Connection Monitor Reference

This page provides a detailed reference for the configuration, metrics, and best practices associated with Azure Connection Monitor.

Configuration Reference

Connection Monitor allows you to monitor network connectivity between various endpoints in Azure and beyond. Here's a breakdown of its configurable components:

Connection Monitor Resource

The core resource for managing connectivity tests.

Property	Type	Description	Required
`name`	String	The name of the Connection Monitor resource.	Yes
`location`	String	The Azure region where the resource is deployed.	Yes
`tags`	Object	Key-value pairs for resource tagging.	No
`properties.autoDetectChanges`	Boolean	Automatically detect and add new endpoints to monitoring.	No
`properties.endpoints`	Array of Endpoint Objects	List of endpoints to monitor.	Yes
`properties.monitoredGroups`	Array of MonitoredGroup Objects	Groups of tests to run.	Yes
`properties.notes`	String	Optional descriptive notes.	No

Endpoint Object

Represents a source or destination for a connectivity test.

Property	Type	Description	Required
`name`	String	Unique name for the endpoint.	Yes
`type`	String	Type of endpoint (e.g., `AzureVM`, `AzureSubnet`, `AzurePublicIPAddress`, `AzureIPGroup`, `AzureLocation`, `Workspace`, `VMGuestAgent`).	Yes
`resourceId`	String	The Azure Resource ID for Azure-based endpoints.	Conditional (Yes for Azure resources)
`address`	String	IP address or hostname for non-Azure endpoints or specific configurations.	Conditional (Yes for VM Guest Agent, Workspace)
`scope`	String	The scope of the endpoint, e.g., a resource group or subscription for auto-detection.	No
`excludedVnets`	Array of Vnet References	Virtual networks to exclude from monitoring for this endpoint.	No

MonitoredGroup Object

Defines a set of tests to be performed.

Property	Type	Description	Required
`name`	String	Unique name for the monitored group.	Yes
`sources`	Array of Endpoint References	Endpoints that initiate the monitoring tests.	Yes
`destinations`	Array of Endpoint References	Endpoints that are targets for the monitoring tests.	Yes
`testConfigurations`	Array of TestConfiguration Objects	The parameters for the monitoring tests.	Yes

TestConfiguration Object

Specifies the parameters for a single monitoring test.

Property	Type	Description	Required
`name`	String	Unique name for the test configuration.	Yes
`protocol`	String	The protocol to use (`TCP`, `ICMP`). Defaults to `TCP`.	No
`port`	Integer	The port number to use for TCP tests. Required if `protocol` is `TCP`.	Conditional
`frequencyInSeconds`	Integer	How often the test is run (e.g., 60 seconds). Minimum value is 1.	Yes
`thresholdInMs`	Integer	The maximum acceptable latency in milliseconds.	No
`failednsicount`	Integer	The number of consecutive failed tests before the test is considered failed.	No
`preferredDataCenter`	String	Specifies a preferred Azure region for testing if multiple endpoints exist in different regions.	No

Key Metrics

Connection Monitor collects several key metrics to help you understand network performance and identify issues:

Success Rate: Percentage of successful tests over a period.
Average Latency: Average round-trip time in milliseconds.
Packet Loss: Percentage of packets lost during tests.
HTTP Status Code: For HTTP/S tests, the status code returned by the destination.
HTTP/S Latency: Latency specific to the HTTP/S request.

Best Practices

Start Simple: Begin with a few critical endpoints and gradually expand your monitoring scope.
Utilize Guest Agent: For monitoring specific virtual machines or workloads, ensure the Connection Monitor guest agent is installed and configured.
Leverage IP Groups: For monitoring connectivity to a large set of IP addresses (e.g., third-party services), use Azure IP Groups to simplify management.
Set Realistic Thresholds: Configure latency and failure thresholds based on your application's requirements.
Monitor Critical Ports: Ensure you are testing connectivity on the ports your applications rely on.
Regularly Review Results: Periodically analyze the collected metrics to proactively identify and address network issues.
Use `autoDetectChanges` Wisely: Enable this feature to automatically include new resources but be mindful of potential increases in monitoring load.

Common Troubleshooting Scenarios

High Latency:

Check the thresholdInMs setting.
Examine the network path between source and destination.
Look for network congestion or suboptimal routing.

Packet Loss:

Investigate underlying network infrastructure issues.
Check for intermittent connectivity problems.
Ensure firewall rules are not dropping packets.

Test Failures (e.g., Port Closed):

Verify that the destination endpoint is running and listening on the specified port.
Confirm that Network Security Groups (NSGs) and Azure Firewall rules allow traffic on the monitored port.
Check if the destination is publicly accessible if it's an internet-facing endpoint.

For detailed API specifications, refer to the Azure REST API Reference.

Azure Networking