Tutorial / Cram Notes
Workbooks in Azure AD are customizable, interactive reports and data visualizations that help administrators understand their Azure AD environment. They combine text, analytic queries, and visualizations to tell a story about your data.
To access workbooks in the Azure AD console:
- Sign in to the Azure portal.
- Navigate to Azure Active Directory.
- Select Workbooks under the Monitoring section.
Workbooks provide templates for common scenarios, but you can also create your own from scratch or modify existing ones to fit your specific needs.
Examples of Common Workbooks:
- Sign-ins – Use this workbook to analyze sign-ins by users and applications. View successful and failed login attempts, understand user sign-in patterns, and identify potential security issues.
- Audit logs – Monitor changes in your Azure AD environment, track administrative operations, and ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
- User provisioning – Gain insights into user provisioning status, which can help in troubleshooting issues related to provisioning and de-provisioning of user accounts.
Reporting in the Azure AD Console
Azure AD also offers built-in reports that allow administrators to monitor the security and usage of the identity infrastructure. Reports include sign-in activity, audit logs, user and group changes, risk detection, and more.
Azure AD Reporting Features:
- Sign-in reports – View information about user sign-ins, including status, location, and devices used.
- Audit logs – Access a record of system activities to help maintain security and operational integrity.
- Risky sign-ins – Identify potential security threats based on sign-in risk levels.
- User and group reports – View details about user and group history, including recent changes.
To access these reports in the Azure AD console:
- Navigate to Azure Active Directory.
- Select Sign-ins or Audit logs within the Monitoring section.
Using Filters and Analyzing Data
Both workbooks and reports in Azure AD can be filtered to display information about specific users, date ranges, and other criteria. These filters allow you to narrow down and analyze data according to your organization’s needs.
Examples of Filters:
| Filter Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Date Range | Specify a particular timeframe to analyze data. |
| User Name | Filter reports and workbooks for activities by a certain user. |
| Application | View data related to a specific application in your environment. |
| Activity Type | Filter by specific activities, such as user creation or deletion. |
Exporting Data
For further analysis or reporting, Azure AD allows you to export workbook and report data. You can export data in formats such as CSV or JSON and use tools like Excel or Power BI to perform in-depth analysis or create custom visualizations.
Compliance and Auditing
Utilize Azure AD workbooks and reporting for compliance auditing by frequently reviewing and exporting the necessary reports. Regularly analyzing this information helps maintain regulatory compliance standards and provides documentation for audit trails.
Conclusion
Leverage Azure AD workbooks and reporting tools to gain valuable insights into your organization’s identity infrastructure. These resources are not only pertinent for daily administration but crucial for the holistic understanding required to pass the SC-300 Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam. Successful utilization of these Azure AD capabilities ensures a secure and well-monitored identity environment.
Practice Test with Explanation
True or False: Azure AD workbooks can be used to create interactive reports combining graphs and tables.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: A
Explanation: Azure AD workbooks provide interactive reporting capabilities that allow you to combine graphs and tables for data analysis.
Which of the following reports can be accessed from the Azure AD Sign-ins report?
- (A) Application usage report
- (B) User sign-in activity
- (C) Risky sign-ins
- (D) Audit logs
- (E) Conditional Access report
Answer: B
Explanation: The Azure AD Sign-ins report primarily tracks user sign-in activities.
True or False: Azure AD reporting services require an additional license on top of the regular Azure subscription.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: B
Explanation: Basic Azure AD reporting features are available within the Azure subscription, but advanced features might require Azure AD Premium licenses.
Which Azure AD feature provides you with the information about potential security issues such as sign-ins from infrequent countries?
- (A) Audit logs
- (B) Sign-ins report
- (C) Risky sign-ins
- (D) Conditional Access report
Answer: C
Explanation: Risky sign-ins is a feature that identifies sign-ins with a higher probability of being malicious based on various signals.
True or False: It is possible to create custom reports in Azure AD by combining data from various sources.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: A
Explanation: Azure AD workbooks allow the creation of custom interactive reports by combining data from different sources within Azure AD.
Which of the following is not a category of reports available in Azure AD?
- (A) Identity Protection reports
- (B) Application insights reports
- (C) Sign-ins reports
- (D) Device reports
Answer: B
Explanation: Application insights reports are not a category in Azure AD. They are part of the Azure Application Insights service.
True or False: Azure AD reports and workbooks are only available to users with administrative privileges.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: B
Explanation: While administrative privileges provide full access to reports and workbooks, non-administrative users can also access certain reports and workbook data if granted the appropriate permissions.
