Overview
Azure Monitor provides a comprehensive solution for collecting, analyzing, and acting on telemetry from your cloud and on‑premises environments. It helps you maximize the performance and availability of your applications and services.
Metrics
Metrics are numeric data points collected at regular intervals. They enable you to monitor the health of your resources in near real‑time.
- Standard metrics (CPU, Memory, Disk, Network)
- Custom metrics via
Azure Monitor SDK - Metric alerts for threshold‑based notifications
// Example: publishing a custom metric
var client = new MetricsClient(new DefaultAzureCredential());
await client.PublishAsync("myMetric", 42);Logs (Log Analytics)
Log data provides detailed, queryable information about the operation of your resources. Azure Monitor stores logs in a Log Analytics workspace.
- Collect activity logs, diagnostic logs, and custom logs
- Powerful Kusto Query Language (KQL) for analysis
- Visualization through workbooks and dashboards
// Sample KQL query
AzureActivity
| where TimeGenerated > ago(7d)
| summarize count() by OperationNameAlerts
Configure alerts to proactively respond to issues. Azure Monitor supports metric, log, and activity log alerts.
- Action groups (email, SMS, webhook, Azure Function)
- Dynamic thresholds with machine learning
- Automated remediation via Azure Logic Apps
Best Practices
- Tag resources for easier filtering in dashboards.
- Enable diagnostic settings on all critical resources.
- Use Azure Policy to enforce monitoring standards.
- Leverage workbooks for shared visualizations.
- Set up automated remediation for common alerts.