# Automatic restart of stopped Aurora clusters causing unintended compute charges Canonical: https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/automatic-restart-of-stopped-aurora-clusters-causing-unintended-compute-charges Amazon Aurora database clusters are intentionally stopped to avoid compute costs but are automatically restarted by the service after the maximum... By: Paul Marcelin [Cloud Efficiency Hub](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) # Automatic Restart of Stopped Aurora Clusters Causing Unintended Compute Charges The short version Amazon Aurora database clusters are intentionally stopped to avoid compute costs but are automatically restarted by the service after the maximum allowed stop period. [Paul Marcelin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelin/) Infrastructure Developer @ Independent AWS service [AWS Aurora](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/cloud-services/aws-aurora) Category [Databases](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/service-category/databases) Reference CER-0293 Type Idle or Unused Resource ## Explanation Why the waste happens and who it affects. Once restarted, re-started database instances begin accruing instance-hour charges even if the database is not needed. Because Aurora does not provide native lifecycle controls to keep clusters stopped indefinitely, this behavior can result in recurring, unintended compute spend - particularly in non-production, seasonal, or infrequently accessed environments where clusters are stopped and forgotten. ## Billing model The pricing dimensions that drive this cost. Amazon Aurora compute is billed per database instance-hour. When a cluster is stopped, instance-hour charges pause while storage and backup charges continue. Aurora automatically restarts stopped clusters after a 7-day stop period, at which point compute charges resume. ## How to detect 3 checks to find it in your estate. - Review whether stopped Aurora clusters are restarting automatically after the 7-day stop period - Identify clusters that repeatedly transition from stopped to running without explicit user intent - Assess whether re-started clusters are serving active workloads or remain unused ## How to fix 3 ways to remove the waste. - Use automation to re-stop clusters in response to automatic restart events, taking care to avoid race conditions by accounting for intermediate database cluster and database instance states - Delete database instances from idle database clusters, carefully controlling deletion order; add new database instances when the cluster is needed again - Completely delete idle database clusters to eliminate compute and storage charges, and restore clusters from final snapshots when needed ## Documentation Vendor references for pricing and configuration. - [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/aurora-cluster-stop-start.html docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/aurora-cluster-stop-start.html) - [https://aws.amazon.com/rds/aurora/pricing/ aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/rds/aurora/pricing/) - [https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/aurora-storage-backup.html docs.aws.amazon.com](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/AuroraUserGuide/aurora-storage-backup.html) ## Related inefficiencies [Browse the library](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub) - AWS Aurora CER-0247 ### [Misuse of Aurora Serverless for Steady-State Workloads](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/misuse-of-aurora-serverless-for-steady-state-workloads-6c2d9) Aurora Serverless is designed for workloads with unpredictable or intermittent usage patterns that benefit from automatic scaling. However, when used for databases with constant load, the service's elasticity offers little advantage and... Databases - AWS Aurora CER-0236 ### [Outdated Aurora Versions Triggering Extended Support Charges](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/outdated-aurora-versions-triggering-extended-support-charges) Customers often delay upgrading Aurora clusters due to compatibility concerns or operational overhead. However, when older versions such as Aurora MySQL 2 (MySQL 5.7) or Aurora PostgreSQL 11, 12 and 13 move into Extended Support, AWS... Databases - AWS Aurora CER-0043 ### [Suboptimal Storage Configuration for Aurora Cluster](https://www.pointfive.co/efficiency-hub/inefficiencies/suboptimal-storage-configuration-for-aurora-cluster) Many Aurora clusters default to using the Standard configuration, which charges separately for I/O operations. For workloads with frequent read and write activity, this can lead to unnecessarily high costs. Aurora I/O-Optimized eliminates... Databases --- Source: the public page above. Product screenshots and illustrative interfaces are examples, not live customer data.