Tutorial / Cram Notes
Azure Monitor for networks is a comprehensive solution for collecting, analyzing, and acting on telemetry from various Azure Network resources. By configuring and using this feature, Azure administrators can gain deep insights into network performance and health, making it easier to troubleshoot issues, optimize resource utilization, and ensure network security.
Step 1: Enable Network Watcher in your Azure Region
Network Watcher is a regional service that enables you to monitor and diagnose conditions at a network scenario level. To enable Network Watcher:
- Sign in to the Azure portal.
- Select “All services” and type “Network Watcher”.
- In the list of resources, select “Network Watcher”.
- Ensure that Network Watcher is enabled in the regions where your network resources are located.
Step 2: Configure Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
Azure Monitor for networks’ Network Performance Monitor (NPM) can monitor network performance between your Azure resources and on-premises locations. Here’s how to configure it:
- Within Network Watcher, select “Network Performance Monitor.”
- Create a NPM profile by specifying a name, subscription, resource group, and region.
- Define the monitoring parameters such as test groups, which sources to monitor, and destination addresses.
Step 3: Set up Traffic Analytics
Traffic Analytics provides visibility into network traffic flow patterns. To set it up:
- Within Network Watcher, select “Traffic Analytics.”
- Enable Traffic Analytics by setting the necessary parameters such as the storage account, data retention policies, and traffic capturing intervals.
Step 4: Integrate with Azure Monitor Log Analytics
Azure Monitor integrates with Log Analytics workspace to store and analyze network data. Perform the following to set it up:
- In the Azure portal, create a new Log Analytics workspace or select an existing one.
- Within the workspace, select “Network monitoring” and then “Network insights.”
- Connect various network resources to the workspace for monitoring.
Step 5: Monitoring and Alerts
After configuring data sources:
- Within Azure Monitor, use the “Metrics” or “Logs” features to query and visualize network telemetry.
- Set up alerts based on specific metrics or log query results to get notified about network incidents or issues in real-time.
Examples of Metrics and Alerts
For a better understanding, below are examples of metrics and alerts that an Azure administrator can configure with Azure Monitor for networks:
Example Metrics:
- Network In/Out: The amount of data in bytes sent (Network Out) or received (Network In) over the network.
- TCP Connections: The number of established TCP connections on a network interface.
Example Alerts:
- High Network Latency: Alert triggered when network latency exceeds a predefined threshold.
- Increased Error Rate: Alert activated when the number of network errors surpasses a set limit.
Summary Table: Key Features of Azure Monitor for networks
| Feature | Description | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Network Performance Monitor | Monitors network performance between Azure and other locations. | Detects network issues, such as loss and latency. |
| Traffic Analytics | Analyzes network traffic patterns. | Helps understanding traffic flow, and identifying security risks. |
| Connection Monitor | Tracks network connectivity and performance between different endpoints. | Ensures healthy network communication paths. |
| NSG Flow Logs | Collects information about IP traffic flowing through NSGs. | Provides visibility into inbound and outbound traffic. |
By leveraging Azure Monitor for networks, Azure administrators have a powerful set of tools at their disposal to maintain an efficient, secure, and resilient network infrastructure. This aligns well with the skill set tested in the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator exam, as managing and monitoring network resources is a crucial aspect of the certification’s objectives.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Azure Monitor only supports metrics and logging for virtual machines and not for network resources.
- False
Azure Monitor provides metrics and logging for a variety of resources, including network resources such as Virtual Networks, Application Gateways, and Network Security Groups.
In Azure Monitor, what can be used to create custom dashboards to view network performance data?
- A) Log Analytics Workspaces
- B) Network Watcher
- C) Azure Dashboards
- D) Azure Service Health
C) Azure Dashboards
Azure Dashboards allow you to create and share custom dashboards to visualize and monitor data from multiple resources, including network performance.
True or False: Azure Monitor for Networks provides a map visualization showing the topology of network components.
- True
Azure Monitor for Networks includes a map feature that visualizes the topology of network components, making it easier to understand and monitor the network infrastructure.
Which of the following is a tool within Azure that offers packet capture capabilities for monitoring network traffic?
