VolumeInUse
Amazon EC2 returns `VolumeInUse` when the specified EBS volume is attached to an instance and not in an `available` state for the requested operation.
Last reviewed: February 12, 2026|Editorial standard: source-backed technical guidance
What Does Volume In Use Mean?
EC2 refused the operation because the volume is still attached or in a non-available transition state, so mutating steps must wait for correct EBS lifecycle state.
Common Causes
- -The operation requires the volume to be `available`, but it is still attached to an instance.
- -A detach transition is still in progress when another volume mutation starts.
- -Parallel workflows issue delete/attach/detach calls against the same volume concurrently.
- -Runbook does not wait for volume-state transitions before the next API step.
How to Fix Volume In Use
- 1Use `DescribeVolumes` to confirm current attachments and lifecycle state.
- 2Detach the volume (or stop conflicting operation) and wait until state is `available`.
- 3Wait for detach completion before issuing delete/modify operations on the same volume.
- 4Serialize volume-mutating workflows so only one state-changing action runs at a time.
Step-by-Step Diagnosis for Volume In Use
- 1Capture volume ID, action, instance attachment info, and request ID from EC2 response.
- 2Trace `AttachVolume`/`DetachVolume`/`DeleteVolume` ordering in CloudTrail.
- 3Check for concurrent workflow runs targeting the same volume ID.
- 4Verify waiters/state checks are enforced between each EBS lifecycle step.
Volume Attachment State and Operation Ordering
- -Inspect current attachment and state via DescribeVolumes (example: delete requested while volume still `in-use` on i-abc123).
- -Trace operation order for attach/detach/delete (example: delete call is sent before detach reaches `available`).
Concurrency Locking and Waiter Controls
- -Apply per-volume orchestration locks (example: backup and cleanup jobs target same volume simultaneously).
- -Use explicit state waiters between dependent calls (example: enforce wait-for-available before DeleteVolume).
How to Verify the Fix
- -Re-run operation and confirm VolumeInUse no longer occurs.
- -Validate volume reaches expected attach/detach state transitions in sequence.
- -Ensure downstream backup/delete/modify workflows complete successfully.
How to Prevent Recurrence
- -Enforce state-machine checks before any EBS mutating operation.
- -Add orchestration locks for workflows acting on the same volume ID.
- -Continuously monitor attach/detach lag and operation race indicators.
Pro Tip
- -model EBS lifecycle as a finite-state workflow with guarded transitions so invalid next-step calls are rejected before hitting EC2 APIs.
Decision Support
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Playbook
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Official References
Provider Context
This guidance is specific to AWS services. Always validate implementation details against official provider documentation before deploying to production.