Querying AWS Cloudwatch
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Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill facilitates the integration of AWS CloudWatch Logs with S3 Tables, allowing users to run SQL queries on exported log data using Amazon Athena. It supports over 40 AWS vended data sources, including VPC Flow Logs, WAF logs, and EKS audit logs. By exporting logs as Apache Iceberg tables, users can correlate log data with other datasets and perform historical analysis. The skill provides guidance on configuring the integration, managing permissions via Lake Formation, and executing SQL queries against the aws-cloudwatch table bucket.
What it does
- Configures the integration between CloudWatch Logs and S3 Tables.
- Lists available log data sources and namespaces for querying.
- Provides SQL query patterns for various AWS vended log types.
- Assists in setting up Lake Formation permissions for secure data access.
- Enables correlation of log data with external datasets via SQL joins.
- Offers troubleshooting steps for common integration and permission errors.
When to use it
- When you need to run SQL queries across large volumes of log data.
- When you need to join log data with other tables or S3 metadata.
- When you are setting up or auditing the S3 Tables integration for CloudWatch.
- When you need to investigate specific log patterns using SQL syntax.
Advantages
- Enables SQL-based analysis of log data using Amazon Athena.
- Supports correlation of logs with non-CloudWatch data sources.
- Provides a structured approach to managing log exports and permissions.
- Includes comprehensive support for over 40 AWS vended data sources.
Usage examples
- “How do I check if the CloudWatch S3 Tables integration is configured?”
- The agent will provide the AWS CLI command to list table buckets and verify the existence of the aws-cloudwatch bucket.
- “Show me how to query VPC Flow Logs for rejected traffic.”
- The agent will guide you to run get-tables to confirm the schema, then provide a SQL query filtering for action = 'REJECT'.
- “How can I associate all log data sources with S3 Tables?”
- The agent will provide the command to associate sources using a wildcard, while including a warning about the scope of data exported.
- “Help me troubleshoot an AccessDenied error when querying logs.”
- The agent will walk through verifying Lake Formation grants, IAM permissions, and the registration of the S3 Tables catalog in Glue.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/aws/querying-aws-cloudwatch/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip querying-aws-cloudwatch.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by AWS
Query AWS CloudWatch System Tables
Overview
Works best with the AWS MCP server for sandboxed execution and audit logging. All commands below use the AWS CLI and work in any environment with configured AWS credentials.
The CloudWatch Logs S3 Tables integration exports log data as Apache Iceberg tables in the AWS-managed aws-cloudwatch table bucket. This enables SQL analysis via Amazon Athena and correlation of log data with non-CloudWatch data (S3 metadata, business tables, etc.). Available at no additional storage charge beyond CloudWatch ingestion pricing.
Decision Tree
| User intent | Use this skill? | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Run SQL across large volumes of log data | Yes | — |
| Correlate logs with S3 metadata or other tables | Yes — join across catalogs | — |
| Quick log search / pattern matching | No | CloudWatch Logs Insights (faster for ad-hoc) |
| Real-time log streaming/tailing | No | CloudWatch Logs console or logs filter-log-events |
| Set up alarms on log patterns | No | CloudWatch Metric Filters / Alarms |
| Query historical logs before integration was enabled | No | CloudWatch Logs (no backfill in S3 Tables) |
Supported Data Sources
The following data sources are available through the S3 Tables integration. Each data source has a namespace pattern used in SQL queries. Not all AWS vended data sources may be available in all Regions; check the CloudWatch console Data Sources tab for current availability.
