Underutilized Provisioned IOPS on an EBS Volume

Service Category

Storage

Cloud Provider

AWS

Service Name

AWS EBS

Inefficiency Type

Overprovisioned Resource

Explanation

This inefficiency occurs when an EBS volume has provisioned IOPS levels that consistently exceed the actual I/O requirements of the workload it supports. This can happen when performance buffers are estimated too high, usage patterns change over time, or default settings are left unadjusted. Provisioned IOPS above the included baseline generate ongoing charges that may not reflect actual utilization, resulting in avoidable cost.

Relevant Billing Model

EBS volumes with configurable IOPS are billed based on both provisioned storage (per GB-month) and provisioned IOPS (per IOPS-month). Most volume types include a baseline amount of IOPS, and additional IOPS are billed separately—regardless of whether they are used. Charges accumulate continuously for any overprovisioned IOPS that exceed actual workload demand.

Detection

Review actual IOPS usage over a representative time window (e.g., 14–30 days)
Compare provisioned IOPS to peak and average demand to assess excess capacity
Confirm whether performance requirements or bursty workloads justify the current configuration
Validate with workload owners whether the IOPS level can be reduced without affecting performance

Remediation

Reduce the provisioned IOPS to a level more consistent with observed usage. Ensure that baseline performance remains sufficient for the workload’s needs, and consider whether standard burstable performance is acceptable. If needed, reconfigure both IOPS and throughput settings to optimize cost-performance alignment. Reassess regularly to avoid regression.

Relevant Documentation