Amazon CloudWatch

2019/03/14 - Amazon CloudWatch - 1 updated api methods

Changes  New Messages parameter for the output of GetMetricData, to support new metric search functionality.

GetMetricData (updated) Link ΒΆ
Changes (response)
{'Messages': [{'Code': 'string', 'Value': 'string'}]}

You can use the GetMetricData API to retrieve as many as 100 different metrics in a single request, with a total of as many as 100,800 datapoints. You can also optionally perform math expressions on the values of the returned statistics, to create new time series that represent new insights into your data. For example, using Lambda metrics, you could divide the Errors metric by the Invocations metric to get an error rate time series. For more information about metric math expressions, see Metric Math Syntax and Functions in the Amazon CloudWatch User Guide .

Calls to the GetMetricData API have a different pricing structure than calls to GetMetricStatistics . For more information about pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing.

Amazon CloudWatch retains metric data as follows:

  • Data points with a period of less than 60 seconds are available for 3 hours. These data points are high-resolution metrics and are available only for custom metrics that have been defined with a StorageResolution of 1.

  • Data points with a period of 60 seconds (1-minute) are available for 15 days.

  • Data points with a period of 300 seconds (5-minute) are available for 63 days.

  • Data points with a period of 3600 seconds (1 hour) are available for 455 days (15 months).

Data points that are initially published with a shorter period are aggregated together for long-term storage. For example, if you collect data using a period of 1 minute, the data remains available for 15 days with 1-minute resolution. After 15 days, this data is still available, but is aggregated and retrievable only with a resolution of 5 minutes. After 63 days, the data is further aggregated and is available with a resolution of 1 hour.

See also: AWS API Documentation

Request Syntax

client.get_metric_data(
    MetricDataQueries=[
        {
            'Id': 'string',
            'MetricStat': {
                'Metric': {
                    'Namespace': 'string',
                    'MetricName': 'string',
                    'Dimensions': [
                        {
                            'Name': 'string',
                            'Value': 'string'
                        },
                    ]
                },
                'Period': 123,
                'Stat': 'string',
                'Unit': 'Seconds'|'Microseconds'|'Milliseconds'|'Bytes'|'Kilobytes'|'Megabytes'|'Gigabytes'|'Terabytes'|'Bits'|'Kilobits'|'Megabits'|'Gigabits'|'Terabits'|'Percent'|'Count'|'Bytes/Second'|'Kilobytes/Second'|'Megabytes/Second'|'Gigabytes/Second'|'Terabytes/Second'|'Bits/Second'|'Kilobits/Second'|'Megabits/Second'|'Gigabits/Second'|'Terabits/Second'|'Count/Second'|'None'
            },
            'Expression': 'string',
            'Label': 'string',
            'ReturnData': True|False
        },
    ],
    StartTime=datetime(2015, 1, 1),
    EndTime=datetime(2015, 1, 1),
    NextToken='string',
    ScanBy='TimestampDescending'|'TimestampAscending',
    MaxDatapoints=123
)
type MetricDataQueries

list

param MetricDataQueries

[REQUIRED]

The metric queries to be returned. A single GetMetricData call can include as many as 100 MetricDataQuery structures. Each of these structures can specify either a metric to retrieve, or a math expression to perform on retrieved data.

  • (dict) --

    This structure is used in both GetMetricData and PutMetricAlarm . The supported use of this structure is different for those two operations.

    When used in GetMetricData , it indicates the metric data to return, and whether this call is just retrieving a batch set of data for one metric, or is performing a math expression on metric data. A single GetMetricData call can include up to 100 MetricDataQuery structures.

    When used in PutMetricAlarm , it enables you to create an alarm based on a metric math expression. Each MetricDataQuery in the array specifies either a metric to retrieve, or a math expression to be performed on retrieved metrics. A single PutMetricAlarm call can include up to 20 MetricDataQuery structures in the array. The 20 structures can include as many as 10 structures that contain a MetricStat parameter to retrieve a metric, and as many as 10 structures that contain the Expression parameter to perform a math expression. Any expression used in a PutMetricAlarm operation must return a single time series. For more information, see Metric Math Syntax and Functions in the Amazon CloudWatch User Guide .

    Some of the parameters of this structure also have different uses whether you are using this structure in a GetMetricData operation or a PutMetricAlarm operation. These differences are explained in the following parameter list.

    • Id (string) -- [REQUIRED]

      A short name used to tie this object to the results in the response. This name must be unique within a single call to GetMetricData . If you are performing math expressions on this set of data, this name represents that data and can serve as a variable in the mathematical expression. The valid characters are letters, numbers, and underscore. The first character must be a lowercase letter.

    • MetricStat (dict) --

      The metric to be returned, along with statistics, period, and units. Use this parameter only if this object is retrieving a metric and not performing a math expression on returned data.

      Within one MetricDataQuery object, you must specify either Expression or MetricStat but not both.

      • Metric (dict) -- [REQUIRED]

        The metric to return, including the metric name, namespace, and dimensions.

        • Namespace (string) --

          The namespace of the metric.

        • MetricName (string) --

          The name of the metric. This is a required field.

        • Dimensions (list) --

          The dimensions for the metric.

          • (dict) --

            Expands the identity of a metric.

