Amazon ElastiCache · Finder + automated fixer
ElastiCache Remove Idle Clusters
RemoveIdle Clusters
Delete idle ElastiCache clusters incurring hourly charges with zero requests. CloudFix identifies unused Redis and Memcached clusters and removes them.
What happens, in order.
Finder · read-only
Finds the opportunity
Scans your connected accounts with a read-only role. It can see resource metadata and usage; it can’t change anything.
You
Approve in Recommendations
It appears in your Recommendations view with what it would save. Approve the resources you choose. Nothing has changed yet.
Fixer
Runs in your account
The fixer runs as an AWS Systems Manager Automation runbook in your AWS account, and acts only on the resources you approved.
Record
Logs the execution
The Systems Manager execution is logged, so every change can be audited.
Finder role
Read-only. It can see resource metadata and usage. It can’t change anything.
Fixer role
A separate, minimal role that acts only on the resources you approved, through AWS Systems Manager.
Saves by
Amazon ElastiCache clusters incur hourly costs whether or not they are used. This FF identifies ElastiCache clusters that have been idle for an extended period of time, creates snapshots, and terminates the clusters.
The ElastiCache Delete Idle Clusters tool helps optimize your AWS costs by identifying and safely removing unused Amazon ElastiCache clusters that continue to incur hourly charges but provide no business value.
What It Does
This Finder identifies ElastiCache clusters in your AWS environment that have had no read or write activity for an extended period, indicating they are unused resources that can be safely removed to reduce costs.
How It Works
CloudFix uses your cost and usage data and ElastiCache’s own utilization metrics, read-only, to find Redis and Memcached clusters that have gone unused. Each idle cluster appears in your Recommendations for you to approve. Once approved, the fixer runs as an AWS Systems Manager Automation runbook in your own account, preserves the cluster (a final snapshot for Redis, a configuration backup for Memcached) and then deletes it. Every execution is logged.
AWS Services Affected
This CloudFix feature interacts with the following AWS services:
This Finder specifically targets resources in the Amazon ElastiCache service, including both Redis and Memcached engines, and safely removes clusters with no activity for an extended period to optimize your AWS costs.
Benefits
- Cost Savings: Eliminate 100% of costs for idle Memcached clusters and approximately 99% for idle Redis clusters (with minimal snapshot storage costs)
- Resource Optimization: Remove unnecessary clusters that consume quota limits and management overhead
- Simplified Monitoring: Reduce noise in your monitoring dashboards by eliminating unused resources
- Environment Cleanup: Maintain a cleaner, more organized ElastiCache deployment
- Safer Operations: Prevent accidental use of outdated, unmaintained clusters
Implementation Details
When executing this Fixer, CloudFix will:
- For Redis clusters: take a final snapshot, then delete the cluster while preserving the snapshot for potential restoration
- For Memcached clusters: back up the cluster’s configuration, then delete the cluster
- Log all actions taken for audit purposes
- Provide a detailed report of the clusters removed and the estimated monthly cost savings
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this implemented automatically?
No. CloudFix will only implement this change when you explicitly approve the suggested action. You maintain full control over which clusters are deleted.
Can I roll back if I delete a cluster by mistake?
Yes. Redis clusters can be restored from the final snapshot taken before deletion, and Memcached clusters can be recreated from the saved configuration backup.
Will this cause downtime?
No. The clusters identified have shown no read or write activity for an extended period, so there should be no impact on running applications or services.
How are clusters determined to be idle?
CloudFix looks at the cluster’s read and write activity in ElastiCache’s own CloudWatch metrics. A cluster that has served no reads or writes over an extended period is flagged as idle.
Related Resources
- AWS Documentation: Deleting ElastiCache Clusters
- AWS Documentation: Monitoring ElastiCache with CloudWatch
- AWS Documentation: ElastiCache Backup and Restore
- AWS Blog: ElastiCache Best Practices
Ready to start saving on AWS? See how much you could cut from your cloud bill with a free cost optimization assessment, or explore CloudFix automated Finder/Fixers that eliminate waste across 30+ AWS services.
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