> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.aikido.dev/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.aikido.dev/virtual-machine-scanning/misc/vm-grouping-for-ecs-instances.md).

# VM Grouping for ECS instances

To optimize scanning efficiency, Aikido groups certain EC2 instances and scans only one instance from each group. Grouping works as follows:

* **Auto Scaling Groups (ASG)**: All EC2 instances in the same AWS Auto Scaling Group are shown as a single VM group in Aikido. The VM group’s name matches the ASG name.
* **Karpenter Node Pools**: All EC2 instances that belong to the same Karpenter node pool within an EKS cluster are grouped together. The VM group’s name matches the instance name pattern used by Karpenter.
* **No grouping**: EC2 instances that are not part of an ASG or Karpenter node pool are treated as standalone VMs and scanned individually.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.aikido.dev/virtual-machine-scanning/misc/vm-grouping-for-ecs-instances.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.