Setting Up AWS Cost and EC2 Monitoring Alerts in Grafana Cloud

Monitoring AWS resources and costs is crucial for maintaining efficient cloud operations. In this guide, I'll walk you through setting up alerts for both EC2 instances and AWS billing in Grafana Cloud.

Prerequisites

• Access to Grafana Cloud account

• AWS account with appropriate IAM permissions

• Configured CloudWatch data source in Grafana

Part 1: Setting Up EC2 Instance Alerts

1. Adding CloudWatch Data Source

1. Navigate to Connections → Data Sources

2. Search for "CloudWatch" in the search bar

3. Select CloudWatch from the available options

2. Configuring CloudWatch Connection

1. Configure AWS authentication details

2. Set up Access Key and Secret Key

3. Configure default region

• 

  Navigate to Alert Rules → New Alert Rule

3. Creating EC2 CPU Alert

1. Configure Query with:

   • Alert rule Name : CPU Usage

   • Namespace: AWS/EC2

   • Metric Name: CPUUtilization

   • Statistic: Average

4. Setting Alert Conditions

1. Set threshold conditions:

   • IS ABOVE 80%

   • Evaluation period: Every 1m

   • Pending Period: 1m

5. Configure Notifications

1. Set up email notifications

2. Add alert summary

3. Configure message details

Part 2: Setting Up AWS Billing Alerts

1. Creating Billing Alert

1. Start new alert rule creation

2. Select AWS/Billing namespace

3. Choose EstimatedCharges metric

2. Setting Cost Threshold

1. Configure alert conditions:

   • Set threshold to $1.25

   • Set evaluation period

   • Configure dimensions

3. Alert Organization

1. Add to AWS folder

2. Set evaluation group

3. Configure notifications

4. Notification Setup

1. Configure email notifications

2. Set alert summary

3. Add description

Verification and Monitoring

1. Alert Rules Overview

You can view all configured alerts in the Alert Rules dashboard

2. Alert Details

Monitor specific alert details and status

3. Alert Status

Check alert status and history

Best Practices Implemented

1. Organized alerts in proper folders (AWS)

2. Used consistent evaluation intervals (1m)

3. Added clear descriptions and summaries

4. Implemented email notifications

5. Used appropriate metrics and statistics

Monitoring and Maintenance

• Regular review of alert thresholds

• Monitor alert history

• Adjust thresholds based on patterns

• Keep contact information updated

This setup provides a foundation for AWS resource monitoring in Grafana Cloud, helping maintain both performance and cost efficiency.