Google Cloud Monitoring is a cloud service for viewing the performance, availability, and health of applications and infrastructure. It collects metrics automatically for Google Cloud services and supports hybrid and multicloud environments. Teams can combine metrics and uptime monitoring with custom dashboards and alerts, including policies with multiple conditions. Service-level objectives can be inferred automatically or defined by users, with alerts for violations. Script-based synthetic monitors test web application and API performance and can flag faulty behavior. For Kubernetes workloads, Managed Service for Prometheus supports managed and self-deployed metric collection. On supported Linux and Windows virtual machines, the Ops Agent collects logs and metrics and includes third-party application integrations. Alerts can be sent through email, Slack, PagerDuty, Pub/Sub, SMS, webhooks, or the Cloud Mobile App. Cloud Monitoring API v3 offers programmatic access to metrics scopes, dashboards, and alerting policies. Access is controlled through Google Cloud IAM roles and permissions. Charges can depend on ingested data, returned time series, and monitor executions; free monthly allotments apply to several meters. The Ops Agent is not supported on Amazon EC2 instances or on-premises machines.
Who it is for
It suits teams monitoring applications and infrastructure across Google Cloud, hybrid, or multicloud environments, including Kubernetes workloads and supported Linux or Windows virtual machines.
What is good
- Automatic metrics for Google Cloud services.
- Custom dashboards and multi-condition alerts.
- Synthetic tests cover web apps and APIs.
- Alerts reach several listed services and channels.
- API v3 supports programmatic access.
What to know first
- Ops Agent excludes Amazon EC2 and on-premises machines.
- Charges vary by data and monitor usage.
- The service is cloud deployed.
Verdict
Google Cloud Monitoring brings metrics, uptime checks, dashboards, and alerting into a cloud service with support for hybrid and multicloud environments. Review its usage-based charges and the Ops Agent's environment limits when assessing fit.
Get started with Google Cloud Monitoring
- Visit https://cloud.google.com/monitoring.
- Choose a paid plan or begin with the free plan or free trial.
- Use Google Cloud IAM roles and permissions to control access.
- Connect supported environments and configure metrics, dashboards, and alert policies.
- Use the Cloud Monitoring API v3 for programmatic access if needed.
Limits to know first
Free monthly allotments apply to several usage meters. Charges can depend on ingested data, returned time series, uptime-check executions, and synthetic-monitor executions; the listed Managed Service for Prometheus metrics rate has no free allotment.
Questions about Google Cloud Monitoring
Is Google Cloud Monitoring free?
A free plan and free trial are available. Free monthly allotments apply to several usage meters, while charges can depend on usage.
How is it priced?
It is a paid service with usage-based charges. Listed rates include $0.30/1,000 uptime-check executions and $0.50/million time series returned for Monitoring API read calls; some monthly free allotments apply.
Which platforms does it support?
The listed platforms are API, Linux, web, and Windows. The Ops Agent collects logs and metrics on supported Linux and Windows virtual machines.
Can it monitor Kubernetes?
Yes. Managed Service for Prometheus supports managed and self-deployed metric collection for Kubernetes workloads.
Where can monitoring alerts be sent?
Supported destinations include email, Slack, PagerDuty, Pub/Sub, SMS, webhooks, and the Cloud Mobile App.
Who makes Google Cloud Monitoring?
Google Cloud provides the service. Its headquarters are in Mountain View, California, United States.
Google Cloud Monitoring plans and pricing
All plansCompared on Kubernetes monitoring
- Free plan
- No
