AWS
Cloud Asset Inventory
What is an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory?
TL;DR:
AWS Cloud Asset Inventory is a comprehensive record of all your AWS resources (compute, storage, databases, networking, and IAM), essential for cost optimization, security compliance, and operational efficiency. Organizations can build inventories using AWS Config, Systems Manager, third-party tools like CloudQuery, or custom solutions. AWS Config provides native integration but can be expensive for large environments, while third-party solutions offer multi-cloud support and cost advantages. The right choice depends on your environment size, budget, and multi-cloud requirements.
An AWS Cloud Asset Inventory refers to a comprehensive, centralized record of all resources and services deployed and utilized within an organization's Amazon Web Services (AWS) environment. This inventory provides a detailed overview of various cloud assets, including but not limited to:
Compute Instances #
The computational foundation of cloud infrastructure includes EC2 instances providing virtual machine capabilities across multiple instance types and sizes, containers running on ECS and EKS that provide orchestrated containerized workloads, and serverless functions in Lambda that execute code without server management overhead.
Storage Resources #
Data storage components encompass S3 buckets providing object storage for applications and backup systems, EBS volumes delivering persistent block storage for EC2 instances, and specialized storage solutions including EFS for shared file systems and Glacier for long-term archival.
Databases #
Database services include relational databases in RDS supporting MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and SQL Server with managed maintenance and scaling, NoSQL databases like DynamoDB providing high-performance key-value and document storage, and data warehouses in Redshift enabling complex analytics on large datasets.
Networking Components #
Network infrastructure comprises VPCs creating isolated virtual networks within AWS regions, subnets organizing resources within availability zones for traffic management and security, IP addresses including Elastic IPs for consistent external connectivity, Route 53 DNS settings managing domain resolution and traffic routing, and security groups functioning as virtual firewalls controlling inbound and outbound traffic.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) #
Access control systems include users representing individual identities with specific permissions, roles providing temporary credentials for services and applications, policies defining specific permissions and access rules in JSON format, and access levels ranging from read-only monitoring to administrative control over resources.
Purpose and Benefits of an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory #
The primary purpose of an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory is to provide organizations with complete visibility and control over their cloud infrastructure. Effective asset management has become essential for operational excellence and financial efficiency.
Cost Optimization #
Asset inventory enables identification of underutilized resources, including instances running with low CPU utilization, orphaned resources such as unattached EBS volumes and unused Elastic IPs, and unnecessary spending through redundant services or oversized instances.
Research indicates organizations can achieve up to 40% cost reduction through effective asset management [Cloudviz]. This represents a significant financial impact for organizations with substantial cloud deployments.
Security and Compliance #
Comprehensive asset tracking enables configuration monitoring across environments, vulnerability identification before security incidents occur, and adherence verification to security policies and regulatory requirements.
Modern compliance frameworks, including SOC 2 and HIPAA, require accurate asset inventories for data protection and access control [AWS Security Blog]. Regulatory audits increasingly focus on organizations' ability to demonstrate complete visibility into their cloud environments.
Operational Efficiency #
Asset inventories facilitate resource management by providing centralized visibility into deployments, troubleshooting capabilities through comprehensive resource relationships, and infrastructure planning based on actual usage patterns and capacity requirements.
Governance #
Governance capabilities include maintaining accurate records for compliance auditing, ensuring adherence to internal and external policies, and providing documentation required for regulatory reporting and organizational accountability.
Your Options for Building an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory #
Organizations can build and maintain an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory using various tools and methods. Here's what's actually available and how they compare:
AWS Config #
AWS Config provides continuous monitoring and recording of AWS resource configurations [AWS Config Documentation]. This native AWS service integrates seamlessly with other AWS services and provides automated compliance checking.
Advantages include native AWS integration, continuous monitoring capabilities, and automated remediation triggers. However, AWS Config costs $0.003 per configuration item, potentially resulting in monthly expenses of $90,000-$360,000 for environments with 1 million resources [CloudQuery AWS Config Cost Analysis]. Additionally, AWS Config only supports AWS resources, limiting its utility for multi-cloud environments.
AWS Systems Manager #
Systems Manager provides instance and resource inventory capabilities [AWS Systems Manager Inventory]. This service focuses primarily on software inventory and patch management for EC2 instances and on-premises servers.
Systems Manager excels at OS-level inventory and configuration management but provides limited coverage for comprehensive cloud resource governance across all AWS services.
Third-party Solutions #
Specialized platforms designed for cloud asset management and inventory offer enhanced capabilities beyond AWS native tools. These solutions typically provide multi-cloud support, advanced analytics, and integration with existing enterprise tools.
