# Deleting a DB Instance in Amazon Neptune
<a name="manage-console-instances-delete"></a>

You can delete an Amazon Neptune DB instance in any state and at any time, as long the instance has been started.

**Warning**  
 If you delete the last remaining instance in a cluster using the **web console**, it will also delete the underlying cluster storage volume. 

## How deletion protection affects DB instance deletion
<a name="manage-console-instances-deletion-protection"></a>

Deletion protection is a *cluster-level* setting. When it is enabled, it prevents the DB cluster, along with its storage volume and data, from being deleted. You set deletion protection on the DB cluster, not on an individual DB instance.

The effect of cluster deletion protection on the deletion of an individual DB instance depends on the method that you use:
+ **AWS Management Console**   –   While deletion protection is enabled on the cluster, you cannot delete the DB instances in that cluster. The console blocks the deletion.
+ **API, SDK, or AWS CLI**   –   You can still delete individual DB instances, including the last (primary) instance, while cluster deletion protection is enabled. Neptune blocks only the `DeleteDBCluster` operation, which fails until you disable deletion protection. If you remove the last instance by using the API, an SDK, or the AWS CLI, the cluster remains with no instances. Its storage volume and data are retained until you disable deletion protection and explicitly delete the cluster.

**Note**  
Deletion protection is not a way to enforce a minimum number of read replicas. Read-replica auto-scaling removes readers through the Neptune API, so cluster deletion protection does not prevent a scale-in activity from removing a read replica. The `min-capacity` of your scaling policy determines the minimum number of readers that auto-scaling maintains. For more information, see [Auto-scaling the number of replicas in an Amazon Neptune DB cluster](manage-console-autoscaling.md).

To delete a DB cluster that has deletion protection enabled, first disable deletion protection on the cluster. Enabling or disabling deletion protection does not cause an outage. When you create a DB cluster in the AWS Management Console, deletion protection is enabled by default. When you create a DB cluster with the AWS CLI or the API, it is disabled by default.

## Taking a Final Snapshot of Your DB Instance Before Deleting It
<a name="manage-console-instances-final-snapshot"></a>

 To delete a DB instance, you must specify the name of the instance and whether you want to have a final DB snapshot taken of the instance. If the DB instance that you're deleting has a status of **Creating**, you can't have a final DB snapshot taken. If the DB instance is in a failure state with a status of **failed**, **incompatible-restore**, or **incompatible-network**, you can only delete the instance when the `SkipFinalSnapshot` parameter is set to `true`.

If you delete all Neptune DB instances in a DB cluster using the AWS Management Console, the entire DB cluster is deleted automatically. If you are using the AWS CLI or SDK, you must delete the DB cluster manually after you delete the last instance.

**Important**  
If you delete an entire DB cluster, all its automated backups are deleted at the same time, and cannot be recovered. This means that unless you choose to create a final DB snapshot manually, you can't restore the DB instance to its final state at a later time. Manual snapshots of an instance are not deleted when the cluster is deleted.

If the DB instance that you want to delete has a read replica, you should either promote the read replica or delete it.

In the following examples, you delete a DB instance both with and without a final DB snapshot.

## Deleting a DB Instance with No Final Snapshot
<a name="manage-console-instances-delete-no-snapshot"></a>

If you want to quickly delete a DB instance, you can skip creating a final DB snapshot. When you delete a DB instance, all automated backups are deleted and cannot be recovered. Manual snapshots are not deleted.

**To delete a DB instance with no final DB snapshot using the Neptune console**

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console, and open the Amazon Neptune console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/neptune/home](https://console.aws.amazon.com/neptune/home).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Databases**.

1. In the **Instances** list, choose the radio button next to the DB instance that you want to delete.

1. Choose **Instance actions**, and then choose **Delete**.

1.  Choose **No** in the **Create final snapshot?** box. 

1.  Choose **Delete**. 

## Deleting a DB Instance with a Final Snapshot
<a name="manage-console-instances-delete-with-snapshot"></a>

If you want to be able to restore a deleted DB instance at a later time, you can create a final DB snapshot. All automated backups are also deleted and cannot be recovered. Manual snapshots are not deleted. 

**To delete a DB instance with a final DB snapshot using the Neptune console**

1. Sign in to the AWS Management Console, and open the Amazon Neptune console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/neptune/home](https://console.aws.amazon.com/neptune/home).

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Databases**.

1. In the **Instances** list, choose the radio button next to the DB instance that you want to delete.

1. Choose **Instance actions**, and then choose **Delete**.

1.  Choose **Yes** in the **Create final snapshot?** box. 

1.  In the **Final snapshot name** box, enter the name of your final DB snapshot. 

1.  Choose **Delete**.