| Data Source | Namespace pattern | Common use case |
|---|---|---|
| VPC Flow Logs | amazon_vpc__flow | Network traffic analysis, rejected connections |
| WAF Logs | aws_waf__logs | Blocked requests, rule hit analysis |
| CloudFront Access Logs | amazon_cloudfront__access | CDN traffic patterns, error rates |
| Route 53 Resolver Query Logs | amazon_route53resolver__query | DNS query analysis |
| Network Firewall Logs | aws_networkfirewall__logs | Firewall rule hits, dropped traffic |
| EKS Audit Logs | amazon_eks__audit | Kubernetes API audit trail |
| Verified Access Logs | amazon_verifiedaccess__logs | Zero-trust access decisions |
| SES Mail Logs | amazon_ses__mail | Email delivery/bounce tracking |
| VPC Lattice Access Logs | amazon_vpclattice__access | Service-to-service access patterns |
| Step Functions Logs | aws_stepfunctions__logs | Workflow execution debugging |
| Global Accelerator Flow Logs | aws_globalaccelerator__flow | Global network traffic |
| NLB Access Logs | elastic_load_balancing__nlb_access | Load balancer request tracing |
| Shield Logs | aws_shield__logs | DDoS mitigation events |
| Cognito Logs | amazon_cognito__logs | Auth/identity operations |
| ElastiCache Logs | amazon_elasticache__logs | Redis slow log, engine log |
| SageMaker Logs | amazon_sagemaker__logs | ML training/inference events |
| WorkMail Audit Logs | amazon_workmail__audit | Email security/compliance |
| Bedrock Agent Logs | aws_bedrock_agent_core__logs | AI agent invocations |
| Client VPN Logs | aws_client_vpn__connections | VPN connection tracking |
| Entity Resolution Logs | aws_entity_resolution__logs | Record matching operations |
| MediaPackage Access Logs | aws_elemental_mediapackage__access | Streaming delivery metrics |
| MediaTailor Logs | aws_elemental_mediatailor__logs | Ad insertion events |
| Transfer Family Logs | aws_transfer_family__logs | SFTP/FTPS file transfer tracking |
| Site-to-Site VPN Logs | aws_site_to_site_vpn__logs | VPN tunnel diagnostics |
Note: This table lists the 24 most commonly queried data sources. The integration supports 43+ AWS vended data sources in total. Use
list-namespaceson theaws-cloudwatchbucket to discover all available data sources in your account. Namespace patterns follow the convention<service>__<type>.
Common Tasks
1. Check If Configured
# Check if the aws-cloudwatch table bucket exists
aws s3tables list-table-buckets --region <REGION> \
--query "tableBuckets[?name=='aws-cloudwatch']"Empty result → integration not enabled. Guide user through setup.
Bucket exists but no namespaces → integration enabled but no log data yet (only captures events after association).
List available tables:
aws s3tables list-namespaces --table-bucket-arn arn:aws:s3tables:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:bucket/aws-cloudwatch --region <REGION>
aws s3tables list-tables --table-bucket-arn arn:aws:s3tables:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:bucket/aws-cloudwatch --namespace <NAMESPACE> --region <REGION>2. Enable / Configure
Create integration:
aws observabilityadmin create-s3-table-integration \
--region <REGION> \
--encryption '{"SseAlgorithm": "aws:kms", "KmsKeyArn": "<KMS_KEY_ARN>"}' \
--role-arn <SERVICE_ROLE_ARN>Associate a specific data source (recommended):
aws logs associate-source-to-s3-table-integration \
--region <REGION> \
--integration-arn <INTEGRATION_ARN> \
--data-source '{"name": "<source-name>", "type": "<source-type>"}'Associate all data sources (wildcard):
⚠️ Warning: Wildcard association delivers all current and future data sources to S3 Tables. Use specific associations for tighter control over what log data lands in queryable tables.
aws logs associate-source-to-s3-table-integration \
--region <REGION> \
--integration-arn <INTEGRATION_ARN> \
--data-source '{"name": "*", "type": "*"}'For IAM requirements (service role trust policy, permissions policy, condition keys), see Security Considerations below.
3. Verify Permissions for Querying
Requires:
S3 Tables federated catalog registered in Glue (
s3tablescatalog)Lake Formation SELECT + DESCRIBE grants on the table (or IAM-only mode in supported regions)
Athena execution permissions
Grant access:
aws lakeformation grant-permissions \
--principal DataLakePrincipalIdentifier=<ROLE_ARN> \
--resource '{"Table": {"CatalogId": "<ACCOUNT>:s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch", "DatabaseName": "<NAMESPACE>", "Name": "<TABLE>"}}' \
--permissions DESCRIBE SELECT \
--region <REGION>4. Query
Query syntax:
"s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch"."<namespace>"."<table>"Constraints:
You MUST ALWAYS run get-tables on the target namespace and include the command in your response before writing any SQL query — schemas vary by data source. Never skip this step even if you already know the likely schema. Run
get-tablesonce on the target namespace (one call returns all tables + columns + types + descriptions):aws glue get-tables --catalog-id "<ACCOUNT>:s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch" --database-name "<namespace>" --region <REGION>You MUST confirm workgroup and output location before executing
You MUST inform user that only logs received after association are available (no backfill)
Example — VPC Flow Logs rejected traffic:
SELECT srcaddr, dstaddr, dstport, protocol, packets, bytes
FROM "s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch"."amazon_vpc__flow"."<table>"
WHERE action = 'REJECT'
ORDER BY bytes DESC
