Configuring the Monitoring Pack for Windows Azure Applications

  • Article

Applies To: Operations Manager 2007 R2

The Monitoring Pack for Windows Azure Applications provides no functionality on import. You must configure discovery for each Windows Azure application that you want to monitor by performing the following tasks:

  1. Enable Windows Azure Diagnostics for the application that you want to monitor. For more information about Windows Azure Diagnostics, see Implementing Windows Azure Diagnostics (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=186765).

  2. Configure Windows Azure Diagnostics to forward diagnostic data to your Windows Azure storage account. For more information about how to configure Windows Azure Diagnostics, see Transferring Diagnostic Data to Windows Azure Storage (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=191347).

  3. Upload a valid X509 certificate in .cer format to the Windows Azure developer portal to enable use of the Windows Azure Management API. For more information, see Introducing the Windows Azure Service Management API (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=201016) on the Windows Azure team blog.

  4. Create the Run As accounts that you must have for the monitoring template. For more information about the Run As accounts that you have to create, see Security Considerations.

  5. Configure discovery by running the monitoring template. For information, see How to Configure Discovery.

  6. Use the Authoring console to create additional collection rules and monitors. For more information about authoring rules and monitors for Windows Azure, see Key Monitoring Scenarios.

    Note

    To install the Authoring console and additional tools to enhance the authoring experience, see System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 Authoring Resource Kit (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=202663).

To configure discovery

  1. Log on to the computer on which the Operations console is installed using an account that is a member of the Operations Manager Administrators role.

  2. In the Operations console, click Authoring.

  3. At the bottom of the navigation pane, click Add monitoring wizard.

  4. In the Add Monitoring Wizard, select the Windows Azure Application monitoring type, and then click Next.

  5. On the General page, enter a name and description. Select an existing or new management pack in which to save the discovery, and then click Next.

    Note

    By default, when you create a management pack object, disable a rule or monitor, or create an override, Operations Manager saves the setting to the Default Management Pack. As a best practice, you should create a separate management pack for each sealed management pack that you want to customize, instead of saving your customized settings to the Default Management Pack. For more information, see Customizing Management Packs (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=140601).

  6. On the Windows Azure Application Details page, enter the following information, and then click Next.

    • Hosted Service Name: Enter the Public Service Name of the application. You can identify the Public Service Name in the URL for the application as follows: http://PublicServiceName.cloudapp.net. Do not enter the full URL in the Hosted Service Name field. Only enter the Public Service Name.

    • Subscription ID: Enter the Subscription ID that is assigned to the Windows Azure subscription account.

    • Environment to monitor: You can select from Production, Staging, or Production and Staging.

    • Azure Certificate Run As Account: Select the Run As account that you created for the Windows Azure Run As Profile Blob profile.

    • Azure Certificate Password Run As Account: Select the Run As account that you created for the Windows Azure Run As Profile Password profile.

    The following illustration shows an example of the Application Details page.

    Example of Application Details page

  7. On the Proxy agent page, as shown in the following illustration, select an agent-managed computer to act as proxy agent for the Windows Azure application. The proxy agent computer must have Internet access. If the proxy agent computer requires a proxy server for Internet connection, select Use a proxy server to connect and enter the proxy address. Click Next.

    Select Proxy Agent wizard page

  8. The wizard checks to ensure that the Run As account is configured to be distributed to the computer designated as the proxy agent. If the Run As account has not been distributed to the proxy agent computer, the following Warning message appears. Click Yes to distribute the Run As accounts to the computer that you designated as the proxy agent.

    Warning to distribute Run As accounts

  9. On the Summary page, confirm the settings, and then click Create.

To verify configuration of discovery

  1. In the Authoring workspace, under Management Pack Templates, click Windows Azure Application and verify that the application that you added is listed in the results pane.

  2. In the Monitoring workspace, in the Windows Azure folder, click Deployment State and verify that the application that you added is listed in the results pane.

  3. In the Monitoring workspace, in the Windows Azure folder, click Hosted Service State and verify that the application that you added is listed in the results pane.

  4. In the Monitoring workspace, in the Windows Azure folder, click Role Instance State and verify that the application that you added is listed in the results pane.

  5. In the Monitoring workspace, in the Windows Azure folder, click Role State and verify that the application that you added is listed in the results pane.

If the application that you added is not displayed correctly when you verify the configuration, check the Operations Manager event log for related events such as the password being incorrect.