description AWS CloudWatch Alarms Overview
CloudWatch Alarms are the fundamental monitoring component that detects when a service deviates from its normal operational parameters (e.g., CPU > 90% for 5 minutes). In a DR context, these alarms are the *triggers* that initiate the failover process, often feeding into EventBridge or Lambda. They provide the necessary real-time visibility to know *when* to initiate the recovery playbook.
help AWS CloudWatch Alarms FAQ
What does an AWS CloudWatch Alarm monitor?
A CloudWatch Alarm watches a metric against a threshold for a defined period and changes state when the condition is met. For example, an alarm can watch EC2 CPU utilization and trigger when it remains above a chosen level.
Can a CloudWatch Alarm restart an AWS service?
An alarm does not restart a service by itself, but it can trigger an action through services such as Amazon SNS, EventBridge, or AWS Systems Manager. The restart logic must be configured separately and should include safeguards against repeated failures.
What is the difference between an alarm threshold and an evaluation period?
The threshold is the metric value that matters, such as CPU utilization above 90 percent. The evaluation period defines how long or how many monitoring intervals the condition must persist before the alarm changes state.
How can CloudWatch Alarms support disaster recovery?
They can detect unhealthy infrastructure and start an automated response, such as notifying an operator or invoking a recovery workflow. In a failover design, the alarm is only one part of the chain, which may also include EventBridge, Lambda, Route 53, and a tested recovery procedure.
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