Microsoft Azure Monitoring
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and service that provides a wide range of solutions, such as virtual machines, databases, AI and machine learning tools, and IoT services. Azure allows organizations to build, deploy, and manage applications through Microsoft-managed data centers, offering flexibility, scalability, and security for various IT and development needs.
Monitoring Azure resources helps maintain the optimal performance and reliability of cloud-based applications and services. IT-Conductor provides an out-of-the-box solution to monitor the availability and performance of Azure resources.
Prerequisites
Before configuring an Azure resource for monitoring in IT-Conductor, register IT-Conductor in Azure subscription by following the steps below.
Register IT-Conductor as an App in Azure Subscription
Visit Azure Portal and enter your login credentials.
On the left panel, navigate to Microsoft Entra ID → Tenant Properties.
Copy and note the Tenant ID: xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx.
Search App Registrations on the search bar and click on New Registration.
Fill out all the necessary information as shown in Figures 3a and 3b. Once completed, click Register to add the system.
Name - refers to the name of the application that will be added (i.e., IT-Conductor)
Supported Account Types - determines who will have access to the application. Select one of the options that best suits your organization's needs.
Redirect URL (Optional) - add a URL value to authenticate upon accessing the application.
On the newly created app, copy and note the IT-Conductor Application (client) ID.
Navigate to Certificates & Secrets and select the Client Secrets tab. Then click New Client Secret.
Fill out all the necessary information in the Add a Client Secret screen. Once completed, click Add to add the system.
Description - refers to any relevant information about the secret password.
Expires - refers to the expiration date for the secret password.
Copy and note the Value and Secret ID for the newly created secret.
Important: Copy the value immediately; otherwise, it will show as encrypted when accessed later.
Navigate to All Services -> Subscriptions. Click on any of the existing subscriptions. Copy and note the Subscription ID: xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx.
Note: If you don't have any subscriptions, you must create one.
On the selected subscription's side menu, navigate to Access Control (IAM) -> Role Assignments -> Add -> Role Assignments.
Navigate to the Role tab and add the required roles for Azure Monitoring in IT-Conductor.
Virtual Machine Contributor - gives rights to read, start/stop, etc. for VMs.
Monitoring Reader - gives access to monitoring data.
Navigate to the Members tab and select Azure AD User/User, Group, or Service Principal in the Assign Access To field. Then click Select Members and select the previously created IT-Conductor app in the Members field.
Note:
IT-Conductor won't appear in the list of users initially. You have to type in the Select field before it does.
Additional roles may be required as we progress the development of features for IT-Conductor.
Configure Azure Monitoring in IT-Conductor
To configure Azure monitoring in IT-Conductor, follow the instructions below.
Add a New Azure Connection in IT-Conductor
Visit service.itconductor.com and enter your login credentials.
Navigate to Dashboards → Administrator to access the Administrator's Dashboard.
Locate the Azure Tenants actions panel and click the title to access the complete list.
Click the New Azure Tenant button to create a new connection.
Name - refers to a descriptive name for the new Azure connection.
Description - refers to any relevant information about the system being added.
Organization - refers to an administrative structure that defines objects with a common goal or purpose. If you previously created an organization, please select it.
Role - refers to the environment where the system will be used.
Site - refers to a logical object that describes a particular area or location, depending on the context in which it is used.
Gateway - allows communication between the customer's site network and the IT-Conductor cloud platform. See Gateway Setup for more details.
Tenant ID - refers to the alphanumeric code copied from the Tenant ID in Azure Portal. See Pre-requisites for more details.
Subscription ID - refers to the alphanumeric code copied from the Subscription ID in Azure Portal. See Pre-requisites for more details.
Description - refers to any relevant information about the user account being added.
Application - refers to the name given to the Azure connection added.
Person - refers to the name of the user who is adding the connection.
Client ID - refers to the alphanumeric code copied from the Client Secret's Secret ID in Azure Portal. See Pre-requisites for more details.
Client Key - refers to the alphanumeric code copied from the Client Secret's Value in Azure Portal. See Pre-requisites for more details.
Verify if the Azure connection was added to the Azure Tenants actions panel and check its status.
Navigate to the service grid and verify if the system was added under the Azure Tenants node.
Note: The system will appear in the service grid within 5-15 minutes.
Monitor Azure Resources in IT-Conductor
To view the availability and performance metrics of an Azure resource, locate the Azure Tenant node in the service grid.
Azure Tenant Key Metrics
Availability - refers to the operational state and accessibility of the Azure Tenant.
Connection Failures - refer to the events where attempts to establish a connection are unsuccessful.
Heartbeat - refers to the periodic signal sent to the system, enabling real-time detection of system downtime.
Missing Account - refers to the absence of a required user account or resource within the Azure Tenant.
Retriever Failures - refer to the errors or issues encountered during the retrieval process of essential data or information within the Azure Tenant.
To view the status of each action executed, click Commands and you will be redirected to the Resource Batch Commands page.
Note: The Start/Stop/Deallocate actions can be automated in several ways: On-demand, Scheduled, Process Integration, or Recovery Actions.
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