CloudWatch Agent

The CloudWatch Agent enables CloudWisdom to collect additional EC2 metrics, such as memory utilization, from AWS. Reports display cost vs. CPU utilization by default. We recommend installing the agent if you are interested in seeing cost vs. memory utilization.

Tip

The CloudWatch Agent configuration below adds a single memory metric to all instances it is installed on. This incurs an additional charge of ~$0.30/instance/month to your CloudWatch bill. See AWS Cloudwatch pricing for more information.

How to Configure the Cloudwatch Agent

Installing the CloudWatch agent can be done in a variety of ways, but each method requires the use of CloudWisdom’s unique agent config file.

AWS offers 3 ways to install the CloudWatch Agent:

  • via the Command Line

  • via AWS Systems Manager

  • via AWS CloudFormation

We recommend using the CLI method. See below for steps to install the agent on Linux and Windows instances using this method.

Linux Installation

  1. SSH into your instance.

  2. Run wget https://s3.amazonaws.com/amazoncloudwatch-agent/amazon_linux/amd64/latest/amazon-cloudwatch-agent.rpm or wget https://s3.amazonaws.com/amazoncloudwatch-agent/ubuntu/amd64/latest/amazon-cloudwatch-agent.deb depending on your distro to download the agent.

  3. Run sudo rpm -i amazon-cloudwatch-agent.rpm or sudo dpkg -i -E ./amazon-cloudwatch-agent.deb to install the agent.

  4. Navigate to the bin directory of the agent: cd /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin.

  5. Create a file config.json and place the Linux Agent Config File contents in it and save it.

  6. Create an IAM role and attach it to the instance.

  7. Run the following command to initialize the agent configuration:

    sudo /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl -a fetch-config -m ec2 -c file:config.json -s

    • You may get a parsing error. Here is the workaround:

      • sudo mkdir /usr/share/collectd

      • cd /usr/share/collectd

      • sudo touch types.db

  8. Start the agent: sudo /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl -m ec2 -a start.

  9. Verify the agent is running: sudo /opt/aws/amazon-cloudwatch-agent/bin/amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl -m ec2 -a status.

  10. Complete! A new metric cwagent.mem_used_percent should appear in CloudWisdom on the respective EC2 element within approximately 10 minutes.

Windows Installation

  1. Log on to your instance.

  2. Download the following file: https://s3.amazonaws.com/amazoncloudwatch-agent/windows/amd64/latest/amazon-cloudwatch-agent.msi.

  3. Open Command Prompt, navigate to the directory containing the downloaded file, and enter the following to install the agent: msiexec /i amazon-cloudwatch-agent.msi

  4. Open a text editor, create a new file, and place the Windows Agent Config File contents in it.

  5. Save the file with the name amazon-cloudwatch-agent.json to the following directory: C:\ProgramData\Amazon\AmazonCloudWatchAgent.

  6. Create an IAM role and attach it to the instance.

  7. Open Windows PowerShell and run the following command to fetch the config and start the agent:

      & "C:\Program Files\Amazon\AmazonCloudWatchAgent\amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl.ps1" -a fetch-config -m ec2 -c file:"C:\ProgramData\Amazon\AmazonCloudWatchAgent\amazon-cloudwatch-agent.json" -s

  8. Verify the agent is running: & $Env:ProgramFiles\Amazon\AmazonCloudWatchAgent\amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl.ps1 -m ec2 -a status.

  9. If necessary, start the agent using this command: & $Env:ProgramFiles\Amazon\AmazonCloudWatchAgent\amazon-cloudwatch-agent-ctl.ps1 -m ec2 -a start.

  10. Complete! A new metric cwagent.memory % committed bytes in use should appear in CloudWisdom on the respective EC2 element within approximately 10 minutes.

Linux Agent Config File

{
  "agent": {
    "metrics_collection_interval": 60,
    "run_as_user": "root"
  },
  "metrics": {
    "append_dimensions": {
      "InstanceId": "${aws:InstanceId}"
    },
    "metrics_collected": {
      "collectd": {
        "metrics_aggregation_interval": 60
      },
      "mem": {
        "measurement": [
          "mem_used_percent"
        ],
        "metrics_collection_interval": 60
      },
      "statsd": {
        "metrics_aggregation_interval": 60,
        "metrics_collection_interval": 60,
        "service_address": ":8125"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows Agent Config File

{
  "agent": {
    "metrics_collection_interval": 60,
    "logfile": "c:\\ProgramData\\Amazon\\AmazonCloudWatchAgent\\Logs\\amazon-cloudwatch-agent.log"
  },
  "metrics": {
    "metrics_collected": {
      "Memory": {
        "measurement": [
          "% Committed Bytes In Use"
        ],
        "metrics_collection_interval": 60
      }
    },
    "append_dimensions": {
      "InstanceId": "${aws:InstanceId}"
    }
  }
}
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