RDS Charged Backup Usage out of nowhere
Hello.
We previously had an over-dimensioned 1TB gp2 RDS instance, which we kept running with automated snapshots. When we decided to migrate to smaller storage to optmize RDS costs, we took a couple manual snapshots of that instance from Jul. 10 ~ Jul. 12, and we noticed a natural spike in the charges for RDS Backup Usage:
When filtering by the tag dimension, we figured it was really backup usage for that over-dimensioned instance, because the user attributed by the aws:createdBy tag was the same user who created that instance (blue bars), inherited from the aws:createdBy of the RDS instance.
Until we finally deleted all of these snapshots (which had an aws:createdBy user attributed) last wednesday (Aug. 3th). Then, cost explorer started showing "No tag key: aws:createdBy" for that same charge (pink bars).
The new, db.t4g.small, 50GB gp3 instance has automated daily snapshots with a week-long retention time.
What's even weirder is that our total used storage for that instance (old and new) never even reached a whole GB:
Because of how incremental snapshots work, we assume it can't be the new instance either. Also, we have an "owner" cost allocation tag, which each automated snapshot has set up, and when filtering by "owner" tag, no charged backup usage shows up.
These charges are all from us-east-1.
We'd like to know how we're still being charged, and why the charges are and were so large (given the 30GB-month usage for an instance with barely 15MB of real content).
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There are several possible reasons why you're still seeing RDS backup storage charges even after deleting your snapshots:
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Resources in different regions: While you mentioned checking us-east-1, there could be forgotten RDS resources, snapshots, or backups in other AWS regions that you haven't checked.
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Hidden backups: Check all snapshot tabs in the RDS console, including automated backups, system snapshots, and those shared with you. Make sure to look under all tabs: Manual, System, Shared with me, and Backup Service.
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Automated backup retention: AWS may retain automated backups for a period after instances are deleted, which can still incur charges. Check the "Automated Backups" section in the RDS console and look under all tabs: Current Region, Replicated, and Retained.
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Delayed billing updates: AWS billing can sometimes have a delay in reflecting changes, so charges might appear for usage that occurred before deletion.
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Backup retention settings: If your previous RDS instance had a high backup retention period, those backups might still exist and incur charges.
To troubleshoot this issue:
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Use AWS Cost Explorer with daily granularity to better identify exactly what RDS features are generating the charges. Filter by "Service" (select RDS) and "Usage Type" to see detailed information.
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For your active RDS instance, check if the "Automated backup retention period" is set higher than needed.
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Look for any RDS proxies or other related services that might still be active.
If after these steps you still can't identify the source of the charges, contacting AWS Support through the "Account and billing" option would be your best course of action. They can help identify the specific resources causing the unexpected charges.
Sources
Unexpected Charges for Amazon RDS Backup Storage — No Automated Backups Found | AWS re:Post
I am still being charged for a AWS RDS even though i have deleted the database and any snapshots. | AWS re:Post
Relational Database Service Charges How to Stop | AWS re:Post
RDS snapshots are not deleted and continue to be billed | AWS re:Post
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