Azure dashboards - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is an Azure dashboard?

An Azure dashboard is a customizable page in the Azure portal where you can add and arrange tiles to monitor and manage your cloud resources in one place.

beginner

How can you share an Azure dashboard with your team?

You can share an Azure dashboard by publishing it to a resource group or subscription, allowing others with access to view or edit it depending on permissions.

intermediate

What types of tiles can you add to an Azure dashboard?

You can add tiles like charts, metrics, resource lists, web content, and custom queries to visualize data and monitor resources.

beginner

Why is it useful to pin resources or charts to an Azure dashboard?

Pinning resources or charts lets you quickly access important information and monitor key metrics without navigating through multiple pages.

intermediate

Can Azure dashboards be exported and imported? If yes, how?

Yes, Azure dashboards can be exported as JSON files and imported back, allowing you to reuse or share dashboard layouts easily.

What is the main purpose of an Azure dashboard?

A To write code for Azure functions

B To manage user permissions

C To create virtual machines

D To monitor and manage cloud resources in one place

Azure dashboards provide a single view to monitor and manage your cloud resources.

How can you customize an Azure dashboard?

A By adding and arranging tiles like charts and resource lists

B By changing the Azure portal theme only

C By installing extensions

D By modifying virtual network settings

Customization is done by adding and arranging tiles on the dashboard.

Which format is used to export an Azure dashboard?

A JSON

B CSV

C YAML

D XML

Azure dashboards are exported and imported using JSON files.

Who can view a shared Azure dashboard?

A Anyone on the internet

B Only users with access to the resource group or subscription

C Only the dashboard creator

D Only Azure administrators

Shared dashboards are visible to users with access to the related resource group or subscription.

What is a benefit of pinning a chart to an Azure dashboard?

A It deletes the chart from the resource

B It makes the chart editable only by you

C It provides quick access to important metrics

D It exports the chart as a file

Pinning charts helps you quickly see important data on your dashboard.

Explain what an Azure dashboard is and how it helps manage cloud resources.

Think about how you organize your workspace to see everything important at once.

Describe the steps to share an Azure dashboard with your team.

Consider how you share a document with friends but control who can edit it.

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