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Enable OS Guest Diagnostic Metrics in Azure

Enabling guest metrics is an optional step. However, if you want to see memory utilization metrics in your Cloud Cost Management (CCM) reports, then you must enable OS guest diagnostic metrics. Without guest metrics enabled, the CCM report only displays default CPU utilization metrics.

Azure Virtual Machines have a subset of core metrics by default. However, OS guest diagnostic metrics, like memory utilization, are also needed for Azure cost reports in CCM.

Complete one of the following tasks in Azure to enable OS guest diagnostic metrics.

The following steps are based on the newest version of the Microsoft Azure management console.

Tip

To determine whether or not OS guest diagnostic metrics are enabled, select the VM in Azure, navigate to Monitoring > Metrics, and search the Metric or Metric Namespace field. You will not see guest metrics if they are not enabled.

  1. In Azure, navigate to Virtual machines and select the virtual machine to configure.

  2. Navigate to Diagnostic settings under Monitoring.

  3. Choose an existing Diagnostic storage account or create a new one.

    Tip

    Additional charges in Azure may apply.

  4. Click Enable guest-level monitoring.

    vp-scrn-azure-guest-metrics-enable-1.png

    Tip

    This operation can take several minutes to complete.

    The Diagnostic Settings Overview tab displays when the operation is complete.

    At this point, you have enabled monitoring, but you still need to allow access to the metrics before they display in the console.

  5. Click the Sinks tab and then click the warning message that states, "The Azure Monitor sink requires a managed identity. Click to configure..."

    The Identity page displays.

  6. Toggle the Status to On, click Save, and click Yes on the message regarding managed identity.

  7. Navigate back to Diagnostic settings > Sinks.

  8. Select the Enable Azure Monitor checkbox and click Save.

    Tip

    The save operation can take a couple of minutes to complete. A Notification message indicates when the operation completes.

    It might take another couple of minutes before guest metrics display in the Azure management console.

Guest metrics should now be available.

The following steps are based on the newest version of the Microsoft Azure management console.

  1. In Azure, navigate to Virtual machines.

  2. At the top of the Virtual machines window, click Add > Virtual Machine.

    Create a virtual machine opens to the Basics tab.

  3. Select the VM settings as appropriate for your configuration.

    Virtana Platform does not have any specific requirements for the settings on this tab.

  4. Continue to the Disks and Networking tabs and select the appropriate settings.

    There are no required settings for Virtana Platform on these tabs.

  5. On the Monitoring tab, select Enable OS guest diagnostics.

    monitoring-tab-guest-metrics.png

    Tip

    If the following error message is seen in the activity log

    "Failed to update diagnostic settings for "VM Name". The config must specify a valid storage account to save diagnostic data",

    Then follow these steps to remediate

    1. Select the VM

    2. Navigate to Boot diagnostics

    3. Select "Enable with custom storage account"

    4. Choose a storage account or select "Create new" and complete the new storage account form

    5. Click "Save"

    boot-diagnostics.png
  6. Choose an existing Diagnostic storage account or create a new one.

    Tip

    Additional charges in Azure may apply.

  7. Make any additional selections on the Advanced and Tags tabs.

    There are no required settings for Virtana Platform on these tabs.

  8. On the Review + Create tab, click Create at the bottom.

    If you are using SSH, a message displays that you must accept to download the private key and create the resource.

    A page displays the progress of the deployment.

    Tip

    The deployment process can take a couple of minutes.

    At this point you have created the VM, but you still must enable additional settings for OS guest diagnostics.

  9. When deployment is complete, click Go to Resource and verify on the details page that the VM is running.

  10. Navigate to Diagnostic settings.

  11. Click the Sinks tab and then click the warning message that states, "The Azure Monitor sink requires a managed identity. Click to configure..."

    vp-scrn-azure-guest-metrics-enable-3.png

    The Identity page displays.

  12. Toggle the Status to On, click Save, and click Yes on the message regarding managed identity.

  13. Navigate back to Diagnostic settings > Sinks.

  14. Select the Enable Azure Monitor checkbox and click Save.

    Tip

    The save operation can take a couple of minutes to complete. A Notification message indicates when the operation completes.

    It might take another couple of minutes before guest metrics display in the Azure management console.

Guest metrics should now be available.