We can use Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager to automate the creation, retention, and deletion of EBS snapshots and EBS-backed AMIs
When we automate snapshot and AMI management, it helps us to:
Protect valuable data by enforcing a regular backup schedule
Create standardized AMIs that can be refreshed at regular intervals
Retain backups as required by auditors or internal compliance
Reduce storage costs by deleting outdated backups.
Create disaster recovery backup policies that back up data to isolated Regions or accounts
Policies
With Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager, we create policies to define your backup creation and retention requirements
These policies typically specify the following:
Policy type — Defines the type of backup resources that the policy manages (snapshots or EBS-backed AMIs)
Target resources — Defines the type of resources that are targeted by the policy (instances or EBS volumes)
Creation frequency — Defines how often the policy runs and creates snapshots or AMIs
Retention threshold — Defines how long the policy retains snapshots or AMIs after creation
Additional actions — Defines additional actions that the policy should perform, such as cross-Region copying, archiving, or resource tagging
Default policies: back up all volumes and instances in a Region that do not have recent backups
Custom policies: target specific resources based on their assigned tags and support advanced features, such as fast snapshot restore, snapshot archiving, cross-account copying, and pre and post scripts