Monitor Azure Virtual Desktop by using Azure Advisor

Azure Advisor is a valuable tool for monitoring and optimizing your Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) environment. It provides recommendations based on best practices, improving security, performance, and cost-efficiency. In this article, we will explore how to monitor AVD using Azure Advisor to ensure a high-quality desktop virtualization experience.

1. Enable Azure Advisor for AVD:

To start monitoring AVD using Azure Advisor, you need to enable the AVD solution in Azure Advisor. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and search for “Advisor”.
2. Select “Advisor” from the search results.
3. Click on “Get started” in the Azure Advisor blade.
4. In the “What do you want to optimize?” screen, select “Azure Virtual Desktop”.
5. Click on “Enable” to enable the Azure Advisor AVD solution.

2. Review Azure Advisor recommendations for AVD:

Once Azure Advisor is enabled for AVD, it starts analyzing your AVD environment and provides proactive recommendations. To review these recommendations, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Azure portal and search for “Advisor”.
2. Select “Advisor” from the search results.
3. In the Azure Advisor blade, click on “Recommendations”.
4. Select the “Azure Virtual Desktop” category.

You will see a list of recommendations specific to AVD. These recommendations are categorized into different sections, such as Security, Performance, Cost, and High Availability. Each recommendation provides details on the issue, impact, and the recommended action to resolve it. You can click on each recommendation to get more information.

3. Respond to Azure Advisor recommendations:

After reviewing the recommendations, it’s important to take the necessary actions to resolve any identified issues. Here are some common recommendations and the actions you can take:

• Security recommendations:
  • Enable JIT (Just-In-Time) VM access to secure remote desktops.
  • Enable diagnostic logs for AVD to monitor and detect suspicious activities.
• Performance recommendations:
  • Resize Azure Virtual Machines to optimize performance and cost.
  • Enable RDP Shortpath for better user experience.
• Cost recommendations:
  • Consider using Reserved Instances to save costs on long-running deployments.
  • Rightsize Azure Virtual Machines to match workload requirements and save costs.
• High Availability recommendations:
  • Enable Availability Zones for increased resiliency.
  • Use Azure Site Recovery to replicate AVD host pools across regions for disaster recovery.

4. Schedule recurring scans:

To ensure that your AVD environment stays optimized over time, it’s recommended to schedule recurring scans using Azure Advisor. This allows you to receive updated recommendations automatically and stay informed about any changes in your AVD environment.

1. In the Azure Advisor blade, click on “Advisor configuration”.
2. Under “Recurring scans”, click on “Configure”.
3. Set the desired frequency and time for recurring scans.
4. Click on “Save” to apply the recurring scan schedule.

By scheduling recurring scans, you ensure that any new recommendations are captured in a timely manner, helping you maintain an optimized AVD environment.

In conclusion, Azure Advisor is a valuable tool for monitoring and optimizing your Azure Virtual Desktop environment. By enabling Azure Advisor for AVD and reviewing its recommendations, you can proactively identify and resolve issues related to security, performance, cost, and high availability. Additionally, scheduling recurring scans ensures that your AVD environment stays optimized over time. Start utilizing Azure Advisor today to enhance your Azure Virtual Desktop deployment.