Connections are how CloudZero manages the various Cost Sources that bring Billing, Resource, and other types of data into the platform.

How the Datadog Connection Works

Connecting to a Datadog account will show Datadog cost data alongside other Cost Sources in the Explorer, as well as enable anomaly alerts on Datadog spend.

The CloudZero platform will ingest Datadog Cost data by making requests to Datadog's Usage Metering API.

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About CloudZero's Access to your Datadog Accounts

All of CloudZero's permissions are Read-Only

We have no access to data except where explicitly authorized (for example, the data you explicitly share with CloudZero).

Summary of Permissions:

• Usage Read Authorization Scope: grants read only access, to view usage and cost data associated with your Datadog account.

Datadog Billing Models

Datadog bills based on several pricing strategies that vary between products. As a result, costs are represented in the CloudZero platform using different models that depend on the Datadog product and how it is billed.

Occasionally, you may see negative costs for Datadog services in the CloudZero platform. The most common reason for this is due to incurring lower than estimated costs for certain services towards that conclusion of the month. Rather than changing the cost on past days of the month, certain costs will appear negative on subsequent days in order to represent the true end of month cost.

Pricing With Commitment

Monthly committments are fixed, and costs are shown evenly amortized over the entire month.

On-Demand Pricing

On-demand pricing can vary by Datadog product and usage.

Average Pricing Model

Products using the "average" pricing model are billed based on the average usage over the month. Costs shown are amortized over the month and include only what was incurred to date.

High-Water Mark Pricing Model

Products using the "high-water mark" pricing model are billed based on the maximum usage of a resource during any one hour of the month. For a newly established "high-water mark" for some month, costs will show an increase for the remainder of that month. Costs shown are amortized over the month and include only what was incurred to date.

Connect a Datadog Account

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Note: Admin Role Required

You must be a CloudZero Admin to add new Connections to the platform.

Create a Datadog connection

1. Open the Connections page. This can be found by selecting the gear icon from the sidebar and selecting Connections, or alternatively going to https://app.cloudzero.com/organization/connections
   

2. Select the Add New Connection button.

3. On the following page, you'll be presented with a list of possible connection types. Select the Datadog tile to begin setting up a Datadog connection.
   

4. On the subsequent page, provide a name for the connection and select the site on which your Datadog account is based, i.e. the url used to log in to your account. When you're ready, select Get started.

5. The Add a New Datadog Connection page will be displayed. At this point, you should give your connection a name, which will identify your Datadog connection throughout the CloudZero platform. Select the Continue button.

6. You will then be redirected to Datadog. Please select the appropriate site from the dropdown and log in to your Datadog account.

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   IMPORTANT: Parent-Level Organization Access Required

   Usage data is only accessible for parent-level organizations. Be sure the site matches the location of your parent-level organization in Datadog.

7. You will be asked to authorize CloudZero access to a Datadog organization. Please select the parent-level organization, and then select the Authorize button.

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   IMPORTANT: Usage Read Scope Required

   In order for CloudZero to access Datadog's Usage Metering API, the user providing authorization must also have usage read scope permissions.

8. You will be redirected back to the Connection Details page in the CloudZero platform, where you should see your newly created Datadog connection.

Reauthorize a Datadog connection

In the event CloudZero is no longer able to access Datadog through the existing authorization, the option to reauthorize is available.

1. Open the Connections page. This can be found by selecting the gear icon from the sidebar and selecting Connections, or alternatively going to https://app.cloudzero.com/organization/connections

2. Select the Datadog connection you'd like to reauthorize from the Billing Connections table.

3. The Connection Details page for a Datadog connection will be displayed. Click the Reauthorize button near the top of the page, to the right of Datadog Connection Details.
   

4. You will then be redirected to Datadog. Please select the appropriate site from the dropdown and log in to your Datadog account.

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   IMPORTANT: Parent-Level Organization Access Required

   Usage data is only accessible for parent-level organizations. Be sure to select the site within which your parent-level organization exists.

5. You will be asked to authorize CloudZero access to a Datadog organization. Please select the parent-level organization, and then select the Authorize button.

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   IMPORTANT: Usage Read Scope Required

   In order for CloudZero to access Datadog's Usage Metering API, the user providing authorization must also have usage read scope permissions.

6. You will be redirected back to the Connection Details page, where you should see the Datadog connection you have just reauthorized.

Once your connection saves, it will appear in the Billing Connections table of the CloudZero Connections page with a status of Pending Data and a Last Checked status of Pending First Ingest.

Once the connection has been verified, the Health column will update from Pending Data to Healthy.

If there are issues with your connection, you may see a status of Error instead of Healthy. If this happens, you can hover over the status button or navigate to the connection details page to find additional information.

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Please Note

Discovery (the act of switching from a Pending First Ingest to a Healthy status) can take up to an hour.

It can take up to 24 hours to synchronize new accounts and begin to see cost data in Explorer.

Connecting Other Cost Sources

Additionally, you may want CloudZero to help with your other AWS, Snowflake, Azure or GCP costs, or the custom costs you can bring in using an AnyCost Adaptor.

Start by learning about CloudZero Connections, or choosing a Cost Source from the What's Next section below.