Collect memory and disk utilization from EC2 instances in CloudWatch.
The default EC2 metrics do not include the operating system values that are needed.
Which method is most appropriate?
Install and configure the CloudWatch agent to collect operating-system metrics and publish them to CloudWatch.
Detailed explanation
Status checks report health rather than OS capacity utilization.
Status checks report health rather than OS capacity utilization.
Network flow records do not collect OS memory or filesystem utilization.
Network flow records do not collect OS memory or filesystem utilization.
The agent collects guest-OS memory and filesystem utilization. Collection settings and publishing permissions are also required.
The agent collects guest-OS memory and filesystem utilization. Collection settings and publishing permissions are also required.
This improves the frequency of standard EC2 metrics, but does not add guest memory or filesystem utilization.
This improves the frequency of standard EC2 metrics, but does not add guest memory or filesystem utilization.
Check official documentation
Compare the following points with the official documentation.
Review CloudWatch agent metric collection, IAM role permissions, and network prerequisites.
Official references
What to confirm
Distinguish standard EC2 metrics from measurements collected inside the guest OS.
Key points
- CloudWatch agent
- OS metrics
- Custom metric
Notes
- Environment: AWS SOA-C03 exam guide and the linked AWS documentation
- Reviewed against the linked AWS documentation on 2026-10-03.
Foundation review
Collection boundary
CPUUtilization and guest memory or filesystem utilization have different collection sources. Detailed monitoring alone does not add guest-OS measurements.
Prepare collection and publishing
Configure the agent, grant publishing permissions through the instance IAM role, and provide connectivity to CloudWatch. Check the resulting namespace and dimensions before configuring an alarm.