AWS EBS Stale Snapshot Cleaner

This repository contains a Python AWS Lambda function that automatically detects and deletes stale EBS snapshots.

What is a Stale Snapshot?

A snapshot is considered stale when:

• It is not attached to any EBS volume.
• Its associated EBS volume no longer exists.
• The volume exists but is not attached to any running EC2 instance.

How It Works

The script uses Boto3 (AWS SDK for Python) to interact with AWS EC2 services and can be run either:

• On AWS Lambda (recommended for automation).
• Locally using LocalStack and AWS CLI for safe testing without incurring AWS costs.

Key Features

• Scans all snapshots owned by your AWS account.
• Identifies unused or orphaned snapshots.
• Deletes them to save storage costs and keep your AWS account clean.
• Can be scheduled via CloudWatch Events (cron) for periodic cleanup.

Requirements

• AWS CLI configured with the correct credentials, or LocalStack for local testing.
• Necessary IAM permissions to:
  • Describe EC2 instances, volumes, and snapshots.
  • Delete snapshots.
• Python 3.x and the boto3 package.

Usage

1. Deploy the function in AWS Lambda or run locally.
2. Ensure IAM permissions are granted for EC2 actions.
3. Optionally, set up a cron schedule to run automatically.
4. Always test in LocalStack before using in production to avoid accidental data loss.