Azure Diagnostic Logging allows you to collect telemetry data from your service to aid in auditing, debugging, performance tuning, and system tracking. The logs include data about the operations of your Azure resources, applications running inside them, system-generated events, user-defined events, and performance counters.
Azure Diagnostic logs are stored in Azure Storage blobs and are retained till manually deleted by a user or till the retention time set during configuration.
Configuring Diagnostic Logging
Azure Diagnostic Logging can be configured from the Azure Portal, via Azure PowerShell, Azure CLI, or through an ARM template. Let’s look at how to configure this using the Azure Portal.
- Sign in to the Azure portal and navigate to the resource you’d like to enable diagnostics for. In the left-side menu, select “Diagnostic settings”.
- On the “Diagnostic settings” page, click ‘+Add diagnostic setting’. Here, you get to choose which logs and metrics you want to archive, stream, or send to other services.
- Specify a name for your setting and tick the “Archive to a storage account” checkbox to archive your diagnostic data. Select the storage account you want to send the data to. You also have the option to set data retention (in days).
- If you want to send your data to an event hub for streaming or to Azure Monitor logs for analysis, tick the corresponding checkboxes and fill the necessary fields.
- Lastly, click “Save”.
Example screenshot:
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Here’s an example of what the JSON of a created diagnostic setting might look like:
{
"properties": {
"storageAccountId": "/subscriptions/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/mySA",
"serviceBusRuleId": "/subscriptions/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.EventHub/namespaces/myEH/authorizationrules/myEHrule",
"workspaceId": "/subscriptions/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx/resourcegroups/myRG/providers/microsoft.operationalinsights/workspaces/myWS",
"metrics": [
{
"category": "AllMetrics",
"enabled": true,
"retentionPolicy": {
"enabled": true,
"days": 7
}
}
],
"logs": [
{
"category": "AuditEvent",
"enabled": true,
"retentionPolicy": {
"enabled": true,
"days": 7
}
}
]
}
}
Best Practices for Configuring Logging
- Do not enable all logs and metrics indiscriminately. You could end up with a large volume of data that could cost you money and hide the data you’re particularly interested in. Be selective about what you enable based on your needs.
- Make sure to set a retention policy for logging. By default, the retention policy is turned off which means that data will be retained forever in your storage account.
- Your retention period should be set based on your organization’s policy and your specific application needs.
- Always Monitor your costs. Data costs can quickly add up depending on your usage.
To conclude, diagnostic logging is a fundamental part of designing and implementing Azure AI solutions. A well-configured logging strategy can provide invaluable insights into your system activity, help you diagnose issues more quickly, and streamline your operations. When planned and implemented correctly, it can also save costs in the long run and help you comply with regulations.
Practice Test
True or False: Diagnostic logging in Azure allows you to collect data for use in troubleshooting and analysis.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: This tool is designed to provide insights and information related to the operations, performance, and health of applications and services.
In Azure Application Insights, ‘Logs’ refers to the raw, detailed operational data in log format, including event data from your app and the Application Insights SDK.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: Logs offer detailed trace information about how your app is functioning, and what it’s doing.
What is the retention period of Azure Log Analytics?
- A. 30 days
- B. 60 days
- C. 90 days
- D. 120 days
Answer: C. 90 days
Explanation: By default, data in the Log Analytics workspace is retained for 90 days.
Azure Monitor can collect logs from which of the following sources? (Multi-select)
- A. Azure resources
- B. On-premises systems
- C. Custom Applications
- D. GitHub repositories
Answer: A. Azure resources, B. On-premises systems, C. Custom Applications
Explanation: Azure Monitor can collect data directly from your Azure resources, windows and Linux agents for on-premises systems, and integration with various system monitoring tools for custom applications.
To troubleshoot an Azure resource, do you need to enable diagnostics?
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: You will need to enable diagnostic settings to stream log and metric data to a storage account, to Log Analytics workspace, or to an event hub.
True or False: Logs contain only error variations of the data collected by Azure Monitor.
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Logs in Azure Monitor contain not just error data but all the operational data in your environment.
True or False: Enabling auditing and logging is not necessary to meet compliance requirements.
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Most audit and compliance regulations require adequate logging, which can be done by enabling auditing and logging.
Which of the following languages is used for querying in Azure Monitor Logs?
- A. KQL
- B. SQL
- C. JSON
- D. XML
Answer: A. KQL
Explanation: Kusto Query Language (KQL) is used when you are running a query in Azure Monitor Logs.
