Azure Monitor overview - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Azure Monitor overview

📖 Scenario: You are managing a small web application hosted on Azure. You want to set up basic monitoring to track the health and performance of your app.

🎯 Goal: Build a simple Azure Monitor setup that collects metrics and logs from a virtual machine and creates an alert rule for CPU usage.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a resource group named MonitorResourceGroup

Create a virtual machine named TestVM in the resource group

Enable Azure Monitor metrics collection on TestVM

Create an alert rule named HighCpuAlert for CPU usage over 80%

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Monitoring cloud resources is essential to keep applications healthy and performant. Azure Monitor helps track metrics and alerts to catch issues early.

💼 Career

Cloud engineers and DevOps professionals use Azure Monitor to maintain infrastructure reliability and respond to problems quickly.

1

Create a resource group and virtual machine

Write Azure CLI commands to create a resource group called MonitorResourceGroup in the eastus region and a virtual machine called TestVM inside it.

Azure

# Your code here

Hint

Use az group create to make the resource group and az vm create to make the VM.

2

Enable Azure Monitor metrics on the VM

Write an Azure CLI command to enable monitoring metrics collection on the virtual machine TestVM in the resource group MonitorResourceGroup.

Azure

az group create --name MonitorResourceGroup --location eastus
az vm create --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --generate-ssh-keys
# Your code here

Hint

Use az monitor metrics alert create with the VM's resource ID to enable metrics monitoring.

3

Create an alert rule for high CPU usage

Write an Azure CLI command to create an alert rule named HighCpuAlert in the resource group MonitorResourceGroup that triggers when the average CPU usage of TestVM is greater than 80%.

Azure

az group create --name MonitorResourceGroup --location eastus
az vm create --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --generate-ssh-keys
az monitor metrics alert create --name EnableMetrics --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --scopes $(az vm show --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --query id -o tsv) --condition "avg Percentage CPU > 0" --description "Enable metrics collection"
# Your code here

Hint

Use az monitor metrics alert create with condition avg Percentage CPU > 80 for the alert.

4

Verify the alert rule configuration

Write an Azure CLI command to show the details of the alert rule named HighCpuAlert in the resource group MonitorResourceGroup.

Azure

az group create --name MonitorResourceGroup --location eastus
az vm create --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --image UbuntuLTS --admin-username azureuser --generate-ssh-keys
az monitor metrics alert create --name EnableMetrics --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --scopes $(az vm show --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --query id -o tsv) --condition "avg Percentage CPU > 0" --description "Enable metrics collection"
az monitor metrics alert create --name HighCpuAlert --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --scopes $(az vm show --resource-group MonitorResourceGroup --name TestVM --query id -o tsv) --condition "avg Percentage CPU > 80" --description "Alert for high CPU usage"
# Your code here

Hint

Use az monitor metrics alert show with the alert name and resource group to view details.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Azure Monitor?

easy

A. To watch cloud resources and keep them healthy

B. To create virtual machines

C. To store large amounts of data

D. To manage user permissions

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure Monitor's role

   Azure Monitor watches cloud resources to ensure they work well and stay healthy.

2. Step 2: Compare options with this role

   Creating virtual machines, storing data, and managing permissions are not the main tasks of Azure Monitor.

3. Final Answer:

   To watch cloud resources and keep them healthy -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Azure Monitor = watches resources [OK]

Hint: Azure Monitor = watches and keeps resources healthy [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Azure Monitor with storage services
• Thinking it creates virtual machines
• Mixing it up with user management

2. Which of the following is the correct way to enable Azure Monitor for a resource in the Azure portal?

easy

A. Disable all alerts to start Azure Monitor

B. Create a new virtual machine and Azure Monitor is enabled by default

C. Go to the resource, select 'Monitoring', then 'Insights', and enable monitoring

D. Run a PowerShell script to delete monitoring settings

Solution

1. Step 1: Check how to enable monitoring in Azure portal

   Azure Monitor is enabled by going to the resource, selecting 'Monitoring', then 'Insights', and turning it on.

2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

   Creating a VM does not automatically enable Azure Monitor; deleting monitoring or disabling alerts does not enable it.

3. Final Answer:

   Go to the resource, select 'Monitoring', then 'Insights', and enable monitoring -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Enable monitoring via Insights in portal [OK]

Hint: Enable monitoring under resource's Insights tab [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Azure Monitor is on by default for all resources
• Confusing enabling with disabling alerts
• Thinking deleting settings enables monitoring

3. Consider this Azure Monitor alert rule setup:
Alert when CPU usage > 80% for 5 minutes
What happens if CPU usage spikes to 85% for 3 minutes and then drops to 75%?

medium

A. An alert is triggered immediately when CPU hits 85%

B. No alert is triggered because the high CPU lasted less than 5 minutes

C. An alert triggers after CPU usage drops below 80%

D. The alert triggers only if CPU stays above 90%

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand alert condition timing

   The alert triggers only if CPU usage stays above 80% continuously for 5 minutes.

2. Step 2: Analyze the CPU usage pattern

   The CPU was above 80% for only 3 minutes, then dropped below, so the alert condition is not met.

3. Final Answer:

   No alert is triggered because the high CPU lasted less than 5 minutes -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Alert needs 5 minutes above threshold [OK]

Hint: Alert triggers only after condition lasts full time [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking alert triggers immediately on spike
• Ignoring the 5-minute duration condition
• Confusing threshold values

4. You set up an Azure Monitor alert but it never triggers even when the condition is met. What is a likely cause?

medium

A. Alert rule is disabled or not properly configured

B. Azure Monitor does not support alerts

C. The resource is offline and cannot be monitored

D. Alerts only work during business hours

Solution

1. Step 1: Check alert rule status

   If the alert rule is disabled or misconfigured, it will not trigger even if conditions are met.

2. Step 2: Review other options for correctness

   Azure Monitor supports alerts anytime; resources offline may not send data but usually cause other errors; alerts are not time-limited.

3. Final Answer:

   Alert rule is disabled or not properly configured -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Disabled alert rules never trigger [OK]

Hint: Check if alert rule is enabled and correct [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Azure Monitor can't alert
• Thinking alerts depend on time of day
• Ignoring alert rule configuration

5. You want to reduce costs but keep monitoring important metrics with Azure Monitor. Which approach is best?

hard

A. Collect all possible data and create alerts for every metric

B. Disable Azure Monitor completely to save money

C. Use Azure Monitor only during peak hours

D. Configure sampling to collect fewer data points and set alerts only on critical metrics

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cost-saving options in Azure Monitor

   Sampling reduces data volume by collecting fewer points, lowering cost. Alerting only on critical metrics avoids unnecessary alerts.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

   Disabling monitoring risks missing issues; collecting all data increases cost; limiting monitoring by time is not supported and risky.

3. Final Answer:

   Configure sampling to collect fewer data points and set alerts only on critical metrics -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Sampling + critical alerts = cost saving [OK]

Hint: Use sampling and alert only on key metrics [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Turning off monitoring completely
• Collecting too much data without filtering
• Assuming monitoring can be time-limited