Network Watcher for diagnostics in Azure - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Network Watcher for diagnostics

Enable Network Watcher

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Select Resource Group

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Choose Virtual Network

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Run Diagnostic Tools

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Flow Logs

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Analyze Results

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Fix Issues

Start by enabling Network Watcher, then select your network resources and run diagnostic tools like flow logs, connection monitor, or packet capture to analyze and fix network issues.

Execution Sample

Azure

az network watcher flow-log configure --resource-group MyResourceGroup --nsg MyNSG --enabled true --storage-account MyStorageAccount
az network watcher connection-monitor create --location westus --name MyConnectionMonitor --resource-group MyResourceGroup --source-resource-id MyVM --dest-address 8.8.8.8
az network watcher packet-capture create --location westus --resource-group MyResourceGroup --vm MyVM --name MyPacketCapture

These commands enable flow logs on a network security group, create a connection monitor from a VM to an IP, and start a packet capture on a VM.

Process Table

Step	Action	Resource Targeted	Command Result	Next Step
1	Enable Network Watcher in resource group	Network Watcher	Network Watcher enabled	Select virtual network
2	Select virtual network for diagnostics	Virtual Network	Virtual network selected	Run IP flow verify
3	Enable flow logs	Network Security Group	Flow log enabled	Run connection troubleshoot
4	Create connection monitor	Virtual Machine to IP	Connection monitor created	Start packet capture
5	Start packet capture	Virtual Machine	Packet capture started	Analyze results
6	Analyze results	Captured data	Diagnostic data available	Fix network issues
7	Fix network issues	Network configuration	Issues resolved	End diagnostics

💡 All diagnostics completed and network issues fixed or identified

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After 1	After 2	After 3	After 4	After 5	Final
Network Watcher Status	Disabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled
Flow Log Status	Disabled	Disabled	Disabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled	Enabled
Connection Monitor Status	Not Created	Not Created	Not Created	Created	Created	Created	Created
Packet Capture Status	Not Started	Not Started	Not Started	Not Started	Not Started	Started	Started
Diagnostic Data	None	None	None	None	None	Available	Available
Network Issues	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	Identified	Resolved

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to enable Network Watcher before running diagnostics?

Network Watcher must be enabled first (see Step 1 in execution_table) because it provides the tools and data collection needed for diagnostics.

What does enabling flow logs on a Network Security Group do?

Enabling flow logs (Step 3) starts recording network traffic information, which helps analyze allowed or denied traffic patterns.

How does packet capture help in diagnostics?

Packet capture (Step 5) records actual network packets on a VM, allowing detailed inspection of traffic to find issues not visible in logs.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, at which step is the connection monitor created?

A Step 4

B Step 3

C Step 5

D Step 2

💡 Hint

Check the 'Action' and 'Command Result' columns in execution_table rows for connection monitor creation.

According to variable_tracker, what is the status of Packet Capture after Step 4?

A Started

B Not Started

C Enabled

D Created

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Packet Capture Status' row under 'After 4' column in variable_tracker.

If Network Watcher was not enabled at Step 1, what would happen to the following steps?

A Diagnostics would still run normally

B Flow logs would enable but connection monitor would fail

C All diagnostic commands would fail

D Only packet capture would work

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about the importance of enabling Network Watcher first.

Concept Snapshot

Network Watcher helps diagnose Azure network issues.
Enable it first in your resource group.
Use tools like flow logs, connection monitor, and packet capture.
Analyze collected data to find and fix network problems.
Commands start with 'az network watcher'.

Full Transcript

Network Watcher is a tool in Azure that helps you check and fix network problems. First, you enable Network Watcher in your resource group. Then, you pick the virtual network or resources you want to check. You can turn on flow logs to see traffic patterns, create a connection monitor to test connectivity, or start a packet capture to record network packets. After running these tools, you look at the results to find any issues. Finally, you fix the problems based on what you learned. This step-by-step process helps keep your network healthy and working well.