PRTG Manual: AWS Cost Sensor
The AWS Cost sensor monitors the cost of an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account by reading its data from the AWS Cost Explorer API.
For a detailed list and descriptions of the channels that this sensor can show, see section Channel List.
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- This sensor requires the AWS Cost Explorer to be activated in your AWS account.
- This sensor requires IAM User and Role Access to Billing Information enabled in your AWS account.
- This sensor requires credentials for AWS in settings that are higher in the object hierarchy, for example, in the settings of the parent device.
- This sensor requires permissions for the AWS API key.
- After sensor creation, the first data is available after 24 hours. Forecast data is available after a few days.
- The recommended scanning interval for this sensor is 6 hours. You can use a shorter scanning interval but it could create extra costs.
- Amazon charges you for each API call that the sensor sends to the Amazon servers. For more information, see AWS Cost Management Pricing | Amazon Simple Storage Service.
- You can only set up this sensor for one AWS account per PRTG installation.
- This sensor supports the IPv6 protocol.
- This sensor has a low performance impact.
- See the Knowledge Base: What settings do I have to define in my AWS account to set up the AWS Cost sensor?
- See the Knowledge Base: How do I set permissions for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) API key to use certain sensors in PRTG?
Requirement |
Description |
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Permissions for the AWS API key |
This sensor requires sufficient rights to query data from the AWS API The AWS API key requires the following permissions:
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The Add Sensor dialog appears when you manually add a new sensor to a device. It only shows the settings that are required to create the sensor. You can change nearly all settings on the sensor's Settings tab after creation.
Click the Settings tab of a sensor to change its settings.
Setting |
Description |
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Sensor Name |
Enter a name to identify the sensor. |
Parent Tags |
Shows tags that the sensor inherits from its parent device, parent group, and parent probe.
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Tags |
Enter one or more tags. Confirm each tag with the Spacebar key, a comma, or the Enter key. You can use tags to group objects and use tag-filtered views later on. Tags are not case-sensitive. Tags are automatically inherited.
The sensor has the following default tags that are automatically predefined in the sensor's settings when you add the sensor:
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Priority |
Select a priority for the sensor. This setting determines the position of the sensor in lists. The highest priority is at the top of a list. Choose from the lowest priority ( |
Usually, a sensor connects to the IP Address/DNS Name of the parent device. See the device settings for details. For some sensors, you can explicitly define the monitoring target in the sensor settings.
Setting |
Description |
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Additional Cost Types |
PRTG creates two default channels for blended monthly and yearly cost. If you select this option, you can select additional cost types for which PRTG creates additional channels. |
Select Additional Cost Types |
This setting is only visible if you select Enable for Additional Cost Types above. Select additional cost types:
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Additional Forecast Types |
PRTG does not automatically create additional forecast channels. If you select this option, you can select additional forecast types to create additional forecast channels. |
Select Additional Forecast Types |
This setting is only visible if you select Enable for Additional Cost Types above. Select additional forecast types:
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Setting |
Description |
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Primary Channel |
Select a channel from the list to define it as the primary channel. In the device tree, the last value of the primary channel is always displayed below the sensor's name. The available options depend on what channels are available for this sensor.
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Graph Type |
Define how different channels are shown for this sensor:
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Stack Unit |
This setting is only visible if you enable Stack channels on top of each other as Graph Type. Select a unit from the list. All channels with this unit are stacked on top of each other. By default, you cannot exclude single channels from stacking if they use the selected unit. However, there is an advanced procedure to do so. |
Setting |
Description |
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Result Handling |
Define what PRTG does with the sensor result:
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By default, all of the following settings are inherited from objects that are higher in the hierarchy. We recommend that you change them centrally in the root group settings if necessary. To change a setting for this object only, click under the corresponding setting name to disable the inheritance and to display its options.
For more information, see section Inheritance of Settings.
Click to interrupt the inheritance.
This sensor has a fixed minimum scanning interval for performance reasons. You cannot use a shorter scanning interval. Consequently, shorter scanning intervals in the Monitoring settings are not available for this sensor.