LIMIT 50;Example — WAF blocked requests:
SELECT timestamp, action, terminatingRuleId, httpSourceId
FROM "s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch"."aws_waf__logs"."<table>"
WHERE action = 'BLOCK'
ORDER BY timestamp DESC
LIMIT 50;Example — correlate VPC Flow Logs with S3 object metadata:
SELECT f.srcaddr, f.dstaddr, f.bytes, j.key, j.record_type
FROM "s3tablescatalog/aws-cloudwatch"."amazon_vpc__flow"."<table>" f
JOIN "s3tablescatalog/aws-s3"."b_<bucket>"."journal" j
ON f.srcaddr = j.source_ip_address
WHERE j.record_type = 'CREATE'
AND f.action = 'ACCEPT';Key Behaviors
No backfill — only new log events after association are delivered to S3 Tables
Retention follows log group — when log group retention expires, data is removed from the table
Deleting a log group removes its data from the S3 table
No additional storage charge — included in CloudWatch pricing
Schemas are per-data-source — always run
get-tableson the target namespace before building complex queries
Troubleshooting
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
aws-cloudwatch bucket not found | Integration not created | Run create-s3-table-integration |
| Bucket exists but no namespaces | No data sources associated, or no log traffic since association | Associate sources; generate traffic |
CATALOG_NOT_FOUND in Athena | S3 Tables not registered in Glue | Enable integration: S3 console > Table buckets > Enable integration |
AccessDenied on query | Missing Lake Formation grants or IAM permissions | See Security Considerations below |
| Empty results | Logs only flow after association; no backfill | Confirm association exists and log source is actively generating data |
| Schema mismatch / column not found | Log type schema updated by AWS | Run get-tables on the namespace to get current columns |
Security Considerations
Service Role Trust Policy
The service role must allow logs.amazonaws.com to assume it. Always include aws:SourceAccount and aws:SourceArn condition keys to prevent confused deputy attacks:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {
"Service": "logs.amazonaws.com"
},
"Action": "sts:AssumeRole",
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"aws:SourceAccount": "<ACCOUNT>"
},
"ArnLike": {
"aws:SourceArn": ["arn:aws:logs:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:log-group:<LOG_GROUP_NAME>"]
}
}
}
]
}Service Role Permissions Policy
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Effect": "Allow",
"Action": ["logs:integrateWithS3Table"],
"Resource": ["arn:aws:logs:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:log-group:<LOG_GROUP_NAME>"],
"Condition": {
"StringEquals": {
"aws:ResourceAccount": "<ACCOUNT>"
}
}
}
]
}KMS Key Policy (for encrypted data)
If using a customer managed KMS key, grant both service principals access:
{
"Version": "2012-10-17",
"Statement": [
{
"Sid": "EnableSystemTablesKeyUsage",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {"Service": "systemtables.cloudwatch.amazonaws.com"},
"Action": ["kms:DescribeKey", "kms:GenerateDataKey", "kms:Decrypt"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:kms:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:key/<KEY_ID>",
"Condition": {"StringEquals": {"aws:SourceAccount": "<ACCOUNT>"}}
},
{
"Sid": "EnableS3TablesMaintenanceKeyUsage",
"Effect": "Allow",
"Principal": {"Service": "maintenance.s3tables.amazonaws.com"},
"Action": ["kms:GenerateDataKey", "kms:Decrypt"],
"Resource": "arn:aws:kms:<REGION>:<ACCOUNT>:key/<KEY_ID>",
"Condition": {"StringLike": {"kms:EncryptionContext:aws:s3:arn": "<TABLE_OR_TABLE_BUCKET_ARN>/*"}}
}
]
}Data Sensitivity
Log data may contain PII including IP addresses, user agents, request parameters, and authentication tokens. Treat all exported log tables as sensitive by default.
Access Control Best Practices
Use Lake Formation column-level security to restrict access to sensitive columns (e.g.,
srcaddr,source_ip_address,httpRequest). Grant permissions to specific tables and columns rather than wildcards.Configure SSE-KMS encryption on the Athena workgroup output bucket to protect query results at rest.
Prefer specific data source associations over wildcard (
*/*) to limit which data sources are exported to queryable tables.
Audit Trail
Enable CloudTrail logging for Athena (StartQueryExecution, GetQueryResults) and Lake Formation (GrantPermissions, RevokePermissions) API calls to maintain an audit trail of who queried what data.
Additional Resources
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer938 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer9.9 KiB
- NOTICELicence file added by AutoGineer67 B
- SKILL.md13.6 KiB
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Requirements and compatibility
Written for: Claude Code
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Claude Code frontmatter, Needs an MCP server, Needs a command-line tool
Security
No issues found by our static scan· No issues found
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Attribution and licence
- Published by
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- AWS (Official)
- Source
- aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws · skills/specialized-skills/system-table-skills/querying-aws-cloudwatch · commit 0a218f8
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- Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- NOTICE (added by AutoGineer from NOTICE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
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