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Data collection endpoints in Azure Monitor

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  • 2 minutes to read

Data Collection Endpoints (DCEs) allow you to uniquely configure ingestion settings for Azure Monitor. This article provides an overview of data collection endpoints including their contents and structure and how you can create and work with them.

Workflows that use DCEs

The following workflows currently use DCEs:

Components of a data collection endpoint

A data collection endpoint includes the following components.

Component Description
Configuration access endpoint The endpoint used to access the configuration service to fetch associated data collection rules (DCR). Example: <unique-dce-identifier>.<regionname>.handler.control
Logs ingestion endpoint The endpoint used to ingest logs to Log Analytics workspace(s). Example: <unique-dce-identifier>.<regionname>.ingest
Network Access Control Lists (ACLs) Network access control rules for the endpoints

Regionality

Data collection endpoints are ARM resources created within specific regions. An endpoint in a given region can only be associated with machines in the same region, although you can have more than one endpoint within the same region as per your needs.

Limitations

Data collection endpoints only support Log Analytics as a destination for collected data. Custom Metrics (preview) collected and uploaded via the Azure Monitor Agent are not currently controlled by DCEs nor can they be configured over private links.

Create endpoint in Azure portal

  1. In the Azure Monitor menu in the Azure portal, select Data Collection Endpoint from the Settings section. Click Create to create a new Data Collection Rule and assignment.

Data Collection Endpoints

  1. Click Create to create a new endpoint. Provide a Rule name and specify a Subscription, Resource Group and Region. This specifies where the DCE will be created.

Data Collection Rule Basics

  1. Click Review + create to review the details of the data collection endpoint. Click Create to create it.

Create endpoint and association using REST API

Note

The data collection endpoint should be created in the same region where your virtual machines exist.

  1. Create data collection endpoint(s) using these DCE REST APIs.
  2. Create association(s) to link the endpoint(s) to your target machines or resources, using these DCRA REST APIs.

Sample data collection endpoint

The sample data collection endpoint below is for virtual machines with Azure Monitor agent, with public network access disabled so that agent only uses private links to communicate and send data to Azure Monitor/Log Analytics.

{
  "id": "/subscriptions/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxx/resourceGroups/myResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.Insights/dataCollectionEndpoints/myCollectionEndpoint",
  "name": "myCollectionEndpoint",
  "type": "Microsoft.Insights/dataCollectionEndpoints",
  "location": "eastus",
  "tags": {
    "tag1": "A",
    "tag2": "B"
  },
  "properties": {
    "configurationAccess": {
      "endpoint": "https://mycollectionendpoint-abcd.eastus-1.control.monitor.azure.com"
    },
    "logsIngestion": {
      "endpoint": "https://mycollectionendpoint-abcd.eastus-1.ingest.monitor.azure.com"
    },
    "networkAcls": {
      "publicNetworkAccess": "Disabled"
    }
  },
  "systemData": {
    "createdBy": "user1",
    "createdByType": "User",
    "createdAt": "yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sssssssZ",
    "lastModifiedBy": "user2",
    "lastModifiedByType": "User",
    "lastModifiedAt": "yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss.sssssssZ"
  },
  "etag": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx"
}

Next steps