Save Big with Amazon CloudWatch: Affordable Log Storage

Amazon CloudWatch log class for infrequent access logs

Today, Amazon CloudWatch Logs unveiled the Infrequent Access log class, a new log class. With this new log class, customers can more affordably consolidate all of their logs in one location by providing a customized set of capabilities for infrequently visited logs at a lower cost.

The volume of logs created grows together with the scale and growth of customers’ applications. Many consumers are compelled to make difficult compromises in order to reduce the rise in logging expenses. Some customers, for instance, restrict the amount of logs their applications generate, which may impair the application’s visibility, or select a different solution for certain log categories, which increases the complexity and inefficiencies associated with managing various logging solutions.

Customers might, for example, provide CloudWatch Logs the logs required for real-time analytics and alerts and send a less expensive, less feature-rich solution the more detailed logs required for debugging and troubleshooting. Ultimately, these workarounds may affect the application’s observability as users are need to switch between several solutions in order to view their logs.

With the help of the Infrequent Access log class, you can use CloudWatch to create a comprehensive observability solution by centralizing all of your logs in one location for economical consumption, querying, and storing. The cost per gigabyte of ingestion for Infrequent Access is half that of Standard log class. For clients that don’t require sophisticated features like Live Tail, metric extraction, warning, or data protection functions that the Standard log class offers it offers a customized set of capabilities. You may still take advantage of fully managed ingestion, storage, and deep diving using CloudWatch Logs Insights with Infrequent Access.

How often to use the new log class for Infrequent Access

When you have a fresh workload that doesn’t require the advanced functionality offered by the Standard log class, use the Infrequent Access log class. It’s crucial to keep in mind that once a log group is created with a certain log class, it cannot be changed afterwards.

Because debug logs and web server logs are typically verbose and don’t require much of the more advanced features offered by the Standard log class, they are a good fit for the Infrequent Access log class.

An Internet of Things (IoT) fleet sending detailed logs that are only accessible for post-event forensic analysis is another excellent workload for the Infrequent Access log class. Additionally, because the Infrequent Access log type will be queried seldom, it is a desirable option for workloads where logs must be kept for compliance.

Getting started

Create a new log group in the CloudWatch Logs console and choose the new Infrequent Access log class to begin utilizing the new log class. The AWS Management Console, AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), AWS CloudFormation, AWS Cloud Development Kit (AWS CDK), and AWS SDKs are the only ways to establish log groups using the new Infrequent Access log type.

You can use the newly generated log group in your workloads as soon as it’s created. You will set up a web application to submit debug logs to this log group for the purposes of this demonstration. You can return to the log group and view a fresh log stream after the web application has run for some time.

CloudWatch Logs Insights will be displayed when you choose a log stream.

You may make queries, search those logs for pertinent information, and rapidly examine all the logs in one location by using the same comfortable CloudWatch Logs Insights experience you receive with Standard Class.

Accessible right now

With the exception of the China and GovCloud regions, all AWS regions now offer the new Infrequent Access log class. You can get started with it and benefit from a fully managed, more economical method of gathering, storing, and analyzing your logs.