Azure Monitor is a comprehensive service that provides integrated analytics, monitoring, and diagnostics capability in Azure. One of the core features of Azure Monitor is its logs, which provide in-depth insight into the operations of your Azure resources. Through Azure Monitor logs, you can review past activities, analyze the performance of your applications, and find potential problems. Azure Monitor logs are based on Log Analytics workspaces which is the primary tool for logs in Azure Monitor.
Configuring Azure Monitor Logs And Log Analytics Workspaces
To use Azure Monitor logs, you first need to configure a Log Analytics workspace.
- In the Azure portal, search for and select ‘Log Analytics workspaces’.
- Click on ‘Add’ and fill in the necessary information such as Name, Subscription, Resource Group, Location, and Pricing tier.
- Click ‘OK’ to create the workspace.
Once you have a workspace, you can connect it to your resources. The process may vary slightly depending on the resource, but one common method is to set up diagnostic settings on your resources to send logs and metrics to the workspace.
You can enable Azure Monitor logs at the resource level or the resource group level via Azure Policy. With Azure Policy, you can enforce that logs from specific resources always get sent to a certain workspace. This helps to ensure that you’re always capturing the necessary data.
Reviewing Azure Monitor Logs
To review logs, you need to query the data in your Log Analytics workspace. Azure Monitor uses a powerful querying language called Kusto Query Language (KQL). Here’s a simple example:
KQL
Perf
| where CounterName == “Free Megabytes”
This query will return the free megabytes of all resources sending the performance counter to your workspace.
You can customize and refine your queries to specify the exact data you want to review. Each returned record contains a wealth of information about the operation, including the time the event occurred, the resource involved, and detailed properties specific to the event.
Reviewing Log Analytics Workspaces
Log Analytics workspaces provide a flexible and powerful environment for analyzing and exploring your data. The workspace UI in the Azure portal allows you to search the entire data set or specific subsets, view trends over time, compare related data from different sources, and more.
You can start by searching your data using simple terms, similar to a search engine. The platform will automatically scan your data using full-text search to find relevant records. From there you can use the query editor to construct more complex queries using the Kusto Query Language.
You can also create alerts based on your queries, which can help you identify critical issues in near real-time. In addition, Azure Monitor logs integrate with Azure Dashboard, allowing you to pin the output of your logs to a shared dashboard, thus providing a central location to monitor all your system’s metrics.
In conclusion, Azure Monitor logs powered by Log Analytics workspaces is a powerful tool for collection, analysis, and action on telemetry from your Azure and on-premises environments in the quest for an efficient application performance and unblemished user experience. They form a crucial part of studying for the MS-100 Microsoft 365 Identity and Services exam, particularly in the understanding of the role Azure Monitor plays in Microsoft 365 services.
Practice Test
True or False: Azure Monitor logs can be used to collect data from multiple sources.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Azure Monitor logs have the ability to collect log data from numerous sources such as platform logs from Azure services, logs from Windows and Linux virtual machines, and data from application logs.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following are viewable in the Azure portal for Log Analytics?
- A. Errors
- B. Metrics
- C. Logs
- D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Log Analytics allows administrators to view errors, metrics, and logs from a variety of sources within the Azure portal.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following Azure services is used to configure and review reports?
- A. Azure Monitor
- B. Azure Security Center
- C. Azure Active Directory
- D. Azure Sentinel
Answer: A. Azure Monitor
Explanation: Azure Monitor is the critical service for viewing, analyzing, and acting on collected data from Azure or other sources.
True or False: Log Analytics workspaces can be shared across multiple Azure subscriptions.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Workspace can be shared because they are Azure resources and can be shared across different subscriptions if required.
Multiple Choice: What do you use to query data and create reports in Log Analytics?
- A. Kusto Query Language
- B. Azure SQL Database
- C. Azure Pipeline
- D. Azure Functions
Answer: A. Kusto Query Language
Explanation: Kusto Query Language (KQL) is used in Log Analytics for querying data and creating reports.
True or False: You need to have the correct permissions in Azure to view and edit Log Analytics workspaces.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Access to Log Analytics workspaces is controlled by Azure role-based access control (RBAC).
Multiple Select: Which of the following are parts of Azure Monitor?
- A. Log Analytics
- B. Alerts
- C. Dashboard
- D. Azure DevOps
- E. Visualizations
Answer: A. Log Analytics, B. Alerts, C. Dashboard, E. Visualizations
Explanation: Azure Monitor includes Log Analytics, Alerts, Dashboard, and Visualizations to provide comprehensive solutions for monitoring resources and applications. Azure DevOps is a separate service for development operations.
