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AWS Tutorials: How to Shutdown (Stop / Start) OpenSearch Service in AWS?

July 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

AWS OpenSearch Service does not have a direct “stop” or “shutdown” feature like EC2 instances. However, you can manage costs and reduce resource usage through various strategies, though it is not possible to temporarily stop billing entirely by “shutting down” the service. Here are some options:

Strategies for Reducing Costs Without Direct Shutdown

1.  Scale Down Resources:
•   Reduce Instance Count: Decrease the number of data nodes or use smaller instance types when the full capacity is not needed.
•   Adjust Storage: Reduce the allocated storage or switch to more cost-effective storage options.
2.  Auto-Scaling:
•   Implement auto-scaling policies to automatically adjust the number of instances based on traffic and load. This can help manage costs during periods of low activity.
3.  Use Snapshots and Delete Domain:
•   Backup Data: Take manual snapshots of your domain to back up your data.
•   Delete Domain: Delete the domain when not in use and recreate it later using the snapshots. Note that this approach involves downtime and the cost of snapshots but can reduce costs if domains are not needed for extended periods.
4.  Reserved Instances:
•   Purchase Reserved Instances if your usage is predictable to take advantage of reduced pricing compared to On-Demand instances.
5.  Hot/Warm Architecture:
•   Implement a hot/warm architecture to store less frequently accessed data on cheaper, lower-performance nodes.

To manage and optimize your OpenSearch service, you have two primary approaches: Automate Scaling Down and Scaling Up, and taking a full snapshot and recreating an OpenSearch domain. Below are the detailed steps for both approaches.

Approach 1: Automate Scaling Down and Scaling Up

Automating the scaling of your OpenSearch domain involves adjusting the resources allocated to your domain based on its workload. This helps in maintaining performance during high demand and reducing costs during low demand.

Steps:

1.  Define Metrics and Thresholds:
•   Determine the key metrics that will trigger scaling actions. Common metrics include CPU utilization, memory usage, and disk space.
•   Set threshold values for these metrics to trigger scaling up or down.
2.  Set Up Monitoring:
•   Use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor the metrics for your OpenSearch domain.
•   Create CloudWatch alarms based on the thresholds you defined.
3.  Create Scaling Policies:
•   Configure AWS Auto Scaling policies that define the actions to take when CloudWatch alarms are triggered.
•   Policies should specify the minimum and maximum number of instances and the step size for scaling.
4.  Automate Scaling Actions:
•   Use AWS Lambda functions to automate the scaling actions. These functions can increase or decrease the number of nodes in your OpenSearch cluster based on the policies.
•   Ensure that the Lambda functions are triggered by the CloudWatch alarms.
5.  Testing and Validation:
•   Test the scaling policies and automation scripts in a staging environment to ensure they work as expected.
•   Monitor the performance and cost impacts in the production environment to validate the approach.

Approach 2: Take Full Snapshot & Re-create an OpenSearch Domain

Taking a full snapshot and recreating the OpenSearch domain is useful for disaster recovery, major version upgrades, or significant changes to your domain configuration.

Steps:

1.  Take a Full Snapshot:
•   Use the snapshot feature in OpenSearch to create a backup of your entire domain.
•   Store the snapshot in a secure S3 bucket.
2.  Create a New OpenSearch Domain:
•   Define the configuration for the new OpenSearch domain, including instance types, storage, and network settings.
•   Ensure that the new domain configuration meets your current and future needs.
3.  Restore from Snapshot:
•   Use the snapshot stored in S3 to restore the data to the new OpenSearch domain.
•   Verify that the data has been restored correctly and that the new domain is functioning as expected.
4.  Update Endpoint References:
•   Update your application or services to point to the new OpenSearch domain endpoint.
•   Ensure that there is minimal downtime during the switch.
5.  Test and Validate:
•   Conduct thorough testing to ensure that the new domain performs as expected and that all data is intact.
•   Monitor the new domain for any performance issues or errors.
6.  Decommission Old Domain:
•   Once you are confident that the new domain is stable and fully functional, decommission the old OpenSearch domain.
•   Ensure that you have retained any necessary data or configurations from the old domain before decommissioning.

Choosing Between Approaches

•   Automate Scaling: Best for managing varying workloads and optimizing costs dynamically. Suitable for environments with fluctuating demand and where downtime is not acceptable.
•   Snapshot & Recreate: Ideal for disaster recovery, major upgrades, or significant changes to the domain setup. Suitable when a planned downtime can be accommodated, and data integrity is crucial.
Rajesh Kumar
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