Enable DynamoDB Table Auto Scaling Rule
This rule ensures DynamoDB table auto scaling is enabled to meet compliance standards.
| Rule | DynamoDB table auto scaling should be enabled |
| Framework | GxP 21 CFR Part 11 |
| Severity | ✔ High |
Rule Description:
DynamoDB table auto scaling should be enabled for GxP 21 CFR Part 11.
This rule ensures that the auto scaling feature is enabled for DynamoDB tables that are used to store data for GxP (Good Practice) activities in compliance with the regulations defined in 21 CFR Part 11. Auto scaling is essential to maintain optimal performance and availability of the DynamoDB tables while accommodating fluctuating workload demands.
Troubleshooting Steps:
If this rule is not being followed or enabled, the following steps can be taken to troubleshoot the issue:
- 1.
Verify Auto Scaling Status: Check the auto scaling configuration for the DynamoDB table in question. Ensure that auto scaling is enabled and properly configured.
- 2.
Review Current Workload: Analyze the current workload on the DynamoDB table. Evaluate the read and write capacity units (RCUs and WCUs) being consumed and assess if they are consistently reaching capacity limits.
- 3.
Check Scaling Policies: Review the existing auto scaling policies for the DynamoDB table. Ensure that the scaling policies are appropriately defined and aligned with the expected workload patterns.
- 4.
Analyze Alarms: Examine any CloudWatch alarms associated with the auto scaling policies. Validate that the alarms are triggering scaling actions based on the defined thresholds.
- 5.
Assess Performance Impact: Determine if there are any performance issues or latency experienced by the applications using the DynamoDB table. Identify if there are any hot partitions or bottlenecks that could be resolved through auto scaling.
Necessary Code:
There is no specific code required for enabling auto scaling in DynamoDB as it is a configuration setting managed through the AWS Management Console or programmatically using AWS SDKs.
Step-by-Step Guide for Enabling Auto Scaling:
Follow these detailed steps to enable auto scaling for a DynamoDB table:
- 1.
Open the AWS Management Console and navigate to the DynamoDB service.
- 2.
Select the desired region where your DynamoDB table is located.
- 3.
Locate and click on the target DynamoDB table for which auto scaling needs to be enabled.
- 4.
In the table summary page, navigate to the "Capacity" tab.
- 5.
Under the "Auto Scaling" section, click on the "Manage auto scaling" button.
- 6.
In the "Auto Scaling" page, click on the "Create scaling policy" button.
- 7.
Define the scaling policy by specifying the target utilization and provisioned capacity values.
- 8.
Set up CloudWatch alarms if required to trigger scaling actions based on the defined thresholds.
- 9.
Review and confirm the auto scaling policy configuration.
- 10.
Click on the "Create" or "Save" button to enable the auto scaling policy for the DynamoDB table.
- 11.
Monitor and validate the performance improvements and adaptability of the DynamoDB table to varying workloads.
Ensure that these steps are followed for all DynamoDB tables that hold data associated with GxP 21 CFR Part 11 activities.