Diagnostic settings for resources in Azure - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Diagnostic settings for resources

Start: Select Resource

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Create Diagnostic Setting

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Choose Logs & Metrics

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Select Destination(s)

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Save Configuration

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Diagnostic Data Sent

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Monitor & Analyze Data

This flow shows how to set up diagnostic settings on a resource to collect logs and metrics and send them to chosen destinations for monitoring.

Execution Sample

Azure

az monitor diagnostic-settings create \
  --resource /subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM \
  --name myDiagSetting \
  --logs '[{"category": "Administrative", "enabled": true}]' \
  --metrics '[{"category": "AllMetrics", "enabled": true}]' \
  --workspace /subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/myWorkspace

Creates a diagnostic setting on a VM resource to send logs and metrics to a Log Analytics workspace.

Process Table

Step	Action	Input/Parameter	Result/State
1	Select Resource	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM	Resource identified for diagnostics
2	Create Diagnostic Setting	Name: myDiagSetting	Diagnostic setting object created
3	Configure Logs	Category: Administrative, Enabled: true	Logs collection enabled for Administrative category
4	Configure Metrics	Category: AllMetrics, Enabled: true	Metrics collection enabled for all metrics
5	Set Destination	Workspace: myWorkspace	Destination set to Log Analytics workspace
6	Save Configuration	Apply settings	Diagnostic settings saved and active
7	Data Flow	Logs and metrics sent	Data flows to workspace for monitoring
8	End	N/A	Setup complete, monitoring enabled

💡 Diagnostic settings saved and data flow started; monitoring active

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5	Final
resource	None	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/myVM
diagnosticSettingName	None	myDiagSetting	myDiagSetting	myDiagSetting	myDiagSetting	myDiagSetting
logsConfig	None	None	[{"category": "Administrative", "enabled": true}]	[{"category": "Administrative", "enabled": true}]	[{"category": "Administrative", "enabled": true}]	[{"category": "Administrative", "enabled": true}]
metricsConfig	None	None	None	[{"category": "AllMetrics", "enabled": true}]	[{"category": "AllMetrics", "enabled": true}]	[{"category": "AllMetrics", "enabled": true}]
destination	None	None	None	None	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/myWorkspace	/subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/myWorkspace

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to specify both logs and metrics categories separately?

Logs and metrics are different types of data; enabling one does not automatically enable the other. See execution_table rows 3 and 4 where logs and metrics are configured separately.

What happens if we do not specify a destination for diagnostic data?

Without a destination, diagnostic data has nowhere to go and will not be collected or stored. Execution_table row 5 shows setting the destination is essential before saving.

Can we send diagnostic data to multiple destinations at once?

Yes, diagnostic settings support multiple destinations like Log Analytics, Event Hub, and Storage. This example shows one destination, but you can add more before saving (see step 5).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step are logs enabled for the resource?

A Step 3

B Step 2

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' and 'Result/State' columns in execution_table row 3.

According to variable_tracker, what is the value of 'destination' after step 4?

A /subscriptions/123/resourceGroups/myRG/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/myWorkspace

B None

C myDiagSetting

D Administrative

💡 Hint

Look at the 'destination' row and the column 'After Step 4' in variable_tracker.

If we skip setting the destination, what will happen according to the key moments?

A Only metrics will be collected, not logs.

B Diagnostic data will still be collected and stored automatically.

C Diagnostic data will not be collected or stored.

D The diagnostic setting will fail to save.

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments question 2 about the importance of setting a destination.

Concept Snapshot

Diagnostic settings collect logs and metrics from Azure resources.
You configure categories of logs and metrics separately.
Set one or more destinations like Log Analytics workspace.
Save settings to start sending diagnostic data.
This helps monitor and analyze resource health and activity.

Full Transcript

Diagnostic settings in Azure allow you to collect logs and metrics from resources. The process starts by selecting the resource, then creating a diagnostic setting with a name. You enable specific log categories and metric categories separately. Next, you choose where to send this data, such as a Log Analytics workspace. After saving, the diagnostic data flows to the destination for monitoring. Variables like resource, diagnosticSettingName, logsConfig, metricsConfig, and destination change step-by-step as you configure. Key points include the need to enable logs and metrics separately, the necessity of specifying a destination, and the option to send data to multiple destinations. This setup helps you keep track of resource health and troubleshoot issues effectively.