Recommended actions for Amazon EC2 instances affected by scheduled events
The following topic explains the actions you should take when your Amazon EC2 instance is affected by a scheduled event.
Topics
Actions for instances scheduled to stop or retire
When Amazon detects irreparable failure of the underlying host for your instance, it schedules the instance to stop or terminate, depending on the type of root device for the instance. If the root device is an EBS volume, the instance is scheduled to stop. If the root device is an instance store volume, the instance is scheduled to terminate. For more information, see Instance retirement.
Important
Any data stored on instance store volumes is lost when an instance is stopped, hibernated, or terminated. This includes instance store volumes that are attached to an instance that has an EBS volume as the root device. Be sure to save data from your instance store volumes that you might need later before the instance is stopped, hibernated, or terminated.
Actions for Instances Backed by Amazon EBS
You can wait for the instance to stop as scheduled. Alternatively, you can stop and start the instance yourself, which migrates it to a new host. For more information about stopping your instance, in addition to information about the changes to your instance configuration when it's stopped, see Stop and start Amazon EC2 instances.
You can automate an immediate stop and start in response to a scheduled instance stop event. For more information, see Automating actions for Amazon EC2 instances in the Amazon Health User Guide.
Actions for Instances Backed by Instance Store
We recommend that you launch a replacement instance from your most recent AMI and migrate all necessary data to the replacement instance before the instance is scheduled to terminate. Then, you can terminate the original instance, or wait for it to terminate as scheduled.
Actions for instances scheduled for reboot
When Amazon must perform tasks such as installing updates or maintaining the underlying host, it can schedule the instance or the underlying host for a reboot. You can reschedule most reboot events so that your instance is rebooted at a specific date and time that suits you.
View the reboot event type
You can view whether a reboot event is an instance reboot or a system reboot by using one of the following methods.
Actions for instance reboot
You can wait for the instance reboot to occur within its scheduled maintenance window, reschedule the instance reboot to a date and time that suits you, or reboot the instance yourself at a time that is convenient for you.
After your instance is rebooted, the scheduled event is cleared and the event's description is updated. The pending maintenance to the underlying host is completed, and you can begin using your instance again after it has fully booted.
Actions for system reboot
It is not possible for you to reboot the system yourself. You can wait for the system reboot to occur during its scheduled maintenance window, or you can reschedule the system reboot to a date and time that suits you. A system reboot typically completes in a matter of minutes. After the system reboot has occurred, the instance retains its IP address and DNS name, and any data on local instance store volumes is preserved. After the system reboot is complete, the scheduled event for the instance is cleared, and you can verify that the software on your instance is operating as expected.
Alternatively, if it is necessary to maintain the instance at a different time and you can't reschedule the system reboot, then you can stop and start an Amazon EBS-backed instance, which migrates it to a new host. However, the data on the local instance store volumes is not preserved. You can also automate an immediate instance stop and start in response to a scheduled system reboot event. For more information, see Automating Actions for EC2 Instances in the Amazon Health User Guide. For an instance store-backed instance, if you can't reschedule the system reboot, then you can launch a replacement instance from your most recent AMI, migrate all necessary data to the replacement instance before the scheduled maintenance window, and then terminate the original instance.
Actions for instances scheduled for maintenance
When Amazon must maintain the underlying host for an instance, it schedules the instance for maintenance. There are two types of maintenance events: network maintenance and power maintenance.
During network maintenance, scheduled instances lose network connectivity for a brief period of time. Normal network connectivity to your instance is restored after maintenance is complete.
During power maintenance, scheduled instances are taken offline for a brief period, and then rebooted. When a reboot is performed, all of your instance's configuration settings are retained.
After your instance has rebooted (this normally takes a few minutes), verify that your application is working as expected. At this point, your instance should no longer have a scheduled event associated with it, or if it does, the description of the scheduled event begins with [Completed]. It sometimes takes up to 1 hour for the instance status description to refresh. Completed maintenance events are displayed on the Amazon EC2 console dashboard for up to a week.
Actions for Instances Backed by Amazon EBS
You can wait for the maintenance to occur as scheduled. Alternatively, you can stop and start the instance, which migrates it to a new host. For more information about stopping your instance, in addition to information about the changes to your instance configuration when it's stopped, see Stop and start Amazon EC2 instances.
You can automate an immediate stop and start in response to a scheduled maintenance event. For more information, see Automating Actions for EC2 Instances in the Amazon Health User Guide.
Actions for instances backed by instance store
You can wait for the maintenance to occur as scheduled. Alternatively, if you want to maintain normal operation during a scheduled maintenance window, you can launch a replacement instance from your most recent AMI, migrate all necessary data to the replacement instance before the scheduled maintenance window, and then terminate the original instance.