Modern Monitoring and Management with Azure Monitor

As organizations increasingly rely on cloud services, robust monitoring and management become paramount. Azure Monitor, a powerful suite of tools within Microsoft Azure, offers comprehensive solutions for collecting, analyzing, and responding to monitoring data from both cloud and on-premises environments. In this article, we’ll delve into the various aspects of Azure Monitor, providing a deep technical understanding while infusing it with a personal touch.

1. Azure Monitor Overview

What is Azure Monitor?

Azure Monitor serves as the central hub for monitoring your applications, services, and infrastructure across Azure and hybrid environments. Its primary goal is to maximize availability, performance, and reliability. Here are the key features:

• Data Collection and Aggregation: Azure Monitor collects data from every layer and component of your system, spanning multiple Azure subscriptions and tenants. It aggregates this data into a common data platform, allowing seamless correlation, analysis, visualization, and response.
• Resource Coverage: Azure Monitor can monitor a wide range of resources, including:
• Curated Visualizations (Insights): Azure Monitor offers curated visualizations tailored to specific services. These Insights provide a starting point for monitoring and analyzing telemetry data. Examples include:

2. Monitoring Data Platform - Connected Sources

Azure Monitor’s data platform allows different types of data from various resources to be analyzed together. Let’s explore the key sources:

a. Activity Log

The Activity log captures subscription-level events, including service health records and configuration changes. It’s collected automatically and can be viewed in the Azure portal or sent to other destinations like Log Analytics workspaces.

b. Platform Metrics

Platform metrics are numerical values automatically collected at regular intervals from Azure resources. Each resource type generates specific metrics without any configuration. These metrics are stored in Azure Monitor Metrics and can be explored using Metrics Explorer.

Code

# Python example: Query platform metrics for an Azure VM
from azure.identity import DefaultAzureCredential
from azure.monitor.query import MetricsQueryClient
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

credential = DefaultAzureCredential()
client = MetricsQueryClient(credential)

resource_id = "/subscriptions/{subscription_id}/resourceGroups/{resource_group}/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/{vm_name}"
start_time = datetime.utcnow() - timedelta(hours=1)
end_time = datetime.utcnow()

metrics = client.query(resource_id, metrics=["Percentage CPU"], start_time=start_time, end_time=end_time, granularity="PT5M")

for metric in metrics:
    print(f"Timestamp: {metric.timestamp}, CPU Usage: {metric.value[0].average}%")

        

c. Resource Logs

Resource logs offer valuable insights into the operations carried out within an Azure resource. The specifics of the content can vary based on the type of service and resource you’re dealing with. To collect these resource logs, you need to create a diagnostic setting. Once configured, these logs can be sent to Log Analytics workspaces for further analysis and monitoring.

d. Microsoft Entra ID

Activity logs within Microsoft Entra ID share similarities with Azure Monitor’s activity logs. These logs capture relevant events and actions related to your resources. You have the flexibility to direct them to various destinations, including Log Analytics workspaces, storage accounts, or event hubs.

3. Metric Insights (Insights_v2)

Azure Monitor Metrics focuses on numeric data collected from monitored resources. Here are the types of metrics:

• Native Metrics: Automatically collected metrics from Azure resources for analysis and alerting.
• Platform Metrics: Collected from Azure resources without configuration and at no cost.
• Custom Metrics: Collected from configured sources, including applications and agents.
• Prometheus Metrics: Gathered from Kubernetes clusters (e.g., AKS) using industry-standard tools like PromQL and Grafana.

4. Analyze and Respond

• Metrics Explorer: Allows you to explore and visualize metric data from Azure resources. You can aggregate metrics, apply filters, and create custom charts.
• Grafana Integration: Grafana can be integrated with Azure Monitor for advanced visualizations and cross-platform monitoring.

5. Visualizations and Integration

Use Workbooks, Azure dashboards, and Grafana to visualize insights. Integrate with other tools and ITSM systems.

• Workbooks: Flexible canvas for creating custom reports and dashboards. Combine metrics, logs, and external data. Share insights with stakeholders.
• Azure Dashboards: Centralized view of Azure resources. Pin visualizations (including Workbooks) and customize layouts.
• Grafana: Leverage Grafana’s rich visualizations and plugins. Create dynamic dashboards and set up alerts.

6. Authoring for Azure Monitor

• Kusto Query Language (KQL): Used in Log Analytics workspaces. Write custom queries, create alert rules, and define custom logs.

In summary, Azure Monitor empowers you to proactively manage your resources, detect issues, and optimize performance. Whether you’re monitoring VMs, containers, or databases, Azure Monitor ensures you stay in control of your environment.

Remember, monitoring is not just about data—it’s about actionable insights that drive better decisions and enhance your applications’ reliability.