---
title: EC2 instance is not EBS optimized
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > EC2 instance is not EBS optimized
---

# EC2 instance is not EBS optimized

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## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `338b6cab-961d-4998-bb49-e5b6a11c9a5c`

**Cloud Provider:** AWS

**Platform:** Ansible

**Severity:** Low

**Category:** Best Practices

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/amazon/aws/ec2_instance_module.html#parameter-ebs_optimized)

### Description{% #description %}

EC2 instances must be EBS-optimized to ensure consistent, high-performance EBS I/O and reduce contention between EBS traffic and other instance operations.

For Ansible EC2 tasks using the `amazon.aws.ec2_instance` or `ec2_instance` module, the `ebs_optimized` property must be defined and set to `true` for instance types that are not EBS-optimized by default. If `instance_type` is omitted, the default `t2.micro` is assumed. Instance types that are EBS-optimized by default are exempt and are not flagged. Tasks missing the `ebs_optimized` property or with `ebs_optimized: false` are reported.

Secure configuration example:

```yaml
- name: Launch EBS-optimized EC2
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: my-instance
    instance_type: m5.large
    image_id: ami-0123456789abcdef0
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    ebs_optimized: true
```

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
- name: example4
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    image_id: ami-123456
    instance_type: t2.micro
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: my_sg
    ebs_optimized: true
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```

```yaml
- name: example5
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    instance_type: m5.large
    image_id: ami-123456
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: my_sg
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```yaml
- name: example2
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    instance_type: t2.micro
    image_id: ami-123456
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: default
    ebs_optimized: false
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```

```yaml
- name: example3
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    image_id: ami-123456
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: default
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```

```yaml
- name: example
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    instance_type: t2.micro
    image_id: ami-123456
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: default
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```

```yaml
- name: example t3 with ebs disabled
  amazon.aws.ec2_instance:
    name: app-server
    key_name: mykey
    instance_type: t3.nano
    image_id: ami-123456
    vpc_subnet_id: subnet-29e63245
    security_group: my_sg
    ebs_optimized: false
    network:
      assign_public_ip: false
```