Where to get proper `region name` and `output format` for AWS configuration?

Question

I'm trying to get log events via my aws server. I log into the server as usual, and then I enter the following command:

sudo aws logs get-log-events --log-group-name <myLogs> --log-stream-name <stream-name>

I get the error...

You must specify a region. You can also configure your region by running "aws configure".

So, I enter aws configure and I see the following:

AWS Access Key ID [None]: 
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: 
Default region name [None]: 
Default output format [None]: 

So, I go to my IAM page, and click on Users, following this instructions. And after I create the key, I get each of the four pieces of information from the following sources:

Access Key ID from the IAM page. Secret Access Key after creating the key on the IAM page.

The IAM page shows N/A for the fields region name and output format, so I am not sure where to get the region name and the default format. So I entered the following:

region name = us-west-2 output format = json

Trying again, I enter sudo aws logs get-log-events --log-group-name <myLogs> --log-stream-name <sream-name --region us-west-2

..but I get the same error message again: You must specify a region. You can also configure your region by running aws configure.

How do I find the correct region name and output format? More generally, how do I get my aws credentials or configurations to stop giving me errors?

Solution 1

AWS Access Key ID [None]: enter key id
AWS Secret Access Key [None]: enter access key
Default region name [None]: enter region code for instance connected with
Default output format [None]: leave empty or not

Input for Default region name has to match the region of the instance you're trying to connect with. You can leave output format empty- all it's asking is what format you'd like the output in, but it will spit out whatever is default for the command that you enter.

Here I am trying to find some info on my instance which resides in us-west-2, but I've entered us-east-1 as default region in aws configure, so I get an error.

[root@ip-444-21-27-145 lost+found]# aws configure
AWS Access Key ID [****************IDBA]: 
AWS Secret Access Key [****************BHLx]: 
Default region name [us-west-2]: us-east-1
Default output format [None]: 
[root@ip-444-21-27-145 lost+found]# aws ec2 describe-instances --instance-id i-0a6a6b7e24er203f0 --query 'Reservations[].Instances[].{Name:ImageId,InstanceId:InstanceId,VolumeInfo:BlockDeviceMappings}'

An error occurred (InvalidInstanceID.NotFound) when calling the DescribeInstances operation: The instance ID 'i-0a6a6b7e24er203f0' does not exist

Now, I enter my instance region in aws configure and the command returns what I want.

[root@ip-444-21-27-145 lost+found]# aws configure
AWS Access Key ID [****************IDBA]: 
AWS Secret Access Key [****************BHLx]: 
Default region name [us-east-1]: us-west-2
Default output format [None]: 
[root@444-21-27-145 lost+found]# aws ec2 describe-instances --instance-id i-0a6a6b7e24er203f0 --query 'Reservations[].Instances[].{Name:ImageId,InstanceId:InstanceId,VolumeInfo:BlockDeviceMappings}'
[
    {
        "InstanceId": "i-0a6a6b7e24er203f0", 
        "VolumeInfo": [
            {
                "DeviceName": "/dev/xvda", 
                "Ebs": {
                    "Status": "attached", 
                    "DeleteOnTermination": true, 
                    "VolumeId": "vol-0aa40d5ef1df76968", 
                    "AttachTime": "2017-11-09T02:00:31.000Z"
                }
            }, 
            {
                "DeviceName": "/dev/sdf", 
                "Ebs": {
                    "Status": "attached", 
                    "DeleteOnTermination": false, 
                    "VolumeId": "vol-0a82823250ba51323", 
                    "AttachTime": "2017-11-09T02:09:29.000Z"
                }
            }, 
            {
                "DeviceName": "/dev/sdg", 
                "Ebs": {
                    "Status": "attached", 
                    "DeleteOnTermination": false, 
                    "VolumeId": "vol-0be466f7daa5593e2", 
                    "AttachTime": "2017-11-09T02:35:46.000Z"
                }
            }
        ], 
        "Name": "ami-32d8124a"
    }
]

Hope that helps.

Solution 2

Per the AWS CLI documentation:

--region (string)

The region to use. Overrides config/env settings.

So, just add a --region us-east-1 or whatever to your command and you're all set.

Comments

[makansij]

Still gives an error, albeit a different one : Unable to locate credentials. You can configure credentials by running "aws configure".

[EEAA]

You messed up your config the last time you ran aws configure. You'll need to fix that.

[makansij]

I did. I re-ran aws configure to fix my credentials. sudo aws logs get-log-events --log-group-name <my-logs> --log-stream-name <log-name> --region us-west-2

[EEAA]

The credential issues you're having now have absolutely zero to do with you adding the region flag. Either you're mucked up your credentials or possibly your credentials do not have the necessary privileges to collect logs from your desire region.

[makansij]

I even checked the config file to make sure - the configurations are correct.

[EEAA]

Well then you have another issue that is beyond the scope of this question.

[John Rotenstein]

Try a command that doesn't require a region (eg aws s3 ls) to see if your credentials are still valid. It's also possible that running something undo sudo points to a different directory that does not contain your credentials. Try sudo aws configure to see if it fixes things.