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Ensure Lambda function is configured to use a Dead Letter Queue (DLQ)

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AWS Well-Architected Framework
Description

When a Lambda function execution fails, AWS Lambda can retry the execution. However, if the retry attempts fail, Lambda discards the event. To avoid this, a dead letter queue (DLQ) can be configured to capture the event and its payload for later analysis or reprocessing. Ensuring that a Lambda function is configured to use a Dead Letter Queue helps to prevent event loss, improve visibility into failures and reduce the need for manual intervention in such scenarios.

Remediation

To ensure that Lambda functions are configured to use a Dead Letter Queue, you can follow these steps:

  1. Create a Dead Letter Queue (DLQ) in Amazon SQS or Amazon SNS service if it does not already exist.
  2. Open the AWS Lambda console, and select the function that you want to configure to use a DLQ.
  3. Scroll down to the "Dead Letter Queue" section on the "Configuration" tab of the function.
  4. Choose the appropriate DLQ from the drop-down list.
  5. Click "Save" to save the changes to the function's configuration.
  6. Test the Lambda function to verify that it sends failed events to the configured DLQ.
  7. Repeat the steps for all Lambda functions that should have a DLQ configured.

By configuring a Dead Letter Queue, you ensure that when a Lambda function encounters an error or exception, the event will not be discarded and will instead be sent to the DLQ for further analysis and debugging. This helps you identify and address issues with your Lambda functions more effectively.

Enforced Resources
Lambda Function
Note: Remediation steps provided by Lightlytics are meant to be suggestions and guidelines only. It is crucial to thoroughly verify and test any remediation steps before applying them to production environments. Each organization's infrastructure and security needs may differ, and blindly applying suggested remediation steps without proper testing could potentially cause unforeseen issues or vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you validate and customize any remediation steps to meet your organization's specific requirements and ensure that they align with your security policies and best practices.