
querying-aws-cloudwatch
Runs SQL queries on CloudWatch Logs data exported as Apache Iceberg tables in S3 Tables. Covers VPC Flow Logs, WAF logs, CloudFront access logs, Route 53 resolver logs, Network Firewall logs, EKS audit logs, Verified Access logs, SES logs, VPC Lattice logs, Step Functions logs, NLB access logs, and 20+ other AWS vended data sources. Applies when analyzing network traffic, investigating security incidents, querying exported logs with SQL, enabling S3 Tables integration, configuring log export, correlating logs with other data, or running Athena queries on the aws-cloudwatch table bucket. Trigger phrases: query logs with SQL, analyze logs in Athena, SQL on VPC flow logs, investigate network traffic, run SQL on exported logs, enable S3 Tables for CloudWatch, correlate logs, historical log analysis, set up log querying.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill querying-aws-cloudwatch- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads querying-aws-cloudwatch automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
Security audits
Independent scans of the skill's instructions and bundled files.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
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
FAQ
What does the querying-aws-cloudwatch skill do?
Runs SQL queries on CloudWatch Logs data exported as Apache Iceberg tables in S3 Tables. Covers VPC Flow Logs, WAF logs, CloudFront access logs, Route 53 resolver logs, Network Firewall logs, EKS audit logs, Verified Access logs, SES logs, VPC Lattice logs, Step Functions logs, NLB access logs, and 20+ other AWS vended data sources. Applies when analyzing network traffic, investigating security incidents, querying exported logs with SQL, enabling S3 Tables integration, configuring log export, correlating logs with other data, or running Athena queries on the aws-cloudwatch table bucket. Trigger phrases: query logs with SQL, analyze logs in Athena, SQL on VPC flow logs, investigate network traffic, run SQL on exported logs, enable S3 Tables for CloudWatch, correlate logs, historical log analysis, set up log querying.
How do I install querying-aws-cloudwatch?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws --skill querying-aws-cloudwatch in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/querying-aws-cloudwatch/ (personal) or .claude/skills/querying-aws-cloudwatch/ (project).
Which AI agents can use querying-aws-cloudwatch?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is querying-aws-cloudwatch safe to install?
Security partners have reviewed it: Gen Agent Trust Hub passed; Socket passed; Snyk flagged items to review. As with any skill, read the SKILL.md and bundled scripts before installing.
Who maintains querying-aws-cloudwatch?
It is published by aws in aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws, and it is an official skill from the maker of the technology it covers. It has 5,536 recorded installs.
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