Configure alerts for scheduled snapshots

You can create a custom metric to raise alerts or provide information to troubleshoot problems with scheduled snapshots.

For example, to set up an alert for scheduled snapshot failures, use the following procedure:

  1. Create a custom query to capture scheduled snapshot events.
  2. Create a metric based off of the query that counts scheduled snapshot failures.
  3. Create an alert policy to send an alert when there is a scheduled snapshot failure.

Before you begin

  • If you haven't already, set up authentication. Authentication verifies your identity for access to Google Cloud services and APIs. To run code or samples from a local development environment, you can authenticate to Compute Engine by selecting one of the following options:

    Select the tab for how you plan to use the samples on this page:

    Console

    When you use the Google Cloud console to access Google Cloud services and APIs, you don't need to set up authentication.

    gcloud

    1. Install the Google Cloud CLI. After installation, initialize the Google Cloud CLI by running the following command: 

      gcloud init

      If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.

    2. Set a default region and zone.

    REST

    To use the REST API samples on this page in a local development environment, you use the credentials you provide to the gcloud CLI.

      Install the Google Cloud CLI. After installation, initialize the Google Cloud CLI by running the following command: 

      gcloud init

      If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.

    For more information, see Authenticate for using REST in the Google Cloud authentication documentation.

Required roles and permissions

To get the permissions that you need to create a snapshot schedule, ask your administrator to grant you the following IAM roles on the project:

For more information about granting roles, see Manage access to projects, folders, and organizations.

You might also be able to get the required permissions through custom roles or other predefined roles.

Create a custom query

To capture scheduled snapshot events, create a custom query in Logs explorer.

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Logging > Logs Explorer page.

    Go to the Logs Explorer page

  2. If the query editor isn't visible at the top of the page, click the Show query toggle.

  3. Enter the following text in the query editor, replacing PROJECT_ID with your project ID:

    resource.type="gce_disk"
logName="projects/PROJECT_ID/logs/cloudaudit.googleapis.com%2Fsystem_event"
protoPayload.methodName="ScheduledSnapshots"
severity>"INFO"

  4. Click Run query.

Create a metric

After you create the custom query, create a metric that counts scheduled snapshot failures.

  1. At the top of the results table on the Logs Explorer page, click the Actions drop-down.
  2. Select Create metric.

  3. In the Create log-based metric window, provide the following details:

    • Metric type: Counter
    • Log-based metric name: scheduled_snapshot_failure_count
    • Description: count of scheduled snapshot failures

    The Filter selection section is automatically populated with the query from the previous step.

  4. Under Labels, click Add label and enter the following:

    • Label name: status
    • Description: status of scheduled snapshot request
    • Label type: STRING
    • Field name: protoPayload.response.status

  5. Click Done.

  6. Click Create Metric.

Create an alert policy

After you create the metric, create an alert policy to send an alert when there's a scheduled snapshot failure.

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Cloud Logging > Log-based metrics page.

    Go to the Log-based metrics page

  2. In the User-defined Metrics section, find your new metric named scheduled_snapshot_failure_count.

  3. Click the More menu button in this row and select Create alert from metric.

    The Create alerting policy page opens.

  4. In the New condition tab, configure your alert signal:

  5. Set the Rolling window to 5 minutes or your preferred interval.

  6. For Rolling window function, select Sum.

    Click Next.

  7. In the Configure trigger tab, enter the following:

    1. Condition type: Threshold
    2. Alert trigger: Any time series violates
    3. Threshold position: Above threshold

    4. Threshold value: 0

      Setting Threshold value to 0 triggers an alert if any snapshot failure occurs. You can modify this value as your workload requires.

    5. Condition name: Snapshot failure threshold exceeded

    Click Next.

  8. In the Notifications and name tab, set your Alert policy name. Optionally, you can add notification channels and documentation for this policy.

    Click Next.

  9. Review your alert.

  10. Click Create Policy.

To learn more about creating alert policies, see Create metric-threshold alerting policies.

What's next