Microsoft Azure Backup is a cloud service that backs up various servers and data to Azure Cloud.
This step-by-step guide explains how to setup and monitor Azure Backup Vault using CloudMonix.
In this article
1. Monitoring setup
2. Collect, understand and use your data
2.1 Metrics
2.2 Alerts
2.3 Actions
3. Setup verification and troubleshooting
Did you know?
CloudMonix extends native Azure Backup Vault monitoring with advanced metrics and features. Noteworthy:
- CloudMonix receives data from the Azure Management API and Azure Monitor API
- pre-configured metrics: backup jobs, backup jobs 24h history, containers, operations log, recommended actions
- alerts on backups not started in the last 24 hours, incomplete backup jobs detected
- ability to run a Backup Vault based on conditions or schedule
Setup
a. Run the Setup Wizard in the portal (preferred way):
This article explains how to add resources to CloudMonix via the Setup Wizard.
b. Tweak settings in the Definition tab (optional):
Definition tab for an existing resource can be accessed by clicking the resource's monitoring settings in the performance dashboard:
Definition tab provides optional settings for the resource name, Azure management token, Azure recovery services namespace, Azure resource group, Azure resource name, configuration template and categories:
Microsoft recommends moving Backup Vault to the new Recovery Services namespace. Since the monitoring data published by Azure is unreliable for other namespaces and might be delayed, it's also recommended to use Recovery Services namespace for optimal CloudMonix experience.
Best Practices
Configuration Template setting provides pre-defined configuration templates available in CloudMonix by default as well as previously stored custom templates. See predefined templates for Azure Backup Vault for reference.
c. Manual setup (optional instead of the Setup Wizard route):
Click the Add New button in the top right corner of your dashboard:
Fill in required information in the Definition tab as described in the previous step.
d. Advanced configuration:
Advanced configuration tab provides additional monitoring settings, which are already set as default for most use-cases.
Collect, understand and use your data
Specific Metrics, Templates, Alerts and Automation Actions for Azure Backup Vault:
a. Metrics:
Diagnostic data points retrieved from the monitored resource are referred to as metrics . CloudMonix provides default templates for the metrics recommended for common configurations. Metrics can be further added, removed or customized in the Metrics tab of the Azure Backup Vault resource configuration dialog:
b. Alerts:
CloudMonix features a sophisticated alert engine that allows alerts to be published for very particular conditions pre-defined by a template configuration or custom based on any of the available metrics. Alerts can be further added, removed or customized in the Alerts tab of the Azure Backup Vault resource configuration dialog:
c. Actions:
Actions are automation features that can be configured to fire based on specific conditions or schedule. Actions can be added and configured in the Actions tab of the Azure Backup Vault resource configuration dialog:
Available actions include the ability to run Azure Backup Vault resource based on conditions or schedule and execute custom WebRequest to a specified URL.
Setup verification and troubleshooting
a. Setup verification:
Successful resource setup can be verified by clicking Test button in the resource configuration dialog and visiting the Test Results tab:
b. Troubleshooting monitoring issues:
CloudMonix provides deep insights into resource monitoring issues via the Status Dashboard screen. The screen allows to overview resources that have raised alerts and troubleshoot them by diving into the monitoring logs.
Read the full article on how to use Status Dashboard to diagnose resource monitoring issues.