Configuring Monitoring with `az monitor`

Monitoring is a critical aspect of maintaining the health and performance of applications and services in the cloud. Azure Monitor provides a comprehensive solution for collecting, analyzing, and acting on telemetry from your cloud and on-premises environments. One of the key commands in Azure CLI for monitoring resource performance is az monitor metrics list. This command allows you to retrieve metric values for Azure resources, enabling users to gain insights into their applications and infrastructure.

In this tutorial, we will delve into the az monitor metrics list command, explore its capabilities, and provide practical examples to help you become proficient in using it. Understanding how to effectively gather and analyze metrics plays a significant role in improving observability and operational efficiency.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

Azure CLI: Install the Azure CLI. You can download it from here.
Azure Subscription: You need an active Azure subscription to work with Azure resources.
Permissions: Ensure you have the necessary permissions to access the resources you want to monitor.
Authentication: Log in to Azure using az login command.

Fundamental Concepts

Azure Monitor is a platform service that provides a single source for monitoring Azure resources. It helps to track performance, availability, and usage metrics.

Key terminology includes:

Metrics: Numerical data points collected over time, representing the performance of a resource.
Log Analytics: A service that collects and analyzes log data from various sources.
Alerts: Notifications triggered based on specific conditions or thresholds defined on metrics.

Command Syntax

The syntax for az monitor metrics list is as follows:

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> [options]

Parameters

Parameter	Description	Required
`--resource`	Name or ID of the target resource.	Yes
`--aggregation`	List of aggregation types (e.g., Average, Count).	No
`--metrics`	List of metric names to retrieve (space-separated).	No
`--start-time`	Start time for the query (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss).	No
`--end-time`	End time for the query (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss).	No
`--interval`	Interval for aggregating metrics (e.g., 5m, 1h).	No
`--filter`	A string used to filter metric data.	No
`--top`	Maximum number of records to retrieve.	No

Practical Examples

1. List Metric Values for a Resource

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id>

This command retrieves the most recent metric values for the specified resource.

2. Retrieve Specific Metrics

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --metrics "Percentage CPU" "Network In"

Here, we specify two metrics to retrieve for the resource.

3. Use Aggregation Types

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --metrics "Percentage CPU" --aggregation Average

This command retrieves the average CPU usage for the specified resource.

4. Define Time Range for Metrics

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --start-time "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z" --end-time "2023-01-02T00:00:00Z"

In this example, we define the time range for which we want to retrieve metrics.

5. Filter Metric Data

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --metrics "Disk Read Bytes" --filter "LUN eq '0'"

This command filters the metric data to only include information for a specific Logical Unit Number (LUN).

6. Retrieve Metrics with Interval

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --metrics "Percentage CPU" --interval 5m

Here, we specify an interval of 5 minutes for aggregating CPU usage metrics.

7. Combine Multiple Parameters

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --metrics "Percentage CPU" --aggregation Average --start-time "2023-01-01T00:00:00Z" --end-time "2023-01-02T00:00:00Z"

This command combines multiple parameters to retrieve average CPU usage for a specified time range.

8. List Top Metrics

az monitor metrics list --resource <resource-id> --top 5

This command retrieves the top 5 metric records for the specified resource.

Real-World Use Cases

1. Performance Monitoring for Virtual Machines

A company running critical applications on Azure virtual machines can utilize Azure Monitor to track CPU and memory usage. By setting up alerts based on CPU thresholds, they can automatically scale resources up or down based on usage patterns.

2. Network Traffic Analysis

Organizations can monitor network metrics such as inbound and outbound data transfer to optimize bandwidth and enhance application performance. By analyzing traffic patterns, they can make informed decisions about resource allocation.

3. Application Performance Monitoring

Using Azure Monitor, developers can track application performance metrics, such as response times and error rates, to identify bottlenecks and improve user experience. This can be achieved by integrating Azure Monitor with Application Insights.

Best Practices

Use Aggregations Wisely: Choose the right aggregation type (e.g., Average, Maximum) based on your monitoring needs.
Set Up Alerts: Implement alerts on key metrics to proactively manage the health of your resources.
Automate Monitoring: Utilize scripts and automation tools to regularly collect and analyze metric data.
Optimize Query Performance: Use filters and specific parameters to reduce the amount of data processed, improving response times.
Regular Review: Periodically review metrics and alerts to ensure they align with current business needs and resource utilization.

Common Errors

Error: InvalidResource
Cause: The specified resource ID is incorrect.
Solution: Verify the resource ID format and ensure it exists in your subscription.
Error: MissingRequiredArgument
Cause: Required parameters are missing.
Solution: Ensure all required parameters (like --resource) are provided.
Error: InvalidTimeFormat
Cause: Incorrect format used for date or time.
Solution: Use the correct ISO 8601 format (yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss).
Error: NotAuthorized
Cause: Insufficient permissions to access the resource.
Solution: Check your role assignments and ensure you have the necessary permissions.

Related Commands

Command	Description
`az monitor metrics list-definitions`	Lists metric definitions for a resource.
`az monitor alerts create`	Creates a new alert based on metrics.
`az monitor log-analytics query`	Queries data from Log Analytics workspaces.
`az monitor diagnostic-settings create`	Configures diagnostic settings for resources.

Automation Script

Below is a simple Bash script to automate the process of listing metrics for a specific resource:

#!/bin/bash

# Variables
RESOURCE_ID="<your-resource-id>"
METRIC="Percentage CPU"
AGGREGATION="Average"
START_TIME="2023-01-01T00:00:00Z"
END_TIME="2023-01-02T00:00:00Z"

# List metrics
az monitor metrics list --resource $RESOURCE_ID --metrics $METRIC --aggregation $AGGREGATION --start-time $START_TIME --end-time $END_TIME

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered the az monitor metrics list command, which is essential for monitoring Azure resources. By mastering this command, you can gain valuable insights into the performance and health of your applications and services. Utilize the practical examples and best practices to optimize your monitoring strategy.

Next Steps

Explore other Azure Monitor features, such as alerts and Log Analytics.
Integrate Azure Monitor with Application Insights for enhanced application performance monitoring.

References

By following this guide, you should now have a solid foundation in using Azure CLI for monitoring resources effectively! 🚀

Configuring Monitoring with az monitor