Dive Into Azure Log Analytics

Introduction

Azure Log Analytics is a service which is incorporated with Operational Management Suite (OMS) and helps us to gather information about the data generated by resources in the Azure Cloud. Log Analytics is suitable for on premise environments.

Operational Management Suite is a portal, which is maintained by Azure to handle real-time application insights using an integrated Azure search. Of course, Operational Management suite is targeted to use with both Linux and Windows Data centers.

Background

Here, we have two options for creating a OMS Workspace, which is similar to the developer portal.

• Microsoft Operations Management Suite Website.
• Microsoft Azure subscription.

Creating a Log Analytics account with Operational management suite is obviously a free OMS Workspace. If you have an Azure Subscription , create an account from a dashboard. Operational management suite requires a subscription to create an Azure Log Analytics account.

Creating Log Analytics Account Using Azure Portal

Login to Azure management portal to create a log analytics account.

Now, click on browse, followed by scrolling down and finding Log Analytics and click on it.



Click Add button on Log analytics tab.



In the Log Analytics creation blade, enter the credentials given below such as OMS Workspace name, which is also your OMS portal URL.

• Subscription
  Choose your default available subscription level. Some of the subscription levels are DreamSpark, Azure Pass, Free Trial and so on.
• Resource Group
  Select an existing resource group, which is already available to use.
  
• Pricing tier
  Choose pricing tier as free.
  
  
  

Everything is done. Subsequently, click create button. It takes some time for Azure dashboard and finally it is deployed successfully.

Click OMS portal from Log Analytics overview page, followed by navigating to OMS portal.



Congrats. Now, you are ready to use Operational Management Suite (OMS) portal.

OMS Portal

If you are using OMS Portal for the first time, provide your email and click confirm & continue.



Now, you will receive a verification link to activate the OMS portal. Thus, click on it and you will be taken back to the OMS portal.



Click on settings tile and you will be taken to the settings page.



Here, we are using Log search, which comes under solution tab. We are able to install the solutions from gallery also by clicking on visiting gallery.



Connected sources

• This tab helps us to connect with the data source environments.
• Connecting with Windows and Linux Servers.
• Connecting With Azure storage for VM diagnostic extension
• Enabled Telemetry Services.
  
  
  

Data

This tab helps us to gather data from different data sources and populate the data for our Workspace. Click Save to commit the changes. 



Final Touch

As I mentioned earlier, OMS is a portal to manage the resources. Now, Windows Agent is available to manage resources by a one click desktop application. It also keeps track of IIS Log and virtual machine for Cloud Services. I hope you enjoyed reading this article.

Thanks for reading.