            • Name (string) -- [REQUIRED]

              The name of the dimension.

            • Value (string) -- [REQUIRED]

              The value representing the dimension measurement.

      • Period (integer) -- [REQUIRED]

        The period, in seconds, to use when retrieving the metric.

      • Stat (string) -- [REQUIRED]

        The statistic to return. It can include any CloudWatch statistic or extended statistic.

      • Unit (string) --

        The unit to use for the returned data points.

    • Expression (string) --

      The math expression to be performed on the returned data, if this object is performing a math expression. This expression can use the Id of the other metrics to refer to those metrics, and can also use the Id of other expressions to use the result of those expressions. For more information about metric math expressions, see Metric Math Syntax and Functions in the Amazon CloudWatch User Guide .

      Within each MetricDataQuery object, you must specify either Expression or MetricStat but not both.

    • Label (string) --

      A human-readable label for this metric or expression. This is especially useful if this is an expression, so that you know what the value represents. If the metric or expression is shown in a CloudWatch dashboard widget, the label is shown. If Label is omitted, CloudWatch generates a default.

    • ReturnData (boolean) --

      When used in GetMetricData , this option indicates whether to return the timestamps and raw data values of this metric. If you are performing this call just to do math expressions and do not also need the raw data returned, you can specify False . If you omit this, the default of True is used.

      When used in PutMetricAlarm , specify True for the one expression result to use as the alarm. For all other metrics and expressions in the same PutMetricAlarm operation, specify ReturnData as False.

type StartTime

datetime

param StartTime

[REQUIRED]

The time stamp indicating the earliest data to be returned.

For better performance, specify StartTime and EndTime values that align with the value of the metric's Period and sync up with the beginning and end of an hour. For example, if the Period of a metric is 5 minutes, specifying 12:05 or 12:30 as StartTime can get a faster response from CloudWatch then setting 12:07 or 12:29 as the StartTime .

type EndTime

datetime

param EndTime

[REQUIRED]

The time stamp indicating the latest data to be returned.

For better performance, specify StartTime and EndTime values that align with the value of the metric's Period and sync up with the beginning and end of an hour. For example, if the Period of a metric is 5 minutes, specifying 12:05 or 12:30 as EndTime can get a faster response from CloudWatch then setting 12:07 or 12:29 as the EndTime .

type NextToken

string

param NextToken

Include this value, if it was returned by the previous call, to get the next set of data points.

type ScanBy

string

param ScanBy

The order in which data points should be returned. TimestampDescending returns the newest data first and paginates when the MaxDatapoints limit is reached. TimestampAscending returns the oldest data first and paginates when the MaxDatapoints limit is reached.

type MaxDatapoints

integer

param MaxDatapoints

The maximum number of data points the request should return before paginating. If you omit this, the default of 100,800 is used.

rtype

dict

returns

Response Syntax

{
    'MetricDataResults': [
        {
            'Id': 'string',
            'Label': 'string',
            'Timestamps': [
                datetime(2015, 1, 1),
            ],
            'Values': [
                123.0,
            ],
            'StatusCode': 'Complete'|'InternalError'|'PartialData',
            'Messages': [
                {
                    'Code': 'string',
                    'Value': 'string'
                },
            ]
        },
    ],
    'NextToken': 'string',
    'Messages': [
        {
            'Code': 'string',
            'Value': 'string'
        },
    ]
}

Response Structure

  • (dict) --

    • MetricDataResults (list) --

      The metrics that are returned, including the metric name, namespace, and dimensions.

      • (dict) --

        A GetMetricData call returns an array of MetricDataResult structures. Each of these structures includes the data points for that metric, along with the timestamps of those data points and other identifying information.

        • Id (string) --

          The short name you specified to represent this metric.

        • Label (string) --

          The human-readable label associated with the data.

        • Timestamps (list) --

          The timestamps for the data points, formatted in Unix timestamp format. The number of timestamps always matches the number of values and the value for Timestamps[x] is Values[x].

          • (datetime) --

        • Values (list) --

          The data points for the metric corresponding to Timestamps . The number of values always matches the number of timestamps and the timestamp for Values[x] is Timestamps[x].

          • (float) --

        • StatusCode (string) --

          The status of the returned data. Complete indicates that all data points in the requested time range were returned. PartialData means that an incomplete set of data points were returned. You can use the NextToken value that was returned and repeat your request to get more data points. NextToken is not returned if you are performing a math expression. InternalError indicates that an error occurred. Retry your request using NextToken , if present.

        • Messages (list) --

          A list of messages with additional information about the data returned.

          • (dict) --

            A message returned by the GetMetricData API, including a code and a description.

            • Code (string) --

              The error code or status code associated with the message.

            • Value (string) --

              The message text.

    • NextToken (string) --

      A token that marks the next batch of returned results.

    • Messages (list) --

      Contains a message about the operation or the results, if the operation results in such a message. Examples of messages that may be returned include Maximum number of allowed metrics exceeded and You are not authorized to search one or more metrics . If there is a message, as much of the operation as possible is still executed.

      • (dict) --

        A message returned by the GetMetricData API, including a code and a description.

        • Code (string) --

          The error code or status code associated with the message.

        • Value (string) --

          The message text.