What happens if an instance within an auto scaling group (ASG) is terminated but the instance is not detached from the ASG?

Nithin G
3 min readNov 29, 2023

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Autoscaling Groups role play

What is ASG?

Auto Scaling Groups (ASGs) are a key feature provided by cloud computing platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure, and others. ASGs are designed to automatically manage and adjust the number of instances (virtual machines or servers) in response to changes in demand or based on predefined conditions.ASGs provide a way to ensure that the right number of instances are available to handle varying workloads, maintain application availability, and optimize resource utilization

If you want to know more insight then click here ASG

Let’s move to the topic ahead. What happens to ASG!!!!

If an instance within an auto scaling group (ASG) is terminated but the instance is not detached from the ASG, it can lead to a situation where the ASG is unaware of the termination. This scenario might occur due to various reasons:

1. External Termination: Sometimes, instances within an ASG might be terminated externally, either manually or due to underlying cloud infrastructure actions (e.g., hardware failure, maintenance tasks by the cloud provider).

2. Failure in Communication: There might be instances where the termination signal or event does not reach the ASG, causing a discrepancy between the actual instance status and the ASG’s perceived state.

In such a case, here's what could happen:

- Impact on Desired Capacity: If the terminated instance is not explicitly marked as detached or removed from the ASG, the ASG might not immediately recognize the reduction in the number of instances.

- Scaling Actions:The ASG might not take immediate actions to replace the terminated instance if it’s unaware of the termination. This could impact the ASG’s ability to maintain the desired capacity and could result in a situation where the actual number of running instances is less than the desired capacity.

To address this situation:

1. Health Checks and Auto-Recovery: The ASG continuously performs health checks on instances. If the terminated instance fails a health check, the ASG might eventually recognize it as unhealthy and launch a replacement instance to maintain the desired capacity.

2. Manual Intervention:In cases where the ASG fails to recognize the termination, manual intervention might be required. This could involve identifying and detaching the terminated instance from the ASG, triggering the ASG to launch a replacement instance.

3. Troubleshooting and Monitoring: Monitoring tools and logs can be used to identify discrepancies between the ASG’s expected state and the actual instances running. Troubleshooting and taking corrective actions can help in aligning the ASG’s state with the actual infrastructure.

It's crucial to regularly monitor the health and status of instances within an ASG and ensure that any terminated instances are appropriately detached or removed to maintain the ASG's desired capacity and overall health. Automated health checks, manual intervention when necessary, and regular maintenance can help prevent discrepancies and ensure the ASG operates as intended.

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Nithin G
Nithin G

Written by Nithin G

I am Devops Consultant who talks about Cloud, DevOps, Docker and Kubernetes. I have also been a part of many DevOps transformation Project.