What type of data does the Azure AD Audit log provide?
- (A) Information on user sign-ins
- (B) Changes made within Azure AD
- (C) Information on device registrations
- (D) Detailed resource usage statistics
Answer: B
Explanation: The Azure AD Audit log provides a record of changes made within Azure AD, such as adding or removing users, changing passwords, and updating application settings.
True or False: You can set up alerts to be notified when a specific event occurs in the Azure AD Audit logs or Sign-ins reports.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: A
Explanation: You can set up alerts to notify you of specific events or conditions that are captured in the Azure AD Audit logs or Sign-ins reports.
What is the maximum time period that Azure AD retains sign-in and audit log data for reporting purposes?
- (A) 30 days
- (B) 90 days
- (C) 180 days
- (D) 365 days
Answer: C
Explanation: Azure AD retains sign-in and audit log data for up to 180 days for reporting purposes.
True or False: Azure AD workbooks can only be viewed within the Azure portal and cannot be exported.
- (A) True
- (B) False
Answer: B
Explanation: Azure AD workbooks can be exported, allowing data to be viewed outside of the Azure portal, such as in Excel or other data analysis tools.
Which feature in Azure AD should you use to review the access and usage of your managed applications?
- (A) Risky sign-ins
- (B) Application Usage report
- (C) Audit logs
- (D) Device Sign-ins report
Answer: B
Explanation: The Application Usage report is designed to help you review the access and usage statistics of your managed applications.
Interview Questions
What is an Azure Monitor workbook?
An Azure Monitor workbook is a customizable, interactive tool for visualizing and analyzing data from various sources, including Azure AD.
How can you access Azure Monitor workbooks in the Azure AD console?
Azure Monitor workbooks can be accessed by selecting “Monitor” in the Azure AD console navigation menu, and then selecting “Workbooks”.
What types of data can be visualized in Azure Monitor workbooks for Azure AD?
Data types that can be visualized in Azure Monitor workbooks for Azure AD include sign-in activity, audit logs, and provisioning activity.
How can you customize an Azure Monitor workbook for Azure AD data?
You can customize an Azure Monitor workbook for Azure AD data by selecting the relevant data sources and creating custom queries and visualizations.
Can you share Azure Monitor workbooks with other users or groups?
Yes, Azure Monitor workbooks can be shared with other users or groups in your organization or externally through a secure link.
What types of visualizations can be used in Azure Monitor workbooks?
Visualizations that can be used in Azure Monitor workbooks include tables, charts, and maps.
How can you set up alerts for Azure AD activity using Azure Monitor workbooks?
You can set up alerts for Azure AD activity using Azure Monitor workbooks by creating queries and visualizations that highlight specific types of activity, and then creating an alert based on those queries.
Can you export data from Azure Monitor workbooks for further analysis or reporting?
Yes, you can export data from Azure Monitor workbooks in various formats, including CSV, Excel, and JSON.
What are some common use cases for Azure Monitor workbooks in Azure AD?
Common use cases for Azure Monitor workbooks in Azure AD include monitoring user activity, identifying security threats, and analyzing access patterns.
Can you use Azure Monitor workbooks to analyze data from other Azure services besides Azure AD?
Yes, Azure Monitor workbooks can be used to analyze data from a variety of Azure services, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Storage, and Azure App Services.
Analyze Azure AD by using workbooks is a game-changer for monitoring and reporting.
Absolutely! Customizing workbooks makes it easy to tailor reports to fit specific needs.
Do you have any tips for managing large datasets in these workbooks?
Thanks for this informative post!
How can I integrate Azure AD workbooks with other monitoring tools like Grafana?
You’d need to leverage the Azure Monitor API to export your Azure AD data, which Grafana can then read.
Make sure to configure proper API permissions to access Azure AD logs.
I appreciate the detailed steps provided for using Azure AD reporting.
Some aspects are overcomplicated, and the official documentation needs improvement.
Can someone explain the difference between Audit Logs and Sign-in Logs in Azure AD?
Audit Logs track admin activities, while Sign-in Logs capture user authentication attempts.
Good point! Also, Sign-in Logs are more focused on user sign-ins and risk detections.
Is it possible to automate workbook reports and send them via email?
Yes, you can use Logic Apps or Power Automate to schedule and send reports.
I’ve set up alerts that trigger an email with the workbook attached.
Does anyone know how reliable the data in Azure AD reporting is?
It’s quite reliable, but there can be a slight delay in real-time data.
I agree. Also, make sure you have the right licenses for detailed logging.