Setting |
Description |
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Scanning Interval |
Select a scanning interval from the dropdown list. The scanning interval determines the amount of time that the sensor waits between two scans. Choose from:
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If a Sensor Query Fails |
Select the number of scanning intervals that the sensor has time to reach and to check a device again if a sensor query fails. Depending on the option that you select, the sensor can try to reach and to check a device again several times before the sensor shows the Down status. This can avoid false alarms if the monitored device only has temporary issues. For previous scanning intervals with failed requests, the sensor shows the Warning status. Choose from:
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Schedules, Dependencies, and Maintenance Window
You cannot interrupt the inheritance for schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. The corresponding settings from the parent objects are always active. However, you can define additional schedules, dependencies, and maintenance windows. They are active at the same time as the parent objects' settings.
Setting |
Description |
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Schedule |
Select a schedule from the list. You can use schedules to monitor during a certain time span (days or hours) every week. Choose from:
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Maintenance Window |
Select if you want to set up a one-time maintenance window. During a maintenance window, monitoring stops for the selected object and all child objects. They show the Paused status instead. Choose between:
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Maintenance Begins |
This setting is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the start date and time of the one-time maintenance window. |
Maintenance Ends |
This setting is only visible if you enable Set up a one-time maintenance window above. Use the date time picker to enter the end date and time of the one-time maintenance window. |
Dependency Type |
Select a dependency type. You can use dependencies to pause monitoring for an object depending on the status of a different object. You can choose from:
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Dependency |
This setting is only visible if you enable Select a sensor above. Click |
Dependency Delay (Sec.) |
This setting is only visible if you select Select a sensor above. Define a time span in seconds for the dependency delay. After the master sensor for this dependency returns to the Up status, PRTG additionally delays the monitoring of the dependent objects by the time span you define. This can prevent false alarms, for example, after a server restart or to give systems more time for all services to start. Enter an integer value.
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Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Setting |
Description |
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User Group Access |
Define the user groups that have access to the sensor. You see a table with user groups and group access rights. The table contains all user groups in your setup. For each user group, you can choose from the following group access rights:
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Click to interrupt the inheritance.
Which channel units are available depends on the sensor type and the available parameters. If no configurable channels are available, this field shows No configurable channels.
Setting |
Description |
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Channel Unit Types |
For each type of channel, select the unit in which PRTG displays the data. If you define this setting on probe, group, or device level, you can inherit these settings to all sensors underneath. You can set units for the following channel types (if available):
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Which channels the sensor actually shows might depend on the monitored device, the available components, and the sensor setup.
Channel |
Description |
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Amortized Monthly |
The amortized cost per month |
Amortized Yearly |
The amortized cost per year |
Downtime |
In the channel table on the Overview tab, this channel never shows any values. PRTG uses this channel in graphs and reports to show the amount of time in which the sensor was in the Down status in percent. |
Forecast Amortized Monthly |
The forecast for amortized cost per month |
Forecast Amortized Yearly |
The forecast for amortized cost per year |
Forecast Monthly |
The forecast for cost per month |
Forecast Net Amortized Monthly |
The forecast for net amortized cost per month |
Forecast Net Amortized Yearly |
The forecast for net amortized cost per year |
Forecast Net Unblended Monthly |
The forecast for net unblended cost per month |
Forecast Net Unblended Yearly |
The forecast for net unblended cost per year |
Forecast Unblended Monthly |
The forecast for unblended cost per month |
Forecast Unblended Yearly |
The forecast for unblended cost per year |
Forecast Yearly |
The forecast for cost per year |
Monthly Cost |
The monthly cost
|
Net Amortized Monthly |
The net amortized cost per month |
Net Amortized Yearly |
The net amortized cost per year |
Net Unblended Monthly |
The net unblended cost per month |
Net Unblended Yearly |
The net unblended cost per year |
Unblended Monthly |
The unblended cost per month |
Unblended Yearly |
The unblended cost per year |
Yearly Cost |
The cost per year |
Knowledge Base
What settings do I have to define in my AWS account to set up the AWS Cost sensor?
How do I set permissions for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) API key to use certain sensors in PRTG?
What security features does PRTG include?
For more information about sensor settings, see the following sections: