# PERF07-BP06 Monitor and alarm proactively
PERF07-BP06 Monitor and alarm proactively

 Use key performance indicators (KPIs), combined with monitoring and alerting systems, to proactively address performance-related issues. Use alarms to trigger automated actions to remediate issues where possible. Escalate the alarm to those able to respond if automated response is not possible. For example, you may have a system that can predict expected key performance indicators (KPI) values and alarm when they breach certain thresholds, or a tool that can automatically halt or roll back deployments if KPIs are outside of expected values. 

 Implement processes that provide visibility into performance as your workload is running. Build monitoring dashboards and establish baseline norms for performance expectations to determine if the workload is performing optimally. 

 **Common anti-patterns:** 
+  You only allow operations staff the ability to make operational changes to the workload. 
+  You let all alarms filter to the operations team with no proactive remediation. 

 **Benefits of establishing this best practice:** Proactive remediation of alarm actions allows support staff to concentrate on those items that are not automatically actionable. This ensures that operations staff are not overwhelmed by all alarms and instead focus only on critical alarms. 

 **Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established:** Low 

## Implementation guidance
Implementation guidance

 Monitor performance during operations: Implement processes that provide visibility into performance as your workload is running. Build monitoring dashboards and establish a baseline for performance expectations. 

## Resources
Resources

 **Related documents:** 
+  [CloudWatch Documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonCloudWatch/latest/monitoring/WhatIsCloudWatch.html) 
+  [Monitoring, Logging, and Performance APN Partners](https://aws.amazon.com/devops/partner-solutions/#_Monitoring.2C_Logging.2C_and_Performance) 
+  [X-Ray Documentation](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/xray/latest/devguide/aws-xray.html) 
+  [Using Alarms and Alarm Actions in CloudWatch](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/sdk-for-go/v1/developer-guide/cw-example-using-alarm-actions.html) 

 **Related videos:** 
+  [Cut through the chaos: Gain operational visibility and insight (MGT301-R1)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLYGbotqHd0) 
+  [Application Performance Management on AWS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T4stR-HFas&ref=wellarchitected) 
+  [Build a Monitoring Plan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMmiGETJpfU&ref=wellarchitected) 
+  [Using AWS Lambda with Amazon CloudWatch Events](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDBD3JmpLqs) 

 **Related examples:** 
+  [Cloudwatch Logs Customize Alarms](https://github.com/awslabs/cloudwatch-logs-customize-alarms)