Azure Monitor

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Maarten Van den Broeck

Senior Content Developer at DataCamp

Azure Monitor overview

  • All-in platform for monitoring in Azure
  • Workflow:
    1. Data collection
    2. Analysis and visualization
    3. Proactive monitoring and alerts

Screenshot of Azure Monitor

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Data collection

Two types of monitored data:

  • Metrics: numerical data related to the performance of resources, applications, and services
    • E.g. memory usage
  • Logs: event data related to actions by users Azure
    • E.g. changes made by a particular user

Screenshot of log data

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Analysis and visualization

Evaluate how resources and applications are performing and to identify possible issues

  • Metrics: calculate statistics or plot charts over time
  • Logs: use queries to apply specific filters or create tables or lists
  • Analysis tools:
    • Azure Monitor built-in tools
    • External tools like PowerBI

Screenshot of metric chart creation

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Proactive monitoring and alerts

  • Set up tests and alerts (e.g., testing a resource's responsiveness)
  • Set up business rules to automatically handle specific issues (e.g., by sending out an email or running a script)
  • Automation and machine learning functionality

Screenshot of an alert example

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Example use case: creating an alert processing rule

You need to set up an alert for excessive memory usage of a VM, with an automatic notification to the Azure engineering team

Using Azure Monitor, you can:

  • Set up an alert by specifying a memory usage threshold
  • Include a rule that an e-mail notification is sent to the Azure engineering team

GIF of creating an alert processing rule

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

Let's practice!

Understanding Microsoft Azure Management and Governance

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