The Activity log
The Activity log is used for tracking configuration changes within Azure, such as the deployment of resources to a resource group, or the modification of resources, such as adding tags. The following screenshot shows an example view of an Activity log:
Figure 20.2 – The Activity log
As you can see, the Activity log displays several types of operations performed, such as the syncing of web apps and creating publishing profiles. You will note that the activity log contains Operation name, Status, Time, and Subscription details.
Next, we will explore what metrics are.
Metrics
Metrics describe an aspect of a system at a particular point in time and are displayed as numerical values. They are capable of supporting near real-time scenarios. Metric data can include CPU and memory performance data over time, disk throughput, Input/Output Operations Per Second (IOPS), and network performance.
Alerts
With alerts, Azure can proactively notify you when critical conditions occur in the Azure or on-premises environment. Alerts can also attempt to take corrective actions automatically. Alert rules that are based on metrics will provide near real-time alerting, based on the metric. Alerts that are created based on logs can merge data from different resources.
The alerts in Azure Monitor use action groups, which are unique sets of recipients and actions that can be shared across multiple rules. These action groups can use Webhooks to start external actions, based on the requirements that are set up for each alert. These external actions can then be picked up by different Azure resources, such as runbooks, functions, or logic apps. Webhooks can also be used for adding these alerts to external IT Service Management (ITSM) tools.
You can also set alerts for all the different Azure resources. Later in the chapter, we are going to create an alert. Next, we are going to explore what action groups are and the purpose they provide.
Action groups
Action groups are used for defining your notification preferences within Azure. These will be used for sending emails, SMSes, or even voice calls to alert you to something. These are consumed by a resource, such as an alert, that will initiate the notification.
These also provide the option to have an action triggered from the service, such as one of the following action types:
- Azure Automation Runbook
- Azure Function
- ITSM
- Logic App
- Secure Webhook
- Webhook
These actions make the service particularly powerful, as it can be used for environment automation, such as configuring a Logic App to notify users with particular configuration details and initiating a custom script against an application that initiates a workflow. The variation of possibilities is endless and enables you to perform significantly more powerful management tasks and flows. Your focus becomes more geared toward innovating and driving new solutions as opposed to remediation activities.