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alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory

Audit Alibaba Cloud ECS CPU utilization and generate idle instance cost reports.

Updated Jun 3, 2026
Search Tags:#ecs#finops#alibaba cloud#aliyun cli#cloud cost optimization#cpu utilization#idle instance
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/alex-quan-001/nutshell-skills --skill alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory
Source: https://github.com/alex-quan-001/nutshell-skills/tree/main/skills/finops/alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/alex-quan-001/nutshell-skills --skill alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill requires aliyun, jq, bc, and includes scripts (resource) and references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Manually checking each Alibaba Cloud ECS instance's CPU usage across multiple accounts and regions to find idle or underutilized resources is time-consuming and error-prone, leading to wasted cloud spend from unneeded compute capacity.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • 7-Day CPU Utilization Tracking: Collects hourly CPU metrics for all ECS instances in a specified Alibaba Cloud International account and region over the last 7 days.
  • Idle Instance Detection: Flags instances as potentially unused if they are stopped or have a 7-day CPU peak below 5%.
  • Cost-Aware Reporting: Generates a structured Markdown report with instance type cost summaries, cumulative billing costs for idle instances, and sorted CPU usage rankings to support FinOps cost optimization.
  • Use Case: A cloud operations team can use this skill to quickly audit their Alibaba Cloud ECS fleet, identify wasted resources, and right-size their compute spend without manual API queries.

Quick Start

Ask the AI to run the alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory skill for your specified aliyun profile and target region to generate a full ECS CPU inventory report with idle instance flags and cost summaries.

Frequently Asked Questions about alicloud-ecs-cpu-inventory

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find idle Alibaba Cloud ECS instances in my International account?▼

To find idle Alibaba Cloud ECS instances, you can audit 7-day CPU utilization metrics to flag resources with a peak below 5% or stopped states, generating a Markdown report for cost optimization.

What is the best way to audit ECS CPU utilization for FinOps?▼

Auditing ECS CPU utilization for FinOps involves collecting hourly metrics over a 7-day window to identify underused resources, calculate cumulative billing costs, and right-size your compute spend.

Do I need the aliyun CLI to check ECS CPU metrics and identify wasted cloud spend?▼

Yes, you need the aliyun CLI configured with a valid profile to query ECS metadata and CloudMonitor APIs, alongside jq and bc, to detect idle instances and calculate wasted cloud spend.

How does idle instance detection work for Alibaba Cloud ECS?▼

Idle instance detection works by querying CloudMonitor APIs for 7-day hourly CPU metrics, flagging instances as unused if they are stopped or maintain a CPU peak below 5%.

Can I use this ECS CPU inventory audit for capacity planning across multiple regions?▼

You can use this ECS CPU inventory audit for capacity planning by specifying a target region in your aliyun CLI profile, generating sorted CPU usage rankings and instance type cost summaries.

What are the limitations of detecting unused ECS instances using 7-day CPU metrics?▼

The limitation of detecting unused ECS instances with 7-day CPU metrics is that resources with periodic weekly spikes or IO-bound workloads may not be flagged accurately if their CPU peak remains below 5%.

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