Custom Solutions #
Organizations can develop custom inventory systems using AWS APIs and scripting to collect and store asset metadata in centralized databases. While this approach provides maximum customization, it requires significant development and maintenance resources.
Building an AWS Cloud Asset Inventory Management with CloudQuery #
CloudQuery represents a comprehensive solution for AWS asset inventory management, addressing limitations found in traditional approaches. The platform operates entirely on customer infrastructure while providing extensive multi-cloud capabilities.
CloudQuery processes data at rates up to 4 million rows per second and supports 70+ data sources, including all major cloud providers [CloudQuery Architecture]. Unlike proprietary solutions, CloudQuery syncs data to customer-chosen destinations, including PostgreSQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, and 15+ supported data destinations.
Performance advantages include 30x cost reduction compared to AWS Config, multi-cloud coverage spanning AWS, GCP, Azure, Kubernetes, and 60+ additional sources, and complete data sovereignty through on-premises execution [CloudQuery vs AWS Config].
Enterprise implementations demonstrate significant results: Ridgeline Investment Management achieved 31% daily cost reduction while expanding monitoring from 150 to 329 resource types across 252 cloud accounts [Ridgeline Case Study].
The platform provides plugin architecture for custom integrations, SOC 2 Type II certification for enterprise security requirements, and comprehensive AWS service coverage, including EC2, S3, RDS, Lambda, IAM, VPC, and all major AWS services [CloudQuery Hub].
Getting Started with CloudQuery for AWS Asset Inventory #
Let's walk through setting up CloudQuery to build your AWS asset inventory. This process is straightforward enough that you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.
Installation and Setup #
Follow our complete quickstart guide for detailed setup instructions [CloudQuery macOS Quickstart].
Install CloudQuery using Homebrew:
brew install cloudquery/tap/cloudquery
Initialize Your Configuration #
Use CloudQuery's interactive setup to generate your configuration:
cloudquery init --source aws --destination postgresql
This command creates a ready-to-use configuration file that you can customize for your specific AWS environment. The init command automatically configures the AWS source plugin with PostgreSQL destination and includes all necessary tables for a comprehensive asset inventory.
Running Your First Sync #
Execute the sync to populate your asset inventory:
cloudquery sync aws_to_postgresql.yml
Querying Your AWS Asset Inventory #
Once synced, query your complete AWS asset inventory with SQL:
-- Get overview of all AWS resources by service and type
SELECT
'ec2' as service,
'instance' as resource_type,
COUNT(*) as count,
account_id,
region
FROM aws_ec2_instances
GROUP BY account_id, region
UNION ALL
SELECT
's3' as service,
'bucket' as resource_type,
COUNT(*) as count,
account_id,
region
FROM aws_s3_buckets
GROUP BY account_id, region
ORDER BY count DESC;
-- Find untagged resources for cost allocation
SELECT
account_id,
region,
instance_id,
instance_type,
state,
'Missing cost allocation tags' as issue
FROM aws_ec2_instances
WHERE tags = '{}'::jsonb
OR NOT tags ? 'Environment'
OR NOT tags ? 'Team';
-- Identify security risks
SELECT
account_id,
region,
group_id,
group_name,
'Overly permissive security group' as risk
FROM aws_ec2_security_groups sg,
jsonb_array_elements(sg.ip_permissions) as rule
WHERE rule->>'IpRanges' LIKE '%0.0.0.0/0%'
AND rule->>'IpProtocol' != 'icmp';
The beauty of CloudQuery is that your data lives in your chosen destination, meaning you can build dashboards, run complex analytics, and integrate with existing business intelligence tools without vendor lock-in.
The Bottom Line #
We've covered the essential components of AWS Cloud Asset Inventory – from compute instances and storage resources to databases, networking components, and IAM configurations. These comprehensive records serve four critical purposes: cost optimization through identifying waste, security and compliance through configuration tracking, operational efficiency through better resource management, and governance through accurate auditing capabilities.
Your tool options range from AWS native solutions like Config and Systems Manager to third-party platforms and custom-built solutions. Each approach has trade-offs in cost, functionality, and complexity. AWS Config provides seamless AWS integration, but can become expensive at scale. Systems Manager focuses on instance-level inventory. Third-party solutions like CloudQuery offer multi-cloud capabilities with significant cost advantages.
The reality is simple: AWS Cloud Asset Inventory isn't optional anymore – it's fundamental for running a professional cloud operation. Whether you're managing dozens or thousands of resources, you need complete visibility into your environment.
Ready to build your AWS asset inventory? Check out the CloudQuery documentation to learn more about advanced configurations and integrations. Your future self will thank you when you're not scrambling to explain mysterious AWS charges or hunting for resources during your next security audit.
