What is the purpose of AWS CloudWatch?

AWS CloudWatch is a comprehensive monitoring and logging service designed to keep track of AWS resource usage and performance metrics. Its primary purpose is to provide real-time insights into application and infrastructure health, enabling administrators to maintain optimal performance and availability of their systems.

By monitoring various metrics such as CPU utilization, disk I/O, and network traffic, CloudWatch allows users to set up alarms and notifications based on predefined thresholds. This capability empowers organizations to respond proactively to potential issues before they escalate into critical problems. Additionally, it enables detailed logging of events and performance data, which is essential for troubleshooting and analyzing system behavior over time.

While managing user permissions, automating software deployment, and storing data are essential functions within cloud operations, they fall under different AWS services, such as IAM for user permissions, AWS CodeDeploy for software deployment, and Amazon S3 for data storage. CloudWatch remains a vital tool for operational observability, ensuring that organizations can track their resources and make data-driven decisions for system management and improvement.