Create custom CloudWatch dashboards using AWS CloudFormation templates

AWS provides AWS CloudFormation templates that you can use to create custom CloudWatch dashboards for WorkSpaces. Choose from the following AWS CloudFormation template options to create custom dashboards for your WorkSpaces in the AWS CloudFormation console.

Considerations before getting started

Consider the following before you get started with custom CloudWatch dashboards:

• Create your dashboards in the same AWS Region as the deployed WorkSpaces you want to monitor.

• You can also create custom dashboards using the CloudWatch console.

• A cost might be associated with custom CloudWatch dashboards. For information about pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing

Help Desk dashboard

The Help Desk dashboard displays the following metrics for a specific WorkSpace:

• CPU usage

• Memory usage

• In-session latency

• Root volume

• User volume

• Packet loss

• Disk usage

Following is an example of the Help Desk dashboard.

Complete the following procedure to create a custom dashboard in CloudWatch using AWS CloudFormation.

1. Open the Create Stack page in the AWS CloudFormation console. This link opens the page with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the Help Desk custom CloudWatch dashboard template pre-populated.

2. Review the default selections on the Create Stack page. Note that the Amazon S3 URL field is pre-populated with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the AWS CloudFormation template.

3. Choose Next.

4. In the Stack name text box, enter the name of the stack.

   The stack name is an identifier that helps you find a particular stack from a list of stacks. A stack name can contain only alphanumeric characters (case-sensitive) and hyphens. It must start with an alphabetic character and can't be longer than 128 characters.

5. In the DashboardName text box, enter the name you want to give your dashboard.

   The dashboard name can contain only alphanumerics, dash (–), and underscore (_).

6. Choose Next.

7. Review the default selections on the Configure stack options page, and choose Next.

8. Scroll down to Transforms might require access capabilities and check the boxes for acknowledgement. Then choose Submit to create the stack and the custom CloudWatch dashboard.

   Important

   A cost might be associated with custom CloudWatch dashboards. For information about pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing

9. Open the CloudWatch console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/.

10. In the left navigation bar, choose Dashboards.

11. Under Custom Dashboards, choose the dashboard with the dashboard name you entered earlier in this procedure.

12. Using the Help Desk sample template, enter the WorkSpaceId to monitor its data.

Connection Insights dashboard

The Connection Insights dashboard displays the client versions, platforms, and IP addresses that are connected to your WorkSpaces. This dashboard allows you to better understand how your users are connecting so that you can proactively notify your users using an outdated client. The dynamic variables allows you to monitor the details of IP addresses or specific directories.

Following is an example of the Connection Insights dashboard.

Complete the following procedure to create a custom dashboard in CloudWatch using AWS CloudFormation.

1. Open the Create Stack page in the AWS CloudFormation console. This link opens the page with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the Connection Insights custom CloudWatch dashboard template pre-populated.

2. Review the default selections on the Create Stack page. Note that the Amazon S3 URL field is pre-populated with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the AWS CloudFormation template.

3. Choose Next.

4. In the Stack name text box, enter the name of the stack.

   The stack name is an identifier that helps you find a particular stack from a list of stacks. A stack name can contain only alphanumeric characters (case-sensitive) and hyphens. It must start with an alphabetic character and can't be longer than 128 characters.

5. In the DashboardName text box, enter the name you want to give your dashboard. Enter other relevant CloudWatch access group setup information.

   The dashboard name can contain only alphanumerics, dash (–), and underscore (_).

6. Under LogRetention, enter the number of days you want to retain your LogGroup for.

7. Under SetupEventBridge, choose whether you want to deploy the EventBridge rule to get WorkSpaces access logs.

8. Under WorkSpaceAccessLogsName, enter the name of the CloudWatch LogGroup that has the WorkSpaces access logs.

9. Choose Next.

10. Review the default selections on the Configure stack options page, and choose Next.

11. Scroll down to Transforms might require access capabilities and check the boxes for acknowledgement. Then choose Submit to create the stack and the custom CloudWatch dashboard.

    Important

    A cost might be associated with custom CloudWatch dashboards. For information about pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing

12. Open the CloudWatch console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/.

13. In the left navigation bar, choose Dashboards.

14. Under Custom Dashboards, choose the dashboard with the dashboard name you entered earlier in this procedure.

15. You can now monitor you WorkSpace's data using the Connection Insights dashboard.

Internet Monitoring dashboard

The Internet Monitoring dashboard displays details about the Internet Service Provider (ISP) that your users are using to join their WorkSpaces instances. It provides details on the city, state, ASN, network name, number of connected WorkSpaces, performance, and experience scores. You can also use specific IP addresses to get the details of your users connecting from a specific location. Deploy CloudWatch internet monitor to get ISP data information. For more information, see Using Amazon CloudWatch Internet Monitor.

Following is an example of the Internet Monitoring dashboard.

To create a custom dashboard in CloudWatch using AWS CloudFormation

Note

Before creating a custom dashboard, make sure you create an Internet Monitor with CloudWatch Internet Monitor. For more information, see Creating a monitor in Amazon CloudWatch Internet Monitor using the console

1. Open the Create Stack page in the AWS CloudFormation console. This link opens the page with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the Internet Monitoring custom CloudWatch dashboard template pre-populated.

2. Review the default selections on the Create Stack page. Note that the Amazon S3 URL field is pre-populated with the Amazon S3 bucket location of the AWS CloudFormation template.

3. Choose Next.

4. In the Stack name text box, enter the name of the stack.

   The stack name is an identifier that helps you find a particular stack from a list of stacks. A stack name can contain only alphanumeric characters (case-sensitive) and hyphens. It must start with an alphabetic character and can't be longer than 128 characters.

5. In the DashboardName text box, enter the name you want to give your dashboard. Enter other relevant CloudWatch access group setup information.

   The dashboard name can contain only alphanumerics, dash (–), and underscore (_).

6. Under ResourcesToMonitor, enter the directory ID of the directory that you've enabled internet monitoring for.

7. Under MonitorName, enter the name of the internet monitor you want to use.

8. Choose Next.

9. Review the default selections on the Configure stack options page, and choose Next.

10. Scroll down to Transforms might require access capabilities and check the boxes for acknowledgement. Then choose Submit to create the stack and the custom CloudWatch dashboard.

    Important

    A cost might be associated with custom CloudWatch dashboards. For information about pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing

11. Open the CloudWatch console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/.

12. In the left navigation bar, choose Dashboards.

13. Under Custom Dashboards, choose the dashboard with the dashboard name you entered earlier in this procedure.

14. You can now monitor you WorkSpace's data using the Internet Monitoring dashboard.