AWS Network Monitoring
OfficialFreeMonitor network path health on EC2 instances effortlessly.
Free · Opens the source repo
What AWS Network Monitoring does
The AWS Network Monitoring skill is designed for developers and system administrators who need to install and manage Amazon CloudWatch Network Flow Monitor agents on EC2 instances. This skill provides comprehensive guidance on the installation process, IAM permission configurations, and troubleshooting common issues that may arise during agent operation. By leveraging this skill, users can ensure that their network path health is continuously monitored, providing insights into latency and packet loss metrics that are crucial for maintaining application performance.
The skill simplifies the installation of Network Flow Monitor agents through both SSM Distributor and command-line methods. Users will find detailed instructions on how to activate and verify the agents, ensuring that they are correctly reporting metrics to the CloudWatch service. Additionally, the skill emphasizes the importance of proper IAM role configurations to adhere to security best practices, ensuring that only the necessary permissions are granted to the agents. This focus on security helps prevent unauthorized access and maintains the integrity of the monitoring setup.
Troubleshooting is another critical aspect covered by this skill. Users will have access to a dedicated troubleshooting guide that addresses common issues such as HTTP 403 errors and missing metrics. This resource helps users quickly identify the root causes of problems and implement effective solutions, minimizing downtime and ensuring reliable network monitoring. Overall, this skill is an essential tool for anyone looking to enhance their AWS networking capabilities and maintain optimal performance across their cloud infrastructure.
When to use it
Use this skill when you need to set up network monitoring for applications running on EC2 instances and require guidance on agent installation and configuration.
When not to use it
This skill is not suitable for users looking to monitor Windows instances, as it only supports Linux distributions. Additionally, if you are already familiar with AWS CloudWatch and IAM configurations, you might not need this skill.
What you can build with it
Setting Up Network Monitoring for Applications
Install and configure Network Flow Monitor agents on EC2 instances to monitor the health of network paths for your applications.
Troubleshooting Network Monitoring Issues
Utilize the troubleshooting guide to quickly resolve common agent issues such as connectivity failures or missing metrics.
Configuring IAM Permissions for Security
Follow the IAM permissions guide to ensure that your Network Flow Monitor agents have the necessary access without compromising security.
How to install AWS Network Monitoring
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add aws/agent-toolkit-for-aws/aws-network-monitoring --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by awsAWS Network Monitoring
Overview
Domain expertise for installing and configuring Amazon CloudWatch Network Flow Monitor agents on EC2 instances. Covers IAM permission setup, agent installation via SSM Distributor or command-line install, agent activation, verification, and troubleshooting.
Network Flow Monitor agents are lightweight software that publish performance metrics (latency, packet loss) to the Network Flow Monitor backend, enabling monitoring of network path health between workloads.
Works best with the AWS MCP server — enables running SSM commands, attaching IAM policies, and validating agent status directly. All guidance also works with standard AWS CLI access.
Routing
| User need | Action |
|---|---|
| Installing Network Flow Monitor agents on EC2 | Read agent-install-ec2.md |
| Configuring IAM for Network Flow Monitor agents | Read agent-permissions.md |
| Troubleshooting Network Flow Monitor agents (403, no metrics, connectivity) | Read troubleshooting.md |
| Spans multiple areas | Read the most specific reference first, then consult others as needed |
Files
| File | Content |
|---|---|
| agent-install-ec2.md | End-to-end Network Flow Monitor agent installation via SSM Distributor, activation, verification |
| agent-permissions.md | IAM policy setup for Network Flow Monitor agent metric publishing |
| troubleshooting.md | Error → cause → fix for Network Flow Monitor agent issues (HTTP 403, missing metrics, connectivity) |
Supported versions
For supported Linux distributions, kernel versions, and architectures, see the AWS documentation. Windows is not supported.
Security Considerations
- Least-privilege IAM: Attach only
CloudWatchNetworkFlowMonitorAgentPublishPolicyfor publishing metrics andAmazonSSMManagedInstanceCorefor SSM management. Do not use*FullAccesspolicies. - Private subnets: When the instance is in a private subnet, prefer VPC endpoints for SSM (
com.amazonaws.<region>.ssm,.ssmmessages,.ec2messages) over a NAT gateway to keep traffic on the AWS network. - Credential storage: Never embed AWS credentials on the instance; the publish policy MUST be attached to the instance role, not configured as static keys.
- Audit trail: Ensure CloudTrail is enabled in the account so SSM
SendCommandinvocations and IAMAttachRolePolicyactions performed during agent setup are logged for security investigations. - References: CloudWatch Network Flow Monitor security, IAM best practices
Frequently asked questions about AWS Network Monitoring
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