Skip to main content

Azure Log Analytics

Overview​

Log Analytics is a tool in the Azure portal to edit and run log queries from data collected by Azure Monitor Logs and interactively analyze their results.

The Azure Log Analytics Plugin-Pack allows you to run KQL queries and monitor number of matched items. It can rely on both Azure API and Azure CLI.

Plugin Pack Assets​

Monitored Objects​

  • Number of logs lines matching query expression

Collected Metrics​

Metric nameDescriptionUnit
match.countThe number of logs matching the query expression.count

The KUSTOQUERY Macro is mandatory.

Prerequisites​

To get data from Azure Services, following methods are available:

  • Azure API ('api')
  • Azure CLI ('azcli')

Centreon recommends to use the API instead of the CLI for the following reasons:

  • API is much more efficient by avoiding CLI binary execution
  • API supports application authentication while CLI does not (yet)

To use 'api' custom-mode, make sure to obtain the required information using the how-to below. Keep it safe until including it in a Host or Host Template definition.

  • Create an application in Azure Active Directory:

    • Log in to your Azure account.
    • Select Azure Active directory in the left sidebar.
    • Click on App registrations.
    • Click on + Add.
    • Enter Centreon as the application name (or any name of your choice), select application type(api) and sign-on-url.
    • Click on the Create button.

  • Get Subscription ID

    • Log in to your Azure account.
    • Select Subscriptions in the left sidebar.
    • Select whichever subscription is needed.
    • Click on Overview.
    • Copy the Subscription ID.

  • Get Tenant ID

    • Log in to your Azure account.
    • Select Azure Active directory in the left sidebar.
    • Click on Properties.
    • Copy the directory ID.

  • Get Client ID

    • Log in to your Azure account.
    • Select Azure Active directory in the left sidebar.
    • Click on Enterprise applications.
    • Click on All applications.
    • Select the application previously created.
    • Click on Properties.
    • Copy the Application ID.

  • Get Client secret

    • Log in to your Azure account.
    • Select Azure Active directory in the left sidebar.
    • Click on App registrations.
    • Select the application previously created.
    • Click on All settings.
    • Click on Keys.
    • Enter the key description and select the duration.
    • Click on Save.
    • Copy and store the key value. You won't be able to retrieve it after you leave this page.

Setup​

  1. Install the Centreon Plugin package on every Centreon poller expected to run query against Azure Log Analytics:
yum install centreon-plugin-Cloud-Azure-Management-Log-Analytics-Api
  1. On the Centreon Web interface, install the Azure Log Analytics Centreon Plugin-Pack on the "Configuration > Plugin Packs > Manager" page

Configuration​

Host​

  • Log into Centreon and add a new Host through "Configuration > Hosts".

  • In the IP Address/FQDN field, set the following IP address: '127.0.0.1'.

  • Select the Cloud-Azure-Management-Log-Analytics-custom template to apply to the Host.

  • Once the template applied, some Macros marked as 'Mandatory' hereafter have to be configured.

The Macros vary depending on the custom-mode used.

MandatoryNameDescription
XAZURECUSTOMMODECustom mode 'api'
XAZURESUBSCRIPTIONSubscription ID
XAZURETENANTTenant ID
XAZURECLIENTIDClient ID
XAZURECLIENTSECRETClient secret

FAQ​

How to check in the CLI that the configuration is OK and what are the main options for ?​

Once the Plugin installed, log into your Centreon Poller CLI using the centreon-engine user account and test the Plugin by running the following command:

/usr/lib/centreon/plugins//centreon_azure_management_loganalytics_api.pl \
    --plugin=cloud::azure::management::loganalytics::plugin \
    --mode=kusto-query --custommode='api' --management-endpoint='https://api.loganalytics.io' \
    --subscription='xxxxxxxxx' --tenant='xxxxxxx' --client-id='xxxxxxxx' --client-secret='xxxxxxxxxx'
    --workspace-id='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx' --custom-output='Number of computer without heartbeat for more than 2 days: %d' \
    --query='Heartbeat | summarize LastCall = max(TimeGenerated) by Computer | where LastCall < ago(2d)' \
    --critical-match='0'

Expected command output is shown below:

OK: Number of computer without heartbeat for more than 2 days: 1 | 'match.count'=1;;;0;

The command above runs a KustoQL query against Azure Log Analytics using 'api' custom-mode (-plugin=cloud::azure::management::loganalytics::plugin --mode=kusto-query --custommode='api').

All the parameters to obtain a token are specified in the corresponding options (--subscription='xxxxxxxxx' --tenant='xxxxxxx' --client-id='xxxxxxxx' --client-secret='xxxxxxxxxx').

The query runs in a specific workspace (--workspace-id='xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx') and you can customize the output message to make it more relevant (--custom-output='Number of computer without heartbeat for more than 2 days: %d').

The Query expression itself is included and can be copy/pasted from the one used in the Azure Analytics Web UI. The example is a query returning the number of lines where the LastCall is older than two days. (--query='Heartbeat | summarize LastCall = max(TimeGenerated) by Computer | where LastCall < ago(2d)')

The query's timespan uses the ISO-8601 time format and can be specified with the option --timespan.

All the available options for a given mode can be displayed by adding the --help parameter to the command:

/usr/lib/centreon/plugins//centreon_azure_management_loganalytics_api.pl \
    --plugin=cloud::azure::management::loganalytics::plugin \
    --mode=kusto-query
    --help

Troubleshooting​

UNKNOWN: Login endpoint API returns error code 'ERROR_NAME' (add --debug option for detailed message)​

When I run my command I obtain the following error message: UNKNOWN: Login endpoint API returns error code 'ERROR_NAME' (add --debug option for detailed message).

It means that some parameters used to authenticate the API request are wrong. The 'ERROR_NAME' string gives some hints about where the problem stands.

As an example, if my Client ID or Client Secret are wrong, 'ERROR_DESC' value will be 'invalid_client'.

The Azure credentials have changed and the Plugin does not work anymore​

The Plugin is using a cache file to keep connection information and avoid an authentication at each call. If some of the authentication parameters change, you must delete the cache file.

The cache file can be found within /var/lib/centreon/centplugins/ folder with a name similar to azureapi<md5>_<md5>_<md5>_<md5>.

UNKNOWN: 500 Can't connect to login.microsoftonline.com:443​

This error message means that the Centreon Plugin couldn't successfully connect to the Azure Login API. Check that no third party device (such as a firewall) is blocking the request. A proxy connection may also be necessary to connect to the API. This can be done by using this option in the command: --proxyurl='http://proxy.mycompany:8080'.