- A) Azure Firewall
- B) Azure Traffic Manager
- C) Network Watcher
- D) Azure Load Balancer
C) Network Watcher
Network Watcher provides packet capture capabilities to monitor and diagnose conditions at a network traffic level.
True or False: Azure Network Watcher’s NSG flow logs can be integrated with Azure Monitor logs.
- True
NSG flow logs can be enabled and integrated with Azure Monitor logs for deeper analytics and monitoring.
Which feature within Azure Monitor can be used for proactive network troubleshooting and diagnostics?
- A) Application Insights
- B) Network Performance Monitor
- C) Service Map
- D) All of the above
D) All of the above
Application Insights, Network Performance Monitor, and Service Map within Azure Monitor provide various capabilities for proactive network troubleshooting and diagnostics.
True or False: Azure Monitor’s Service Health provides alerts for service issues affecting the network infrastructure.
- True
Azure Service Health provides alerts and guidance when Azure services issues, including those affecting network infrastructure, are detected.
What is the main purpose of Azure Traffic Analytics within Azure Monitor?
- A) To improve web page load times
- B) To perform automated network repairs
- C) To analyze network traffic patterns
- D) To adjust firewall settings automatically
C) To analyze network traffic patterns
Azure Traffic Analytics is a cloud-based solution that provides visibility into user and application activity in the cloud, helping to understand traffic patterns and performance.
True or False: Azure Monitor’s VM insights feature only provides performance metrics for the CPU and memory of virtual machines, not network traffic statistics.
- False
Azure Monitor’s VM insights feature includes performance metrics for a variety of components, including network traffic statistics for virtual machines.
What Azure Monitor solution can be used to monitor the health and availability of Azure ExpressRoute?
- A) Network Performance Monitor
- B) Application Insights
- C) Azure Network Watcher
- D) Connection Monitor
A) Network Performance Monitor
Network Performance Monitor is a cloud-based hybrid network monitoring solution that helps monitor the health and availability of network infrastructure, including Azure ExpressRoute.
Interview Questions
What is Azure Monitor for Networks?
Azure Monitor for Networks is a feature of Azure Monitor that provides insights into the performance and health of an organization’s network infrastructure.
What are the different components of Azure Monitor for Networks?
The components of Azure Monitor for Networks include Network Watcher, Connection Monitor, Traffic Analytics, and Virtual Network Tap.
What is Network Watcher?
Network Watcher is a network monitoring and diagnostic service that provides tools to diagnose, troubleshoot, and monitor network issues.
What is Connection Monitor?
Connection Monitor is a feature of Network Watcher that provides end-to-end monitoring and diagnostics for network connections between a virtual machine and other endpoints, such as on-premises resources, internet resources, or other Azure virtual machines.
What is Traffic Analytics?
Traffic Analytics is a feature of Network Watcher that provides visualizations and insights into network traffic patterns and security threats.
What is Virtual Network Tap?
Virtual Network Tap is a feature of Network Watcher that provides the ability to capture and analyze network traffic in a virtual network.
How can I use Azure Monitor for Networks to troubleshoot connectivity issues?
You can use Connection Monitor to monitor network connectivity and diagnose issues in real-time, as well as use Traffic Analytics to identify network security threats and performance issues.
Can I monitor network traffic between Azure virtual networks?
Yes, you can use Virtual Network Taps to monitor and capture network traffic between Azure virtual networks.
How do I enable Network Watcher and Azure Monitor for Networks?
You can enable Network Watcher and Azure Monitor for Networks through the Azure portal or through Azure PowerShell.
Is there a cost to using Azure Monitor for Networks?
Yes, there may be a cost associated with using Azure Monitor for Networks. The cost depends on the type and amount of data being monitored, as well as the pricing tier of the Azure service.
Thanks for the great post! It’s really helpful.
I’m struggling with configuring Network Performance Monitor. Can anyone help with the initial setup?
If I set up Azure Network Watcher, do I still need to enable NSG flow logs for traffic analytics?
Does anyone know if the data from Log Analytics is stored securely?
This blog didn’t cover troubleshooting for network latency issues.
How often should I review alerts in Azure Monitor for networks?
Can Azure Monitor integrate with third-party monitoring tools?
Is there a way to automate the setup of Azure Monitor for networks?