The CloudFix EC2 CloudWatch Agent Configuration Finder/Fixer identifies EC2 instances with improperly configured CloudWatch agents and provides fixes to ensure proper metric collection for comprehensive monitoring of your EC2 instances.

Contents

What It Does

The EC2 CloudWatch Agent Configuration Finder/Fixer identifies EC2 instances where the CloudWatch agent is installed but improperly configured, resulting in missing or incomplete metrics. This can occur due to configuration file errors, permission issues, or connectivity problems. The tool diagnoses the specific configuration issues and applies the necessary fixes to ensure your CloudWatch agents are reporting all expected metrics correctly.

Why It Matters

Properly configured CloudWatch agents are essential for comprehensive EC2 instance monitoring, which enables:

  • Enhanced visibility: Access to detailed system metrics like memory usage, disk space utilization, and detailed CPU metrics not available with basic monitoring
  • Better cost optimization: Accurate monitoring data helps identify over-provisioned resources that can be downsized
  • Improved issue detection: Properly configured agents ensure you receive all relevant metrics to detect performance issues before they impact your applications
  • Reliable automation: Auto-scaling and other automated actions depend on accurate metrics from CloudWatch agents

Improperly configured CloudWatch agents can leave blind spots in your monitoring, leading to undetected issues and missed optimization opportunities.

How It Works

This Finder/Fixer works through the following process:

  1. Detection Phase: The Finder scans your EC2 instances to identify those with CloudWatch agents installed but showing signs of misconfiguration, such as missing expected metrics or failed agent processes.
  2. Diagnosis Phase: For each identified instance, the tool analyzes:
    • Agent configuration file syntax and structure
    • IAM role permissions
    • Network connectivity to CloudWatch endpoints
    • Agent process status
    • VPC DNS settings and endpoint configuration
  3. Resolution Phase: Based on the diagnosis, the Fixer can implement specific fixes:
    • Correct configuration file errors
    • Update IAM permissions
    • Enable VPC DNS support
    • Create necessary VPC endpoints
    • Restart and verify the agent process
  4. Validation Phase: After applying fixes, the tool verifies that metrics are now flowing correctly to CloudWatch.

AWS Services Affected

Amazon EC2
Amazon CloudWatch
Amazon EC2Amazon CloudWatch

Implementation Details

Prerequisites

Before using this Finder/Fixer, ensure you have:

  • EC2 instances with CloudWatch agent installed (or planning to install it)
  • IAM roles for EC2 instances with CloudWatchAgentServerPolicy attached
  • Network connectivity from your instances to CloudWatch endpoints (either via internet gateway or VPC endpoints)
  • If using VPC endpoints, proper DNS configuration in your VPC

Installation Process

For instances without the CloudWatch agent installed, here’s how to install it:

Amazon Linux 2:

sudo yum update -y
sudo yum install -y amazon-cloudwatch-agent