AWS offers tags so you can more easily track your resources.
One type of tag is the user-defined cost allocation tag, which lets you label the cost and business categories that are most meaningful to your deployment. When you apply a user-defined cost allocation tag, you can better track how much
you are spending on your resources and make more informed decisions on how to control your costs.
You must activate your cost allocation tags in AWS before they will appear in Cost Explorer or any AWS cost allocation report. If you don’t activate these tags in AWS, CloudCheckr will reject your CUR and generate an error because it needs at least one user-defined cost allocation tag to process your CUR billing file correctly.
For most companies and businesses operating in the cloud, using user-defined cost allocation tags is considered a best practice.
This topic will show you how to enable a user-defined cost allocation tag in AWS.
Procedure
Log in to the AWS Billing Console.
The Billing & Cost Management Dashboard opens.
From the dashboard, click Cost allocation tags.
The Cost Allocation Tags page opens.
Under the User-Defined Cost Allocation Tags section, select the checkbox(es) next to the tags you want to enable and click Activate.
It can take a few days for AWS to add the tag costs to the billing file. Once they are available in AWS, CloudCheckr will use the data to build your CUR.
After you enable the tag, you must wait for AWS to generate the next CUR (approximately six hours) before you can begin the CUR configuration in CloudCheckr. Otherwise, you will get an error.
It can take a few days for AWS to add the tag costs to the billing file. Once they are available in AWS, CloudCheckr will use the data to build your CUR.After you enable the tag, you must wait for AWS to generate the next CUR (approximately six hours) before you can begin the CUR configuration in CloudCheckr. Otherwise, you will get an error.If you are preparing your account for the first time and you are using the CUR as your billing source, go to the Configure the Cost and Usage Report in AWS topic.