Chapter 4 of 6 · AWS DOP-C02
Monitoring and Logging
Metrics, log collection, CloudTrail and Config audit, analysis tools and alarm automation on AWS.
- 5topics
- 26 minfast track
- 2diagrams and exhibits
- 15%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1CloudWatch Metrics and the AgentCollect and store metrics with CloudWatch: default and custom metrics, the unified agent, embedded metric format, resolution…4 min
- 2Log Collection and StorageDesign log pipelines with CloudWatch Logs, retention, subscription filters, Firehose, cross account aggregation, S3 archives and…Diagram5 min
- 3CloudTrail, Config and AuditingAudit AWS activity and configuration with CloudTrail trails, data events, log validation and Lake, plus AWS Config rules…5 min
- 4Log Analysis, Tracing and Anomaly DetectionAnalyze logs and metrics with CloudWatch Logs Insights, Contributor Insights, anomaly detection, X-Ray tracing, Synthetics…5 min
- 5Alarms and Monitoring AutomationConfigure CloudWatch and composite alarms, route events with EventBridge and SNS, and roll out monitoring across accounts with…Diagram7 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
You cannot run or fix what you cannot see. This chapter covers how to collect metrics and logs, store them, audit activity, analyze the data to find problems and automate the monitoring itself.
It follows the fourth domain of the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional DOP-C02 outline. The three outline topics are collection and storage of logs and metrics, auditing and analysis to detect issues, and automated monitoring and event management for complex environments.
How the topics fit together
Data flows from sources to storage, then to analysis, then to action.
- Metrics and the agent collect numbers that show health and load.
- Log collection brings text records into CloudWatch Logs and S3, with retention and cross account delivery.
- CloudTrail and Config answer who did what and what the configuration looked like.
- Analysis tools find causes quickly in logs, traces and metrics.
- Alarms and automation turn signals into notification and action, and roll monitoring out to every account.
Decide first whether the question is about a number, a text record, an API call or a configuration state, because each points to a different service.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the idea in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three questions to test your understanding.
Set up the CloudWatch agent on a test instance and send a custom metric and a log file. Then build a metric filter, an alarm and a Logs Insights query, which makes the exam wording much easier.
Ready for more practice?
The full AWS DOP-C02 question bank has 844 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
This study guide is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AWS. Vendor names, certification names and exam codes are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification only.