Enhance your monitoring capabilities with Amazon CloudWatch by creating custom metrics. Although CloudWatch already provides standard monitoring features for EC2 instances, such as CPU usage and network input/output, it may not cater to all use cases. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating a custom metric following an automation script for a web server to ensure that port 443 is open and ready for incoming HTTPS traffic.
Why Should You Create Custom Metrics in Amazon CloudWatch?
While Amazon CloudWatch is an excellent monitoring tool, it cannot measure everything. When CloudWatch does not provide a specific metric for your use case, it is time to implement custom metrics. A custom metric allows you to monitor a specific application binary or runtime, improving your monitoring of performance and reliability for your specific use case.
How to Create Custom Metrics in Amazon CloudWatch
You can create custom metrics in Amazon CloudWatch with either the AWS Management Console or a script. This tutorial uses a script automation method, which is a great help for automating the process. Follow these steps:
- Log in to EC2 instance through SSH.
- Create a new file called https.sh that will contain your automation code.
- Use Vim or Nano to open the https.sh file, and add the following code: PORT_443=$(netstat -an | grep 443 | wc -l).
- Use the AWS command line interface and the cloudwatch command to create the custom metric employing the put-metric-data option.
- Grant appropriate permissions to the system to run the script.
- Create a cron job to run the script continuously.
Creating Custom Metrics with Other Cloud Providers
Google Cloud Platform and Azure also offer options to create custom metrics. Google Cloud Platform provides the OpenCensus service, that allows you to gather application metrics, and GCP Cloud Monitoring API. Azure presented a preview version that permits you to send metrics to Azure in varying methods.
FAQs
Can I create more than one custom metric in Amazon CloudWatch?
Yes, you can generate several custom metrics in Amazon CloudWatch utilizing the same automation method.
Can I use the custom metric process to other types of instances besides EC2 instances?
Yes, you can use the custom metric process to other types of instances and services in AWS. However, the process may differ from the one specified in this tutorial.
Can I set alarms for custom metrics?
Yes, Amazon CloudWatch allows you to set alarms for custom metrics. Therefore, you can get alerted when a metric exaggerates a threshold.
Can I use a programming language other than Bash for creating an automation script?
Yes, you can choose any programming language of your preference to form a custom metric automation script in Amazon CloudWatch.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have learned how to create custom metrics with Amazon CloudWatch in EC2 Instances, you can utilize this expertise to monitor your specific uses. In case you have any questions or suggestions regarding this tutorial, contact us via the contact section. Do not hesitate to share this tutorial with friends or family if you found it helpful!