How can I configure monitoring in Nerdio Manager?
Nerdio Manager uses Azure Monitor Application Insights for monitoring. You can enable monitoring for an individual customer account in Nerdio Manager.
Monitoring overview
Nerdio Manager uses Microsoft Log Analytics Workspace (LAW) to collect the monitoring data.
The monitoring data comes from two sources:
AVD Management Service: Provides the diagnostics data about the AVD objects, such as the service-level and connection errors, host registration, and health statuses.
VMs (server and host VMs): The VMs are automatically configured to stream the VM data, such as CPU utilization, back to the LAW via Azure Monitor Agent (AMA). AMA collects monitoring data from the guest operating system of Azure and hybrid VMs, and delivers it to Azure Monitor for use by features, insights, and other services. For details about AMA, see Azure Monitor Agent overview.
For more details about Azure Monitor and Log Analytics, see:
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Enable Azure Monitor Insights in Nerdio Manager
For Nerdio Manager to start collecting the monitoring data, you need to enable Azure Monitor Insights for an account whose data you wish to analyze.
To enable Azure Monitor Insights:
At the Account level, go to Settings > Integrations.
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In the Azure Monitor Insights tile, next to Current Status, select Disabled.
In the new dialog box, turn the Use Azure Monitor Insights option On.
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In the Log Analytics Workspace field, select from the list of existing LAWs or create a new LAW.
To create a new LAW:
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Enter the name for the LAW, and then select Create [your LAW name] as new LAW.
Resource group: Select the resource group that should contain your LAW.
Region: Select the region that should contain your LAW.
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Ensure the Configure Monitoring for AVD pools option is selected.
Select OK.
Once the LAW is created for your customer account, Azure Monitoring Agent is automatically added to any new or re-imaged host pools within that account. The monitoring data starts being collected.
Configure Azure Monitoring for existing host pools
Once you have enabled Azure Monitor Insights for an account, Azure Monitoring Agent (AMA) is automatically added to any new or re-imaged host pools within that account. However, your customer's existing host pools might still be using Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA), which was retired in August 2024.
To enable monitoring with AMA for existing host pools, you need to delete MMA and install AMA on those host pools.
To configure AMA for an existing host pool:
At the Account level, go to AVD > Host pools.
Locate the host pool where you want to install AMA or configure monitoring schedules.
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From the Manage Hosts action menu, select Properties.
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In the <Host pool name> Properties dialog box, navigate to Azure Monitor, and then do the following:
Apply to existing hosts: Select this option to enable Azure Monitoring for existing hosts. When enabled, this option deletes the retired MMA and automatically installs AMA on all existing host pools.
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Schedule: Enable this option to schedule the update:
Start date: Define the start date.
Time zone: Select the time zone for the start time you define in the field below.
Start time: Define the start time.
Select Save & close.
Configure external access to Azure Application Insights: Tenant level
Nerdio Manager automates deployment and initial configuration of Azure Application Insights within your customer tenant. However, the Nerdio Manager app exists in your MSP tenant, and users within your MSP tenant, having external identity, cannot access resources deployed within your customer subscription. This means they have no access to the Nerdio Manager application insights in your customer tenant.
You can configure external access to your customer tenant to enable someone from your team (other than Global Admin or Owner) to monitor Azure Application Insights for that customer.
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To enable external access to your customer tenant, complete the following steps:
Step 1: Configure guest user access to your customer tenant
As an Azure Global Administrator or Owner, you can configure external access to your customer tenant using a guest account in the Azure portal.
To invite a guest user:
In the Azure portal, go to Microsoft Entra ID > Users.
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Expand the + New user drop-down menu, and then select Invite external user.
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On the Invite external user page, on the Basics tab, enter the following details:
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Identity:
Email: Your email with which you will be accessing your customer tenant.
Display name: Your name to display.
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Invitation message:
Send invite message: Select this option, and then add a message that will be sent in the invitation email.
Cc recipient: If necessary, add CC recipients.
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Select Review + invite.
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Review the details you entered and select Invite.
The invitation email is sent to the address you specified.
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On the Users blade, verify that your guest user account is created.
Step 2: Assign Reader permission to the guest user
Once the guest user access to your customer tenant is configured, and the invitation is sent to the recipient, you need to assign that guest user the Reader permission in the customer subscription.
To assign the Reader permission to the guest user:
In the Azure portal, navigate to All services.
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Scroll down to the General section, and then select Subscriptions.
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On the Subscriptions page, select the applicable subscription.
On the subscription overview page, navigate to Access control (IAM).
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Select + Add > Add role assignment, and then define the following:
On the Role tab, select Reader, and then select Next.
On the Members tab, ensure that in the Assign access to field, the Users, group, or service principal option is selected.
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In the Members field, select + Select members, and then on the right side of the screen, search for and select the guest user you previously invited. Click Select.
Select Next, and then on the Review + assign tab, select Review + assign.
The guest user is granted the Reader role. Verify the role assignment on the Access control (IAM) > Role assignments tab.
Step 3: Accept the invitation and access your customer tenant as a guest
Once the Global Administrator or Owner creates a guest account in the Azure Portal, you as a guest user receive an invitation email and must accept the invitation to access your customer directory and subscription.
To accept the invitation:
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Go to the incoming invitation email and select Accept invitation.
You are redirected to the permissions page.
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Review the requested permissions and select Accept.
You are redirected to the authentication page, and can now sign in to your guest user account.
When using your guest user access, you may not be able to see your customer subscription and resources within your current directory. To gain access to your customer directory and subscription, you need to change directories in the Azure portal.
To access your customer directory and subscription:
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In the Azure portal, in the upper-right corner, select the name of the currently signed-in user (guest user), and then select Switch directory.
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Select your customer directory.
Note: Switching directories causes the Azure portal to reload. The subscription, resource group, and region filters that are available in the portal update according to the selected directory.
Once you switch directories, you can now access the LAW in your customer tenant, and review the monitoring data collected there.
Disable Azure Monitor Insights in Nerdio Manager
If you don't want to use Azure Monitor Insights to monitor your deployments, you can disable this feature in Nerdio Manager either for the entire account or for an individual host pool.
To disable Azure Monitor Insights for a host pool:
At the Account level, go to AVD > Host pools.
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Next to the host pool where you want to disable Azure Monitor Insights, from the Manage Hosts action menu, select Properties.
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In the <Host pool name> Properties dialog box, navigate to Azure Monitor, and then turn the Use Azure Monitor Insights option Off.
Note: Disabling Azure Monitor Insights for an individual host pool applies to any newly-created or re-imaged hosts within that pool. To disable Azure Monitor Insights for existing hosts as well, select Apply to existing hosts, and then specify the additional options.
Select Save & close.
To disable Azure Monitor Insights for an account:
At the Account level, go to Settings > Integrations.
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In the Azure Monitor Insights tile, next to Current Status, select Enabled.
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In the new dialog box, turn the Use Azure Monitor Insights option Off.
Select OK.
Note:
Disabling Azure Monitor Insights for an account does not delete the LAW, and does not uninstall the Azure Monitoring Agent from the existing session host VMs, where it is currently installed. After the integration with Azure Monitor Insights is disabled, the monitoring agent is not automatically installed on the newly created or re-imaged session host VMs.
To stop incurring Azure costs for Log Analytics storage, delete the LAW, and then re-image the existing session hosts.
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