To trigger alerts for AWS RDS (Relational Database Service) when instances are stopped or started manually or automatically, you can use a combination of AWS CloudWatch, AWS CloudTrail, and AWS Simple Notification Service (SNS). Here is a step-by-step guide to set this up:
Step 1: Enable CloudTrail Logging
Ensure CloudTrail is enabled in your AWS account to log API activities related to RDS instances.
1. Create a CloudTrail Trail:
- Open the CloudTrail console.
- Choose Create trail.
- Follow the prompts to create a new trail. Ensure that it covers all regions and that management events are logged.
Step 2: Create a CloudWatch Rule for RDS Events
Create a CloudWatch rule to monitor specific RDS events (start and stop) logged by CloudTrail.
1. Open the CloudWatch Console:
- Go to the CloudWatch console.
2. Create a Rule:
- Navigate to Rules under the Events section.
- Choose Create rule.
3. Define Event Source:
- For the Event Source, select Event Source as AWS API Call via CloudTrail.
- In the Event Source section, select Specific operation(s) and choose StopDBInstance and StartDBInstance.
4. Add Targets:
- Select Add target and choose SNS topic (or Lambda function if you want to customize the alert logic further).
Step 3: Create an SNS Topic
Create an SNS topic to send notifications (email, SMS, etc.).
1. Open the SNS Console:
- Go to the SNS console.
2. Create Topic:
- Choose Create topic.
- Enter a Topic name and Display name (for SMS).
3. Create Subscription:
- After creating the topic, select the topic and choose Create subscription.
- Choose a protocol (e.g., Email).
- Enter the endpoint (e.g., your email address).
- Confirm the subscription by checking your email and clicking on the confirmation link.
Step 4: Configure the CloudWatch Rule to Use the SNS Topic
1. Go back to the CloudWatch Rule:
- In the Targets section of the rule, choose the SNS topic you created from the dropdown menu.
2. Create the Rule:
- Finish creating the rule by reviewing the configuration and clicking Create rule.
Step 5: Test the Setup
1. Manually Start or Stop an RDS Instance:
- Go to the RDS console.
- Start or stop an RDS instance.
2. Check Notifications
- Ensure you receive an email or SMS notification based on the SNS topic subscription.
Additional Customization
- Lambda Functions: For more complex alerting or logging logic, consider using AWS Lambda as a target for your CloudWatch rule. Lambda can process the event and perform custom actions before sending notifications.
- IAM Roles and Permissions: Ensure that the necessary permissions are set up for CloudTrail, CloudWatch, and SNS to interact properly. This might involve creating IAM roles and attaching appropriate policies.
Summary: - By combining CloudTrail to log RDS activities, CloudWatch to monitor specific API calls, and SNS to send notifications, you can effectively set up alerts for manual or automatic start and stop events of your AWS RDS instances.
