Resource Details
The Resource Details view provides a deep inspection of any individual AWS resource in your inventory. When you click on a resource in the Resource Explorer, you see its complete configuration, tags, relationships to other resources, and any security, cost, or compliance findings associated with it. This single view gives you everything you need to understand a resource's current state and what actions may be required.
Detail View Layout
The Resource Details page is organised into several sections, each providing a different perspective on the resource.
Resource Header
The header section displays the resource's identity at a glance:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The resource's friendly name (from the Name tag) or resource ID |
| Resource ID | The AWS identifier for the resource |
| ARN | The full Amazon Resource Name |
| Type | The AWS resource type |
| Region | The AWS region (or "Global" for account-level resources) |
| Account | The AWS account the resource belongs to |
| Status | The resource's operational state (where applicable) |
| Last scanned | When the resource was last evaluated by Guardian Pro |
Configuration
The configuration section shows the full resource configuration as discovered by Guardian Pro. This includes all the settings and properties of the resource, presented in a readable format.
Examples of configuration data:
For an EC2 instance:
- Instance type, AMI ID, platform
- Security groups attached
- IAM instance profile
- Monitoring status (detailed vs. basic)
- EBS volume configurations and encryption status
- Network interface details
- Placement (availability zone, tenancy)
For an RDS database:
- Engine and version
- Instance class
- Multi-AZ deployment status
- Storage type, size, and encryption
- Backup retention period
- Parameter group and option group
- VPC and subnet group
For an S3 bucket:
- Versioning status
- Default encryption configuration
- Public access block settings
- Lifecycle policies
- Logging configuration
- CORS configuration
Configuration data reflects the state of the resource at the time of the last discovery scan. If the resource has been modified since the last scan, the displayed configuration may not reflect the current live state. Trigger a new scan from the Dashboard to refresh.
Tags
The tags section displays all tags applied to the resource in a table format:
| Tag Key | Tag Value |
|---|---|
| Name | my-production-instance |
| Environment | production |
| Team | platform |
| CostCenter | 12345 |
Tags are collected directly from the AWS resource and include both user-defined and AWS-generated tags.
Why tags matter:
- Identification -- Tags help you identify resources by purpose, owner, or environment
- Cost allocation -- Tags enable cost attribution in the Cost Intelligence module
- Compliance -- Many organisations require specific tags for governance and audit purposes
- Filtering -- Tags can be used to filter resources in the Resource Explorer
Consistent tagging is a best practice that improves governance across your entire AWS environment. The Growth Readiness assessment evaluates tagging consistency as part of the operational readiness dimension.
Relationships
The relationships section shows how this resource connects to other resources in your environment. Relationships are displayed as a list of connected resources, each with:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Related resource | The name and type of the connected resource |
| Relationship type | How the resources are related (manages, depends on, routes to, secures, etc.) |
| Direction | Whether this resource depends on the related resource, or vice versa |
Example relationships for an EC2 instance:
- Depends on: VPC, Subnet, Security Group, IAM Role
- Secured by: Security Group, Network ACL
- Attached to: EBS Volume, Elastic Network Interface
- Managed by: Auto Scaling Group (if applicable)
- Routes from: Application Load Balancer (if applicable)
Click on any related resource to navigate to its detail view. This allows you to trace dependency chains through your infrastructure.
Resource relationships are the same data that powers the Architecture Map and Failure Simulator. The detail view presents them as a list; the Architecture Map presents them as a visual graph.
Associated Findings
The findings section lists all active security, cost, and compliance findings associated with this resource. Each finding displays:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Check | The name of the check that produced the finding |
| Severity | Critical, High, Medium, or Low |
| Category | Security, Cost Optimisation, Operational Excellence, etc. |
| Status | Active, Remediated, Suppressed, Acknowledged |
| Description | What the issue is and why it matters |
| Remediation | Whether automated remediation is available |
Click on any finding to view its full details, including step-by-step remediation guidance. If automated remediation is available, you can initiate the fix directly from the finding detail view.
Resources with critical findings should be investigated promptly. A critical finding on a production resource typically indicates an immediate security risk, such as an unencrypted database, a publicly accessible storage bucket, or a missing access control.
CloudFormation Stack Information
For resources that are managed by a CloudFormation stack, an additional section displays:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Stack name | The name of the managing CloudFormation stack |
| Stack status | The current status of the stack |
| Drift status | Whether the resource has drifted from its template |
| Last updated | When the stack was last updated |
This information is important for understanding the resource's lifecycle. If a resource is CloudFormation-managed and has drifted, the IaC Governance feature can provide a corrected template.
Common Detail View Workflows
Investigating a Finding
- Navigate to the resource from the Action Centre or Resource Explorer
- Review the Configuration section to understand the current state
- Check the Findings section for the specific issue
- Review Relationships to understand the blast radius if the finding represents a vulnerability
- Apply remediation if available, or follow the guided steps
Understanding Dependencies
- Open the detail view for a resource you plan to modify
- Review the Relationships section to see what depends on this resource
- Click through to dependent resources to assess impact
- Use the Failure Simulator for a comprehensive impact analysis
Audit and Compliance Review
- Select a resource that appears in a compliance control's check list
- Review the Configuration to verify it meets the required standard
- Check the Tags section for required governance tags
- Review the Findings section for any compliance-related findings
- Check CloudFormation information for IaC governance compliance
Pre-Change Validation
- Before modifying a resource, open its detail view
- Review the current Configuration to understand baseline settings
- Check Relationships to identify resources that might be affected
- Note any active Findings that the change might resolve or create
- Check if the resource is CloudFormation-managed to plan for template updates
Navigating Between Resources
The Resource Details view supports easy navigation between related resources:
- Click any related resource in the Relationships section to navigate to its detail view
- Use the back button to return to the previous resource
- Use breadcrumbs at the top of the page to navigate back to the Resource Explorer list
This allows you to trace dependency chains and investigate how changes to one resource might affect others.
The AI Assistant can provide additional context about any resource. With the detail view open, ask the assistant questions like "What risks does this resource have?" or "What would happen if this resource failed?" for AI-powered analysis.
Data Freshness
The resource details displayed reflect the state at the time of the last discovery scan. The Last scanned timestamp in the header tells you how current the data is.
If you need the latest data:
- Trigger a new scan from the Dashboard
- Wait for the scan to complete
- Refresh the Resource Details page
Next Steps
- Browsing Resources -- Return to the resource list to browse other resources.
- Infrastructure Diagram -- See this resource in the context of your infrastructure topology.
- Action Centre -- Address findings associated with this resource.
- Failure Simulator -- Simulate what happens if this resource fails.