In this task, you will set up alerts for your AWS EC2 instance and AWS Billing Alerts in Grafana Cloud. Monitoring your EC2 instances and AWS billing can help you manage resources effectively and avoid unexpected charges.

Task Overview

1. Set Up Alerts for an EC2 Instance.

2. Set Up AWS Billing Alerts.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Set Up Alerts for EC2 Instance

1. Access Your Grafana Cloud Dashboard:

   • Log in to your Grafana Cloud account and open your dashboard where you are monitoring your EC2 instance metrics.

2. Identify the EC2 Metrics:

   • Ensure you have a panel displaying metrics from your EC2 instance (like CPU usage, memory usage, etc.). If not, create a panel that pulls this data from your data source (e.g., CloudWatch).

3. Edit the Panel:

   • Click on the panel you want to set alerts for and click the Edit (pencil) icon.

4. Create an Alert:

   • Navigate to the Alert tab.

   • Click on Create Alert.

5. Define the Alert Rule:

   • Name: Give your alert a descriptive name (e.g., "High CPU Usage EC2").

   • Conditions: Set the conditions for when the alert should trigger. For example:

     • When avg() of query (A) is above 80% for the last 5 minutes.

   • You may want to configure multiple conditions based on different metrics (CPU, memory, etc.).

6. Configure Notifications:

   • In the Notifications section, choose how you want to be notified (Email, Slack, etc.).

   • Configure the notification settings as required.

7. Save the Alert:

   • Click Save at the top-right corner of the panel editor to save the alert settings.

8. Test the Alert:

   • Ensure that the alert triggers correctly based on your defined conditions by simulating a scenario or adjusting the metrics temporarily.

Step 2: Set Up AWS Billing Alerts

1. Create a New Dashboard (if necessary):

   • If you don’t already have a dashboard for billing, create a new dashboard by clicking on the Create (plus sign) icon and selecting Dashboard.

2. Add AWS Billing Metrics:

   • Use AWS CloudWatch as your data source to display billing metrics. You may need to create a panel that shows your estimated monthly bill or costs incurred.

3. Edit the Billing Panel:

   • Click on the panel that displays billing information and click the Edit (pencil) icon.

4. Create an Alert for Billing:

   • Navigate to the Alert tab and click on Create Alert.

5. Define the Alert Rule:

   • Name: Give your alert a descriptive name (e.g., "AWS Billing Alert").

   • Conditions: Set a condition for when the billing exceeds a certain threshold. For example:

     • When avg() of query (A) is above $100 for the last 5 minutes.

   • Adjust the query to reflect the appropriate billing metric you are monitoring.

6. Configure Notifications:

   • Similar to the EC2 alert, configure how you want to be notified about billing alerts (Email, Slack, etc.).

7. Save the Alert:

   • Click Save to store your alert settings.

8. Test the Billing Alert:

   • Monitor your billing alert to ensure it triggers appropriately when the billing threshold is met.

Conclusion

You have successfully set up alerts for your EC2 instance and AWS billing in Grafana Cloud. These alerts will help you stay informed about your infrastructure's performance and costs, enabling you to take proactive measures to optimize resource usage and control spending. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!