CDK destroy is not deleting DynamoDB table created by CDK

Question

Hi All,

I deployed a serverless-api https://github.com/fortejas/example-serverless-python-api on a cloud9 environment using CDK. When I run `cdk destroy`, I noticed that the DynamoDB table are not being deleted.
I was wondering if this could be a CDK defect? or advise some tips on how to resolve this?

Thank you

Accepted Answer

By default, CDK will (generally) apply a [RemovalPolicy](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cdk/api/v1/docs/@aws-cdk_core.RemovalPolicy.html) value of RETAIN to stateful resources which could contain data in order to avoid deleting it when destroying the stack.

You can see this in the synthesised template. For example, with this resource declared in CDK:

```
const table = new ddb.Table(this, "testTable", {
	partitionKey: { type: AttributeType.STRING, name: 'id' },
});
```

the synthesised template will contain the following:

```
    "testTableFD9E8557": {
      "Type": "AWS::DynamoDB::Table",
      "Properties": {
        [snip]
      },
      "UpdateReplacePolicy": "Retain",
      "DeletionPolicy": "Retain",
      [snip]
    },
```

The CloudFormation [UpdateReplacePolicy](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/aws-attribute-updatereplacepolicy.html) and [DeletionPolicy](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/UserGuide/aws-attribute-deletionpolicy.html) attributes being `Retain` will cause CloudFormation to leave the resource intact when deleting the stack.

To have the resource deleted when the stack is deleted (when you run `cdk destroy`), specify a RemovalPolicy of `DESTROY` or `SNAPSHOT` in your code:

```
const table = new ddb.Table(this, "testTable", {
	partitionKey: { type: AttributeType.STRING, name: 'id' },
	removalPolicy: RemovalPolicy.DESTROY,
});
```

giving this CFN template:

```
    "testTableFD9E8557": {
      "Type": "AWS::DynamoDB::Table",
      "Properties": {
        [snip]
      },
      "UpdateReplacePolicy": "Delete",
      "DeletionPolicy": "Delete",
      [snip]
    },
```

CDK destroy is not deleting DynamoDB table created by CDK

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