How To Address Increased CPU Usage on AWS Instances and Accounts

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If you notice that your RDS databases are showing a slight but persistent increase in CPU usage starting at the same time across multiple accounts, it can be confusing and concerning. Here’s a guide to help you understand what might be happening and how to troubleshoot it.

First, check your CloudWatch metrics carefully. In some situations, only CPU usage may rise without other metrics changing. This could be caused by background processes, minor query patterns, or routine operations that don’t significantly impact other performance metrics.

If restarting the databases and applying pending updates didn’t fix the issue, don’t worry. This problem can occur across different database engines like MariaDB, PostgreSQL, and various instance types such as t3 and t4g series. The key is to identify what’s causing the consistent CPU increase.

Next, try creating a new, empty database without any applications connected. Monitor its CPU usage to see if it’s similar to your active databases. If even a fresh database experiences the same CPU increase, then the issue might not be with your data or queries. This could indicate a network level issue, a background AWS process, or something affecting multiple instances across your accounts.

In some cases, subtle changes in the environment or background processes within AWS can cause these CPU spikes without affecting other metrics. Keep an eye on things like scheduled tasks, maintenance operations, or external scripts running during that time frame.

If the CPU increase is mild and steady, but doesn’t impact database performance, and your application responds normally, it might not be an urgent concern. However, if performance degrades or the CPU usage keeps climbing, you should reach out to AWS support. They can help identify if there’s a cloud-side process or issue affecting multiple accounts.

Remember, keeping a close eye on your CloudWatch metrics, testing with fresh database instances, and checking for scheduled tasks can often provide clues. If needed, involve AWS support for a deeper look. This approach helps you manage your databases effectively and ensures they run smoothly without unnecessary worries.