Migrate RDS and Aurora logs to CloudWatch Infrequent Access

This article describes an automated solution for migrating Amazon RDS and Aurora CloudWatch logs from Standard to Infrequent Access log class, achieving 50% cost savings on ingestion rates.

• Infrequent Access log class reduces ingestion costs by 50% for logs accessed periodically rather than in real-time
• Solution uses Lambda, EventBridge, and SES to orchestrate tag-based discovery, log group recreation, and verification
• Workflow includes disabling log exports, deleting and recreating log groups, scheduling re-enablement, and sending completion notifications
• Migration causes temporary log gaps during the process; existing logs are deleted unless exported to S3 beforehand
• Infrequent Access doesn't support subscription or metric filters; data protection incurs additional per-GB charges
• Example: 5 TB monthly logs saves $1,250/month ($15,000 annually) by switching from Standard to Infrequent Access
• CloudFormation template available for one-step deployment; manual implementation steps provided for customization

Organizations can significantly reduce CloudWatch logging costs for infrequently accessed RDS and Aurora logs by automating migration to the Infrequent Access log class while maintaining data durability and query capabilities.