Azure dashboards - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Create a Custom Azure Dashboard

📖 Scenario: You are working as a cloud administrator for a company that uses Microsoft Azure. Your manager wants you to create a custom Azure dashboard to monitor key resources like virtual machines and storage accounts in one place.This dashboard will help the team quickly see important information without navigating multiple pages.

🎯 Goal: Build a simple Azure dashboard JSON configuration that includes a text tile and a metrics tile showing CPU usage of a virtual machine.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a dashboard JSON object with a lenses section

Add a text tile with a welcome message

Add a metrics tile showing CPU percentage for a specific virtual machine

Include the dashboard metadata with a name

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Azure dashboards help cloud teams monitor resources in one place, improving visibility and response times.

💼 Career

Cloud administrators and DevOps engineers often create and customize dashboards to track resource health and performance.

1

Create the basic dashboard structure

Create a variable called dashboard and assign it a JSON object with an empty lenses dictionary and an empty metadata dictionary.

Azure

dashboard = {
    "lenses": {},
    "metadata": {}
}
# Your code here

Hint

Start by creating a Python dictionary named dashboard with keys lenses and metadata, both empty.

2

Add dashboard metadata with a name

Add a name key inside the metadata dictionary of dashboard with the value "Team Monitoring Dashboard".

Azure

dashboard = {
    "lenses": {},
    "metadata": {
        # Add the dashboard name here
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Inside dashboard["metadata"], add the key "name" with the given string value.

3

Add a text tile to the dashboard lenses

Inside dashboard["lenses"], add a key "0" with a dictionary value that has a "parts" dictionary. Inside "parts", add a key "0" with a dictionary containing "position" and "metadata". Set "position" to {"x": 0, "y": 0, "rowSpan": 2, "colSpan": 3} and "metadata" with "type" as "MarkdownPart" and "inputs" with "content" set to "

Welcome to the Team Dashboard

".

Azure

dashboard = {
    "lenses": {
        # Add lens 0 with a text tile here
    },
    "metadata": {
        "name": "Team Monitoring Dashboard"
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Follow the nested dictionary structure carefully to add the text tile inside dashboard["lenses"]["0"]["parts"]["0"].

4

Add a metrics tile showing CPU usage

Inside dashboard["lenses"]["0"]["parts"], add a key "1" with a dictionary containing "position" set to {"x": 3, "y": 0, "rowSpan": 4, "colSpan": 6} and "metadata" with "type" as "MetricsChartPart". Under "metadata", add "inputs" with "resourceId" set to "/subscriptions/12345/resourceGroups/myResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM" and "metricNamespace" set to "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines", and "metrics" as a list containing {"name": "Percentage CPU"}.

Azure

dashboard = {
    "lenses": {
        "0": {
            "parts": {
                "0": {
                    "position": {"x": 0, "y": 0, "rowSpan": 2, "colSpan": 3},
                    "metadata": {
                        "type": "MarkdownPart",
                        "inputs": {
                            "content": "Welcome to the Team Dashboard"
                        }
                    }
                }
                # Add metrics tile as part "1" here
            }
        }
    },
    "metadata": {
        "name": "Team Monitoring Dashboard"
    }
}
# Your code here

Hint

Add the metrics tile as part "1" inside the existing parts dictionary with the specified position and metadata.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of an Azure dashboard?

easy

A. To manage user access permissions

B. To provide a single view of cloud resources and their status

C. To write code for Azure functions

D. To create virtual machines

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure dashboard role

   Azure dashboards show a combined view of your cloud resources and their health.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   Options A, B, and D describe other Azure features, not dashboards.

3. Final Answer:

   To provide a single view of cloud resources and their status -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Dashboard = resource overview [OK]

Hint: Dashboards show resource status in one place [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing dashboards with coding or VM creation
• Thinking dashboards manage permissions
• Assuming dashboards are for resource creation

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add a tile to an Azure dashboard?

easy

A. Click 'Add tile' and select the resource or metric to display

B. Write a JSON script in the dashboard editor

C. Use Azure CLI to create a dashboard tile

D. Upload a CSV file with resource data

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall dashboard customization steps

   Adding a tile is done by clicking 'Add tile' and choosing what to show.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Options B, C, and D are not standard ways to add tiles in the Azure portal dashboard UI.

3. Final Answer:

   Click 'Add tile' and select the resource or metric to display -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Add tile = click and select [OK]

Hint: Add tiles via dashboard UI, no coding needed [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to add tiles by scripting or CLI
• Uploading files instead of using UI
• Confusing tile addition with resource creation

3. You have created a dashboard with a metric tile showing CPU usage. What will happen if the monitored VM is deleted?

medium

A. The tile will continue showing old data indefinitely

B. The tile will automatically show data from another VM

C. The dashboard will delete itself

D. The tile will show an error or no data

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dashboard tile data source

   Tiles depend on live data from resources; if the VM is deleted, data stops.

2. Step 2: Analyze tile behavior on resource deletion

   The tile cannot show data from another VM automatically, nor does the dashboard delete itself. Old data is not kept indefinitely.

3. Final Answer:

   The tile will show an error or no data -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Deleted VM = tile error/no data [OK]

Hint: Deleted resource tiles show errors, no auto-switch [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming tiles auto-switch to other resources
• Thinking dashboards delete with resources
• Believing tiles keep old data forever

4. You tried to share your Azure dashboard with a colleague, but they cannot see any tiles. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The colleague lacks permission to view the underlying resources

B. The dashboard was not saved before sharing

C. Azure dashboards cannot be shared

D. The colleague's browser does not support Azure portal

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sharing requirements

   Sharing a dashboard requires the viewer to have access to the resources shown.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Dashboards can be saved and shared; browser support is broad; lack of permissions is the common cause of missing tiles.

3. Final Answer:

   The colleague lacks permission to view the underlying resources -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Missing tiles = permission issue [OK]

Hint: Check viewer permissions if tiles are missing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming dashboards cannot be shared
• Forgetting to save before sharing
• Blaming browser compatibility first

5. You want to create a dashboard that shows CPU usage, memory usage, and network traffic for multiple VMs in different subscriptions. What is the best approach?

hard

A. Create a dashboard in each subscription separately and switch between them

B. Create a single dashboard in your home subscription and add tiles from all subscriptions using resource IDs

C. Use Azure Monitor workbooks instead of dashboards for cross-subscription views

D. Export VM metrics to Excel and manually combine data

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cross-subscription dashboard limits

   Azure dashboards do not natively support tiles from multiple subscriptions in one dashboard.

2. Step 2: Identify best tool for cross-subscription monitoring

   Azure Monitor workbooks allow combining data from multiple subscriptions in one view.

3. Step 3: Evaluate other options

   Creating separate dashboards or manual Excel exports are less efficient; adding tiles from other subscriptions directly is not supported.

4. Final Answer:

   Use Azure Monitor workbooks instead of dashboards for cross-subscription views -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Cross-subscription = use workbooks [OK]

Hint: Use workbooks for multi-subscription monitoring [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to add tiles from multiple subscriptions in one dashboard
• Relying on manual data exports
• Not knowing about Azure Monitor workbooks