True or False: Azure Diagnostic Logs are emitted by a resource and provide information about the operation of that resource.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Diagnostics Logs provide detailed operational data about the operations of a resource.
True or False: Azure metrics and logs are the same.
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Metrics are numerical values that describe some aspect of a system at a particular point in time, whereas logs are more detailed records of some event happening in the system. The two provide complementary information.
What is the maximum data retention period when using Azure Log Analytics?
- A. 1 year
- B. 2 years
- C. 5 years
- D. 10 years
Answer: B. 2 years
Explanation: Azure Monitor Log Analytics has a maximum data retention period of 2 years.
True or False: Azure diagnostics logging can be enabled for App Services, including Web Apps and Mobile Apps.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: Diagnostics logging capabilities provide valuable insights into applications that are running in these services.
True or False: Azure monitor supports monitoring multi-cloud and on-premises environments.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure monitor can collect data from a variety of sources such as Azure resources, on-premises systems or other cloud providers.
Which of the following is NOT a part of Azure Monitor data platform?
- A. Log data
- B. Metric data
- C. Alert data
- D. Social Media data
Answer: D. Social Media data
Explanation: Azure Monitor data platform only collects operation data such as logs, metrics and alerts. It doesn’t collect social media data.
True or False: The Azure portal can be used to configure diagnostics settings.
- True
Answer: True
Explanation: The Azure portal can be used to configure diagnostics settings on a wide range of Azure services and applications.
Interview Questions
What is diagnostic logging in Azure?
Diagnostic logging in Azure is a feature that enables the collection of raw data from a service (like Azure Logic Apps, API Management, etc.) that can be used for auditing and troubleshooting purposes.
Where can the diagnostic logs in Azure be stored?
The diagnostic logs can be stored in Azure Storage, streamed to Event Hubs, or sent to Log Analytics.
How can diagnostic logs be enabled in Azure?
Diagnostic logs can be enabled by navigating to the specific Azure service, selecting ‘Diagnostic settings’ under ‘Monitoring’, and then configuring it accordingly.
Can you configure Azure to automatically export diagnostic logs to an Azure storage account?
Yes, Azure services can be configured to automatically export diagnostic logs to an Azure storage account by selecting ‘Storage Account’ in the diagnostic settings.
Can Azure diagnostic logs be used for real-time analysis?
Yes, by streaming the diagnostic logs to Azure Event Hubs, they can be picked up and analyzed in real-time.
What types of logs can you capture in Azure diagnostics?
In Azure diagnostics, you can capture error logs, query logs, requests, performance counters, and much more depending on the specific Azure service.
Where are the diagnostic settings available in the Azure portal?
The diagnostic settings are accessible through the ‘Monitoring’ section of each Azure service in the Azure portal.
Are there any costs associated with Azure diagnostic logs?
Yes, costs may be associated depending on where you chose to store your logs. For instance, storing diagnostic logs in a storage account includes regular storage costs.
How long can you maintain the logs in the Azure storage account?
Diagnostic logs can be retained as long as you want in an Azure storage account. But you need to manually manage the retention period, as Azure does not automatically delete older logs.
Can Azure Logic Apps diagnostic logs be integrated with PowerBI for visualization?
Yes, by streaming the diagnostic logs to Azure Event Hubs, then connecting the Event Hubs with PowerBI, the data can be visualized.
Can you export Azure diagnostic logs to an on-premises server?
No, Azure does not support exporting diagnostic logs directly to an on-premises server. However, logs can be exported to cloud-based services like Azure storage accounts, Azure Event Hubs or Azure Log Analytics.
Is Azure Log Analytics a suitable data storage solution for the long term retention of Azure diagnostics data?
While Azure Log Analytics is a powerful tool for data analysis, you might face challenges with cost and data volume for long-term retention scenarios. For large volumes and longer durations, the best approach would be to use a storage account.
Can you set up alerts based on Azure diagnostic log data?
Yes, Azure Monitor uses analytic rules which can set up alerts based on data from the diagnostic logs.
How often are Azure diagnostic logs updated?
Azure diagnostic logs are typically updated every minute, but the timing may vary depending on the Azure service.
What is the use of Azure Monitor with regards to diagnostic logs?
Azure Monitor collects, analyzes, and acts on telemetry data from your Azure and non-Azure resources. It uses diagnostic log data to set up alerts, visualize monitoring data, and archive log data.
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