Multiple Choice: What is the purpose of Log Analytics in Azure Monitor?
- A. To keep track of all user activities
- B. To collect and analyze data generated by resources in your cloud and on-premises environments
- C. To manage user roles and permissions
- D. To implement security policies
Answer: B. To collect and analyze data generated by resources in your cloud and on-premises environments
Explanation: The primary use of Log Analytics in Azure Monitor is to collect and analyze data generated from your resources.
Multiple Choice: How do you create a new Log Analytics workspace in Azure Monitor?
- A. Click on Azure Monitor, then click on Logs, and finally click on New Workspace
- B. You can’t create a new Log Analytics workspace in Azure Monitor
- C. Click on Azure Monitor, then click on Workspaces, and finally click on Add
- D. You have to contact Microsoft Support to create a new Log Analytics workspace
Answer: C. Click on Azure Monitor, then click on Workspaces, and finally click on Add
Explanation: To create a new Log Analytics workspace in Azure Monitor, you navigate to Azure Monitor, click on Workspaces, and then click on Add.
True or False: You cannot export Azure Monitor data for offline processing.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Azure Monitor data can be exported for offline processing or analysis. You can export the data to Event Hubs, Logic Apps, and even to storage accounts for further processing or archiving.
Interview Questions
What is Azure Monitor?
Azure Monitor maximizes the availability and performance of applications by delivering a comprehensive solution for collecting, analyzing, and acting on telemetry from cloud and on-premises environments.
What are Azure Monitor Logs?
Azure Monitor Logs is a feature of Azure Monitor that collects and organizes log and performance data from monitored resources.
What is Log Analytics in Azure Monitor?
Log Analytics is a tool in Azure Monitor for complex analysis across all your logs and other data sources. It allows you to remove the constraints of data volume, variety, and velocity by using an optimized query language.
How do you configure Azure Monitor logs?
Azure Monitor logs can be configured by navigating to the Azure Portal, selecting “Monitor”, and then “Logs”. From there, you can select the resources and data types you wish to monitor.
What is a Log Analytics workspace?
A Log Analytics workspace is a unique environment for Azure Monitor log data. Each workspace has its own data repository and configuration, and data sources and solutions are configured to store data in that workspace.
How do you create and configure a Log Analytics workspace?
You can create and configure a Log Analytics workspace via the Azure Portal. Navigate to “Monitor”, select “Logs” and then the “+ Create” button. You can then select your subscription, resource group, and workspace name, as well as configure the other settings as needed.
How do you review Azure Monitor logs?
Azure Monitor logs can be reviewed in the “Logs” section of Azure Monitor. Logs can be searched and filtered according to a variety of parameters including resource type, category, time range, and more.
Why would you review Azure Monitor logs?
Reviewing Azure Monitor logs enables you to diagnose problems and understand trends in your resources. These logs can provide valuable insight into the performance and availability of your resources.
What is the Kusto Query Language (KQL) and how is it used in Azure Monitor Logs?
Kusto Query Language (KQL) is the language used to query against Azure Monitor Logs datasets. It is a powerful tool that allows you to filter, sort, aggregate, and visualize your log data.
Can you use Azure Monitor Logs with resources outside of Azure?
Yes, Azure Monitor Logs can collect data from a variety of sources, including your on-premises environment, other cloud environments, and various Azure resources.
How can you analyse Log Analytics workspace data?
The data in a Log Analytics workspace can be analysed through queries. You can create and run these queries using Kusto Query Language and visualize the results in Azure Monitor.
How do you add a solution to a Log Analytics workspace?
You can add a solution to a Log Analytics workspace through the Azure Marketplace. Find the solution you want to add, select it, and then choose the “Create” button. On the next screen, you can configure the solution to use your workspace.
Can you export data from Azure Monitor Logs?
Yes, you can export data from Azure Monitor Logs. Export options include exporting to an Event Hub for real-time analysis with external systems, to a storage account for auditing or backup, or directly to Power BI for additional data analysis and visualization.
Can you use Azure Monitor Logs to create alerts?
Yes, Azure Monitor Logs can be used to create alerts based on your log data. You can create alert rules that define specific conditions in your log data that will trigger an alert, allowing you to respond quickly to potential issues.
What data types can you monitor with Azure Monitor Logs?
You can monitor a wide variety of data types with Azure Monitor Logs, including event logs, performance data, Azure activity logs, and more. The types of data you can monitor will depend on the resources you are monitoring.
extutorials.com