--- title: Migrate from API Polling to CloudWatch Metric Streams source: https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/migrate-from-api-polling-to-cwms --- For seamless integration of your AWS account with New Relic, [Integration via CloudFormation and CloudWatch metric stream](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/via-cloudformation) is the most recommended approach. However, if you have already integrated your AWS account with New Relic using API Polling, refer to the following procedure to migrate from API Polling to CloudWatch Metric Streams. ## Prerequisites [#prerequisites] Before you begin integrating your AWS account with New Relic, ensure that you meet the following prerequisites: - **A New Relic [Ingest - license key and a User key](https://one.newrelic.com/api-keys)**: You'll need these keys to connect your AWS services to your New Relic account. - **[Permissions](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ARG/latest/userguide/gettingstarted-prereqs-permissions.html)** to deploy new AWS resources and **[IAM roles](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_roles.html)**: You’ll need this permission for your AWS account. - **[Permissions](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/accounts/accounts-billing/new-relic-one-user-management/user-permissions/#infrastructure)** for cloud integrations: You’ll need these permissions for your New Relic account. - For users who manage multiple AWS accounts, [connect each account to a single New Relic account](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/manage-aws-data/aws-multi-account). - For users who manage multiple regions within those accounts, you need to create a separate Kinesis Data Firehose that points to New Relic for each region. ## Migrate to the CloudWatch Metric Streams integration [#migrate] You can migrate from API polling by creating a CloudFormation template, or by re-adding your AWS account and following our in-app guided install procedures. We recommend that you use the CloudFormation template method, as it's the most efficient way to migrate. These integrations are not supported by CloudWatch Metric Streams and can't be migrated to our integration: - AWS CloudTrail - AWS Health - AWS Trusted Advisor - AWS X-Ray If you use these integrations, you still need to use the API polling method. **Migrate with CloudFormation template (Recommended)** The CloudFormation template allows you to update a template with preconfigured namespaces based on your polling configuration. 1. Go to **[one.newrelic.com > Infrastructure > AWS](https://one.newrelic.com/infra/infrastructure/cloud-aws)**, then click **Migrate to CloudWatch Metric stream**. 2. Follow the procedures. You'll download the template, then replicate the namespaces from API polling. Be sure to add your account details to the downloaded template. 3. From AWS Console, go to **Cloud Formation > Create Stack > Upload a template file**. Upload your updated CloudFormation template. **Migrate without CloudFormation template** If you don't want to use the CloudFormation method, you need to re-add your AWS account even if you've already linked your AWS account with polling integrations. These procedures may have you leave this doc, but remember to return to disable your polling integrations. 1. Refer to [Integrate manually from AWS console](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/manual/) and complete the steps. 2. [Disable all unnecessary polling integrations](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/connect/uninstall-aws/) in the previous AWS provider account. When disabling, keep in mind that [some integrations are not supported by CloudWatch Metric Streams](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/connect/connect-aws-new-relic-infrastructure-monitoring/). Our CloudWatch Metric Streams integration uses the Metric API to push metrics in the [dimensional metric](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/data-apis/understand-data/new-relic-data-types/#dimensional-metrics) format. Our API polling method, on the other hand, pushes metrics based on [events](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/data-apis/understand-data/new-relic-data-types/#events-new-relic). - To assist in the transition, we provide a shimming mechanism that transparently lets you write queries in any format. These queries are processed as expected based on the source that's available, either from events to metrics or metrics to events. - We recommend reviewing [some limitations](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/query-your-data/nrql-new-relic-query-language/nrql-query-tutorials/query-infrastructure-dimensional-metrics-nrql/#known-limitations) about the shimming mechanism that lets you use event-based queries with the CloudWatch Metric Stream integration. After migrating, some of New Relic features that depend on your API polling data may behave differently: - **Dashboards**: Custom dashboards that use poll-based AWS integration events will still work as expected. - **Alerts**: Alert conditions that use poll-based AWS events will still work. We recommend adapting those to the dimensional metric format that uses NRQL as source. - **Entities**: Your list of monitored entities might show duplicated entities for up to 24 hours. - **Attributes**: Poll-based AWS integrations prefix collected resource tags with `label.`, while the AWS CloudWatch Metric Streams integration prefixes collected resource tags with `tags.`. If both integrations are enabled for the same AWS account, resource tags will appear under both prefixes when using the Event format. ## Validate your Metric Streams data [#validate-data] To confirm you're receiving data from the Metric Streams, follow these steps: 1. Go to **[one.newrelic.com > All capabilities > Infrastructure > AWS](https://one.newrelic.com/infra/infrastructure/cloud-aws)**. Search for the AWS account you've connected to New Relic. **Stream** accounts. 2. Check the account status dashboard and confirm that New Relic receives the metric data. This may include errors and number of namespaces and metrics ingested. 3. Explore your data by writing queries for specific sets of metrics. It may take a few minutes for New Relic to detect new resources and synthesize them as entities. > #### 💡 TIP > > AWS CloudWatch metrics for global services, such AWS Billing, are only available in the **us-east-1** region. Make sure there's an active CloudWatch metric stream configured in that region. ## Related topics [#related-topics] [Collect data from multiple AWS accounts](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/manage-aws-data/aws-multi-account/) Learn how to collect data from multiple AWS accounts. [AWS integrations metrics](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/manage-aws-data/aws-integrations-metrics/) Explore and use metrics from CloudWatch Metric Stream. [AWS integrations via CloudFormation and CWMS](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/via-cloudformation-cwms) Integrate AWS services with New Relic using CloudFormation and CloudWatch Metric Streams. [AWS integrations via CloudFormation and API Polling](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/via-cloudformation-and-api-polling) Integrate AWS services with New Relic using CloudFormation and API Polling. [AWS integrations via Terraform](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/terraform) Integrate AWS services with New Relic using Terraform. [Manual integrations from AWS console](https://docs.newrelic.com/docs/infrastructure/amazon-integrations/aws-integration-for-metrics/manual) Manually integrate AWS services with New Relic from AWS console.