orphaned snapshots can consume unnecessary storage costs.

{% hint style="success" %}

## Recommendation 

If you **require snapshots but are accessed infrequently**, consider archiving them for up to **75% savings**. 

However, archived snapshots incur a **minimum 90-day charge,** and restoring them may **take up to 72 hours**.
{% endhint %}

## Risk and Scope

| Detail                   | Value      |
| ------------------------ | ---------- |
| **Risk Level**           | Low        |
| **AWS Service Targeted** | Amazon EBS |

{% hint style="warning" %}

## Permissions Required

**Delete Permission**

* `ec2:DeleteSnapshot`

**Read Permission**

* `ec2:DescribeSnapshots`

> These permissions are granted **only to the runbook**, not to the OneLens platform itself.
> {% endhint %}

## Optimization Policies Addressed

This runbook to remediate violation tickets triggered by of the following policy:

| Policy ID | Policy Name                                               |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| ebs\_100  | EBS Snapshots of the deleted volumes should be deleted    |
| ebs\_101  | EBS Snapshots of unattached EBS volumes should be deleted |
| ebs\_102  | EBS Snapshots created while copying AMI should be deleted |

## Risk Mitigation

{% hint style="success" %}

## Risk Mitigation Strategy

* The change is assessed as **low risk** with limited scope and impact.
* **No downtime** is expected during or after implementation.
* **No additional safety measures** are required due to the non-disruptive nature of the change.
* A **rollback plan is not defined**, as standard procedures are sufficient to manage the change.
  {% endhint %}

## How to Install

Refer to the [Runbook Setup Guide ](/automate/remediations/runbooks/install-runbooks.md#installing-a-runbook)for steps to install and enable this runbook in your environment.

## Runbook Workflow

### Step 1: Start

**Trigger:** Begins the runbook to identify and remove orphaned EBS snapshots.

### Step 2: DescribeSnapshots

**Action:** Calls `DescribeSnapshots` to retrieve all EBS snapshots.

### Step 3: If/Else

**Condition:** Checks if any snapshots exist for which the associated EBS volumes no longer exist.

1. **BranchOnValidSnapshot**

   Verifies if each snapshot state is completed.

   1. **DeleteSnapshot**\
      Executes `DeleteSnapshot` for snapshots that qualify for deletion.
   2. **RunScript**

      Raises a runtime error to capture errors, failing the workflow explicitly.
2. **Else:**

   The workflow ends if no qualifying snapshots are found.

## See How it Works

<figure><img src="/files/HZwHN2DKrvqrESRrZ8WF" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Triggering the Runbook

To run this runbook:

### **1. Locate the Ticket**

Find the ticket generated by the **above policy violation**.

### **2. Execute the Runbook**

Follow the steps described in the [executing a runbook](/automate/remediations/runbooks.md#executing-a-runbook) section to apply this runbook to the ticket.


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