Log classes
CloudWatch Logs offers two classes of log groups:
The CloudWatch Logs Standard log class is a full-featured option for logs that require real-time monitoring or logs that you access frequently.
The CloudWatch Logs Infrequent Access log class is a new log class that you can use to cost-effectively consolidate your logs. This log class offers a subset of CloudWatch Logs capabilities including managed ingestion, storage, cross-account log analytics, and encryption with a lower ingestion price per GB. The Infrequent Access log class is ideal for ad-hoc querying and after-the-fact forensic analysis on infrequently accessed logs.
Note
For charges, the Standard and Infrequent Access log classes differ in ingestion costs only. Storage charges and CloudWatch Logs Insights charges are the same in each log class.
For more information about CloudWatch Logs pricing, see Amazon CloudWatch Pricing
Important
After a log group is created, its log class can't be changed.
Supported features
The following table lists the features for each log class.
| Feature | Standard | Infrequent Access |
|---|---|---|
|
Fully managed log ingestion and storage |
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
|
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
Yes ✓ (Most commands– see Commands supported in log classes.) |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
| Natural language query assist |
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Export to Amazon S3 |
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
GetLogEvents and FilterLogEvents API operations |
Yes ✓ |
Not supported. Use CloudWatch Logs Insights to view log events stored in log groups in the Infrequent Access log class. |
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |
|
|
Yes ✓ |
No |