AWS: CloudWatch now automatically generates incident reports

Amazon Web Services has announced a new function for its CloudWatch monitoring service for automatic generation of incident reports. According to AWS, customers can use this to generate comprehensive post-incident analysis reports within minutes. The timing of the release is noteworthy: it follows shortly after the major outage of the AWS infrastructure, which crippled numerous services, including those of other providers.

The new CloudWatch function automatically collects telemetry data, user actions during troubleshooting, and system configurations, compiling them into a structured report. According to AWS, the generated reports include executive summaries, detailed timelines of events, impact assessments, and concrete recommendations for action. The system correlates the various data sources to provide the most complete picture of the incident possible.

CloudWatch is Amazon's central platform for real-time monitoring of cloud resources and applications. According to AWS documentation, the service $(LEhttps://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html:offers|_blank) a system-wide overview of application performance, operational system health, and resource utilization. The new incident report function now extends this monitoring with a structured post-incident review.

The promise: Automatically better and better

The automatically generated reports are intended to help IT teams identify recurring patterns and implement preventive measures. AWS promises that customers can continuously improve their operational setup through structured post-incident analysis. The function automatically captures critical operational telemetry, service configurations, and investigation results, eliminating manual compilations. However, the extent to which this might have already helped internally during Amazon's most recent outage remains unclear. In any case, no reliable information was available within the promised few minutes.

The new CloudWatch function complements the recently introduced $(LEhttps://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/investigate-and-remediate-operational-issues-with-amazon-q-developer/:AI-powered error analysis|_blank) in CloudWatch Investigations. This uses generative AI for diagnosis and automatic root cause analysis of operational problems. The integration with AWS Systems Manager is intended to reduce the complexity of cloud environments during troubleshooting. According to AWS, the service is available in several regions, including Europe (Frankfurt). The costs correspond to those of CloudWatch Investigations; there are no additional surcharges for the function.

(fo)