Search for Well Architected Advice
< All Topics
Print

Remove unneeded or redundant data

Efficient data management is critical for sustainability, as it reduces the environmental impact of data storage. By systematically identifying and removing unneeded or redundant data, organizations can minimize storage consumption and decrease associated operational costs.

Best Practices

  • Regular Data Audits: Conduct regular audits to identify and classify data. This practice is important for discovering redundant or obsolete information, allowing you to make informed decisions on what can be removed or archived effectively.
  • Implement Data Retention Policies: Establish data retention policies that dictate how long different types of data should be kept. This ensures that data is kept only as long as necessary, effectively reducing storage needs and helping achieve sustainability goals.

Supporting Questions

  • Do you have a process for regularly reviewing your storage requirements and removing unnecessary data?

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Data Steward: Responsible for overseeing data management practices and ensuring compliance with data management policies.
  • IT Operations Manager: Responsible for implementing and maintaining the technical processes for data removal and retention.

Artifacts

  • Data Deletion Policy Document: A document outlining the guidelines and responsibilities for the regular removal of unneeded data.
  • Data Inventory Report: An inventory report that lists all data sets currently being stored, their usage patterns, and any redundancies.

Cloud Services

AWS

  • Amazon S3: Amazon S3 allows for efficient data storage management, including lifecycle policies that may automatically transition data to cheaper storage classes or delete it when it is no longer needed.
  • AWS Data Lifecycle Manager: This service enables you to automate the process of taking snapshots and managing your EBS volumes, which helps in removing redundant data to align with your sustainability objectives.

Question: How do you take advantage of data management policies and patterns to support your sustainability goals?
Pillar: Sustainability (Code: SUS)

Table of Contents