Skip to main content

Quickstart

Get up and running with Cloud Cost Analyzer in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites​

  • AWS or Azure credentials configured locally
  • One of: macOS, Linux, or Windows (WSL)

Step 1: Install the CLI​

curl -sSL https://releases.dragonfractal.com/install.sh | sh

Verify the installation:

cca --version

Step 2: Grant Read-Only Access​

cca setup provisions the read-only permissions a scan needs. Preview exactly what it will grant with --output-template (nothing is changed), then apply it with --deploy.

Corporate or restricted environment?

--deploy creates IAM roles / service principals, which needs cloud-admin rights you may not have. If so, run cca setup --provider <aws|azure> --output-template to get the exact read-only policy and hand it to whoever provisions access. The provider guides cover the rights each path needs and the common enterprise gotchas (AWS SSO, Entra security defaults): AWS and Azure.

# See the exact IAM policy CCA will create (read-only; nothing is changed yet)
cca setup --provider aws --output-template

# Create the read-only IAM role via CloudFormation (needs the AWS CLI configured)
cca setup --provider aws --deploy

--deploy creates a CloudCostAnalyzerRole with read-only access and prints its ARN. Prefer to bring your own credentials? CCA uses the standard AWS credential chain:

export AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-key
export AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-secret
export AWS_REGION=us-east-1
# or run: aws configure
# or attach an EC2/ECS/Lambda IAM role (auto-detected)
note

GCP scanning is on the roadmap and not supported yet, so there is no GCP setup step.

Step 2.5: Get an API Key​

Sign up at cca.dragonfractal.com, verify your email, and create an API key from the dashboard. (API keys and real scans unlock once your email is verified.) Then set it:

export CCA_API_KEY=cca_free_your_key_here

Step 3: Run Your First Scan​

# Scan AWS resources in your default region
cca scan --api-key $CCA_API_KEY -r us-east-1

# Scan a specific AWS region
cca scan --api-key $CCA_API_KEY -r us-west-2

# Or with Docker
docker run --rm \
  -e AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID -e AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY \
  dragonfractal/cca:latest \
  scan --api-key $CCA_API_KEY -r us-east-1

Example output. The report opens with an executive summary — total spend, potential savings, and the top opportunities by service:

cca scan executive summary showing $2,986/mo in potential savings across 364 resources

...followed by the detailed findings, each with the evidence behind it and a remediation step:

cca scan detailed findings, each with evidence and a remediation step

note

Resource IDs are redacted in these example images.

Step 4: Export Results​

# Save as JSON
cca scan --provider aws --output json --output-file results.json

# Save as a Markdown report
cca scan --provider aws --output markdown --output-file report.md

# Generate a PDF report
cca scan --provider aws --output pdf --output-file report.pdf

Step 5: Sync with Dashboard (Optional)​

For team collaboration and tracking optimization progress over time, sync your scans to the cloud dashboard.

Create an API Key​

  1. Sign up at cca.dragonfractal.com
  2. Go to Settings > API Keys
  3. Click Create API Key
  4. Copy the key

Run Managed Scan​

# Set your API key
export CCA_API_KEY=cca_live_xxxxx

# Run scan in managed mode
cca scan --provider aws --mode managed

# Or pass the key directly
cca scan --provider aws --mode managed --api-key cca_live_xxxxx

View your scan results in the Dashboard — savings, optimization score, and findings tracked over time across your team:

Cloud Cost Analyzer dashboard showing monthly savings, optimization score, and recent scans

Next Steps​