Amazon Kendra · Finder + automated fixer

Kendra Remove Idle Indices

RemoveIdle Indices

Delete idle Amazon Kendra indices incurring hourly charges with zero queries. CloudFix identifies indices unused for 31+ days and removes them.

What happens, in order.

  1. 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.

  2. You

    Approve in Recommendations

    It appears in your Recommendations view with what it would save. Approve the resources you choose. Nothing has changed yet.

  3. 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.

  4. 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

Kendra indexes generate costs even when not being used. This FF finds indexes that have been idle for an extended period, backs up their configuration and removes them.

Amazon Kendra indices generate costs even when not being used. This Finder/Fixer identifies and removes Kendra indices that have been idle for an extended period, helping you save on AWS costs. By automatically detecting and deleting these unused resources, CloudFix ensures you’re not paying for enterprise search capabilities that aren’t being utilized.

Overview

Problem Statement

Amazon Kendra is a powerful intelligent search service that uses natural language processing to help users find information in enterprise data. However, Kendra indices continue to incur charges even when they’re not being actively used. With costs starting at $810 per index per month for the Developer Edition and $1,008 per index per month for the Enterprise Edition, idle indices can quickly become a significant drain on your AWS budget.

Solution

The Kendra Delete Idle Indices Finder/Fixer automatically identifies Kendra indices that have been idle for an extended period. After identifying these unused resources, CloudFix can securely back up their configuration details and delete them, eliminating unnecessary costs. If needed, these indices can be recreated using the saved configuration.

Benefits

By implementing this Finder/Fixer, you can:

  • Eliminate unnecessary costs from idle Kendra indices
  • Automatically identify unused search resources across your AWS accounts
  • Maintain the ability to restore indices if needed through secure configuration backups
  • Implement a consistent approach to managing Kendra resources

AWS Services Affected

How It Works

The finder uses your cost and usage data and Kendra’s own query metrics, read-only, to find indices that are generating cost but have gone unused for an extended period. Each idle index appears in your Recommendations for you to approve. Once approved, the fixer runs as an AWS Systems Manager Automation runbook in your own account: it backs up the index configuration, then deletes the idle index. Every execution is logged, and the backed-up configuration allows the index to be restored if needed.

FAQ

What criteria are used to identify idle Kendra indices?

CloudFix flags an index as idle when it is generating cost but has received no queries for an extended period. Recently created indices are not flagged.

What happens when the Fixer is executed?

The current configuration of the idle Kendra index is backed up in your account, and then the index is deleted. This eliminates all costs associated with the index while preserving the ability to restore it if needed.

Is it possible to rollback once CloudFix implements the fixer?

Yes. You can start a rollback runbook that recreates the Kendra index with its previous configuration from the backup.

Does this fix require downtime?

No, this fix does not require any downtime since it only targets indices that are already idle and not being used.

Will this fix delete any data sources associated with the Kendra index?

No, this fix only removes the index itself. The underlying data (such as documents in S3 buckets or other data repositories) remains untouched. If you restore the index, you’ll need to decide when to restore the data sources.

How much can I save with this Finder/Fixer?

Since the idle index will be deleted, you will save all costs associated with it. This can amount to significant savings, as Kendra pricing starts at $810 per index per month for the Developer Edition and $1,008 per index per month for the Enterprise Edition.


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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