AWS Backup Cold Storage

Opportunity Name

AWS Backup Cold Storage Migration (Warm → Cold)

AWS Resource Type (AWS service name)

AWS Backup – Recovery Points (stored in Backup Vaults)

Opportunity Description

AWS Backup supports two storage tiers for recovery points: warm (higher cost, faster access) and cold (lower cost, slower retrieval with higher retrieval fees). This opportunity identifies eligible AWS Backup recovery points currently incurring WarmStorage charges that could be migrated to cold storage to reduce long-term backup storage costs while maintaining durability and security. Cold storage is best suited for backups that must be retained for compliance or long-term recovery but are rarely restored.

Criteria for identifying the opportunity

CloudFix identifies recovery points that meet cost and eligibility requirements:

Cost / activity filters (from CUR)

A recovery point is considered when:

• It has AWSBackup WarmStorage usage in the last 31 days (30-day window, annualized).

• Annualized amortized cost > $10.

• It is still active recently: last seen within the last 7 days.

• It has been present long enough for stability: first seen more than 21 days ago.

Eligibility validations (AWS Backup API checks)

CloudFix then validates each candidate recovery point:

1. ResourceExist

   • Recovery point must still exist in AWS Backup.

   • CloudFix enumerates backup vaults and recovery points, then uses DescribeRecoveryPoint for details.

2. ServiceSupported

   • Recovery point must be from a supported service for cold storage:
     EBS, EFS, DynamoDB, Timestream, SAP HANA on EC2, VMware

3. WarmStorage

   • Recovery point must not already be in cold storage (or transitioning).

   • Fails if storage class is "COLD" or in a transition state.

4. MinAge

   • Recovery point must be at least 30 days old (configurable; default 30).

5. KeepForAtLeast90days

   • Ensures the recovery point lifecycle allows for ≥ 90 days in cold storage (based on calculated delete date / lifecycle configuration).

6. NoColdStorageLifecycle

   • Ensures the recovery point does not already have a cold storage lifecycle configured.

Potential Savings (if known)

Savings depend on region, service, and stored GB-months, but the cold tier is designed for substantial reductions. Cold storage can provide up to ~80% reduction in storage fees versus warm storage for supported services (example given for EFS pricing). Savings are weighed against higher retrieval cost and longer retrieval times.

CloudFix estimated savings calculation:

• WarmAnnualCost = annualized warm cost from CUR

• ColdAnnualCost = WarmAnnualCost / warmUnitPrice * coldUnitPrice

• SavingsUsd = WarmAnnualCost - ColdAnnualCost

What happens when the Fixer is Executed?

There is no automatic fixer for this opportunity.
CloudFix will only generate a recommendation identifying eligible recovery points and estimated savings. Implementation must be done manually by adjusting backup lifecycle behavior in AWS Backup (or by taking actions consistent with your retention strategy).

Is it possible to roll back once CloudFix implements the Fixer?

Since CloudFix does not implement the change automatically, rollback depends on what you do in AWS.

Important behaviors to note:

• Transitioning a given backup to cold storage is irreversible for that recovery point.

• If you update lifecycle policies later, changes generally apply to new backups going forward (not necessarily existing recovery points, depending on your configuration and how the transition was performed).

Can CloudFix implement the fix automatically once I accept the recommendation?

No. This opportunity is recommendation-only (Finder with no Fixer).

Does the fix require downtime?

No downtime is expected, because this relates to backup storage tiering, not modifying the running production workload.
However, you should consider operational impact:

• Restores from cold storage may take longer

• Retrieval may cost more per GB than warm storage

These trade-offs should be validated against your RTO/RPO requirements and compliance needs.

Additional Resources

• AWS Backup documentation (cold storage / lifecycle policies)

• AWS Pricing documentation (for warm vs cold unit prices)