Customize Azure Monitor workbooks for Azure Virtual Desktop monitoring

Azure Monitor workbooks provide a powerful way to visualize and analyze data from various sources, including Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD). By customizing Azure Monitor workbooks for AVD monitoring, you can gain valuable insights into the performance and health of your virtual desktop infrastructure. In this article, we will explore how to customize Azure Monitor workbooks specifically for AVD monitoring.

Step 1: Create an Azure Monitor workbook

To get started, you need to create a new Azure Monitor workbook. Follow the steps given below:

1. Go to the Azure portal.
2. Navigate to Azure Monitor by clicking on the “Monitor” option in the left-hand menu.
3. Click on “Workbooks” in the left-hand menu and then click on “New workbook”.
4. Select the desired template or start with a blank workbook.

Step 2: Add a data source

Once you have created the workbook, you need to add a data source for AVD. Follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the “Edit” button in the top-right corner of the workbook.
2. In the Workbook Designer, click on “Add” and select “Data source”.
3. Choose the appropriate data source type based on your AVD configuration.

Step 3: Query AVD data

Now that you have added the data source, you can use the query editor in the workbook to retrieve AVD data. Follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the “Edit” button again and select the “Query editor” tab.
2. Write queries to fetch data from AVD using the query editor.

Example query:

datatable(Computer: string, CPUUsagePct: int, MemoryUsagePct: int, DiskUsagePct: int)
[
“AVD-VM-01”, 25, 70, 40,
“AVD-VM-02”, 30, 65, 45,
“AVD-VM-03”, 35, 60, 50
]

Step 4: Visualize AVD data

After querying the AVD data, you can use various visualizations and widgets to create meaningful representations of the data. Follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the “Edit” button again and select the “Visualization” tab.
2. Choose from a wide range of visualizations, such as charts, tables, grids, and maps, to present the AVD data.

Example visualization:

grid(
title: “AVD Virtual Machines”,
columns: [
“Computer”,
“CPU Usage (%)”,
“Memory Usage (%)”,
“Disk Usage (%)”
],
rows: [
[
“AVD-VM-01”,
“25”,
“70”,
“40”
],
[
“AVD-VM-02”,
“30”,
“65”,
“45”
],
[
“AVD-VM-03”,
“35”,
“60”,
“50”
]
]
)

Step 5: Customize the workbook

To further customize the workbook, you can add additional visualizations, widgets, and text elements. These elements can provide context, additional information, or instructions to users. Follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the “Edit” button again and select the “Customize” tab.
2. Add widgets, text elements, and configure parameters and filters to allow users to interactively explore the AVD data.

Example customization:

textData(
text: “AVD Performance Metrics“,
fontSize: “20px”
)

parameters(
[
{
“name”: “Threshold”,
“type”: “number”,
“defaultValue”: 70,
“minValue”: 0,
“maxValue”: 100
}
]
)

grid(
title: “AVD Virtual Machines”,
columns: [
“Computer”,
“CPU Usage (%)”,
“Memory Usage (%)”,
“Disk Usage (%)”
],
rows: [
[
“AVD-VM-01”,
“25”,
“70”,
“40”
],
[
“AVD-VM-02”,
“30”,
“65”,
“45”
],
[
“AVD-VM-03”,
“35”,
“60”,
“50”
]
],
cellStyles:
[
[
{ “column”: 2, “style”: { “color”: “red” }, “operator”: “>” + parameters(‘Threshold’) }
]
]
)

Step 6: Share and publish the workbook

Once you have customized the workbook, you can share it with other users or publish it to a dashboard for easy access. Follow the steps given below:

1. Click on the “Share” button in the top-right corner of the workbook to share it with specific users or groups.
2. To publish the workbook to a dashboard, click on the “Publish” button and follow the prompts to select the desired dashboard.

Conclusion

Customizing Azure Monitor workbooks for AVD monitoring allows you to analyze and visualize important metrics to ensure the optimal performance and health of your virtual desktop infrastructure. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create insightful and informative workbooks tailored to your specific AVD deployment.