Lab - Implement monitoring by using Azure Virtual Desktop Insights

Student lab manual

Lab dependencies

  • An Azure subscription you will be using in this lab.
  • A Microsoft Entra user account with the Owner or Contributor role in the Azure subscription you will be using in this lab and with the permissions sufficient to join devices to the Entra tenant associated with that Azure subscription.
  • The lab Deploy host pools and session hosts by using the Azure portal (Entra ID) completed
  • The lab Manage host pools and session hosts by using the Azure portal (Entra ID) completed

Estimated Time

25 minutes

Lab scenario

You have an existing Azure Virtual Desktop environment. You want to monitor the status and activities of the environment.

Objectives

After completing this lab, you will be able to:

  • Implement monitoring of an Azure Virtual Desktop environment

Lab files

  • None

Instructions

Exercise 1: Implement monitoring of an Azure Virtual Desktop environment

The main tasks for this exercise are as follows:

  1. Register the Azure subscription with the Microsoft.Insights resource provider
  2. Create an Azure Log Analytics workspace
  3. Set up the Virtual Desktop Insights configuration workbook

Task 1: Register the Azure subscription with the Microsoft.Insights resource provider

Note: Azure Virtual Desktop Insights rely on the Microsoft.Insights resource provider, so you need to first register it within the Azure subscription you are using for this lab. In the Deploy host pools and session hosts by using the Azure portal (Entra ID) lab, you performed this task by using Azure PowerShell. In this lab, you will accomplish it by using the Azure portal (either method is supported and available).

  1. If needed, from the lab computer, start a web browser, navigate to the Azure portal and sign in by providing credentials of a user account with the Owner role in the subscription you will be using in this lab.

    Note: Use the credentials of the User1- account listed on the Resources tab on the right side of the lab session window.

  2. From the lab computer, in the web browser displaying the Azure portal, search for and select Subscriptions, on the Subscriptions page, select the Azure subscription you are using in this lab, and, in the vertical navigation menu, in the Settings section, select Resource providers.

  3. On the Resource providers tab, in the search text box, enter Microsoft.Insights, in the list of results, select the small circle to the left of the Microsoft.Insights entry, and then select Register.

    Note: Wait for the registration process to complete. This typically takes about 1 minute. Use the Refresh toolbar button to display the up-to-date value of the registration status.

Task 2: Create an Azure Log Analytics workspace

Note: Azure Virtual Desktop Insights is a dashboard built on Azure Monitor Workbooks that facilitates monitoring of Azure Virtual Desktop environments.

Note: You can only monitor Autoscale operations with Insights with pooled host pools.

  1. From the lab computer, in the web browser displaying the Azure portal, search for and select Log Analytics workspaces, on the Log Analytics workspaces page, select + Create.

  2. On the Basics tab of the Create Log Analytics workspace page, specify the following settings and select Review + create:

    Setting Value
    Subscription The name of the Azure subscription you are using in this lab
    Resource group The name of a new resource group az140-411e-RG
    Name az140-laworkspace41e
    Region The name of the Azure region where you deployed the Azure Virtual Desktop environment

  3. On the Review + Create page, select Create.

    Note: Wait for the provisioning process to complete. This typically takes about 1 minute.

    Note: Next, you need to enable data collection in the newly provisioned Log Analytics workspace of diagnostics from the Azure Virtual Desktop environment, performance counters from the session hosts, and Windows Event Logs from the Azure Virtual Desktop session hosts.

Task 3: Set up the Virtual Desktop Insights configuration workbook

Note: When opening Azure Virtual Desktop Insights for the first time, you need to set up Azure Virtual Desktop Insights to target your Azure Virtual Desktop environment.

  1. From the lab computer, in the web browser displaying the Azure portal, search for and select Azure Virtual Desktop and, on the Azure Virtual Desktop page, in the vertical navigation menu, in the Monitoring section, select Workbooks.
  2. In the list of Windows Virtual Desktop workbooks, in the Windows Virtual Desktop section, select the Insights workbook.
  3. On the Azure Virtual Desktop | Workbooks | Insights page, review the warning messages indicating that the workspace and session hosts are not sending data to the workspace and then select the Configuration workbook link to repair the issue.
  4. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Resource diagnostics settings tab, in the Log Analytics workspace drop-down list, select az140-laworkspace41e.
  5. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Resource diagnostics settings tab, in the Host pool az140-21-hp1 section, review the warning message indicating that no existing diagnostic configuration was found for the selected host pool and then select Configure host pool.

  6. In the Deploy Template pane, select Deploy.

    Note: This effectively enables the following diagnostics tables in the target Log Analytics workspace:

    • Management Activities
    • Feed
    • Connections
    • Errors
    • Checkpoints
    • HostRegistration
    • AgentHealthStatus

    Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. This typically takes less than 1 minute.

  7. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Resource diagnostics settings tab, select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.
  8. Review the Host pool az140-21-hp1 section and verify that the diagnostic settings are enabled for allLogs.
  9. While on the Resource diagnostics settings tab, scroll down to the Workspace az140-21-ws1 section and then select Configure workspace.

  10. In the Deploy Template pane, select Deploy.

    Note: This effectively configures the workspace for allLogs.

    Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. This typically takes less than 1 minute.

  11. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Resource diagnostics settings tab, select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.
  12. Review the Workspace az140-21-ws1 section and verify that the diagnostic settings are enabled for allLogs and that thre are no remaining warning messages.
  13. Navigate to the top of the CheckAMAConfiguration page and switch to the Select host data settings tab.
  14. On the Select host data settings tab, in the Create DCR section, in the Workspace destination drop-down list, select az140-laworkspace41e and then select Create data collection rule.

  15. In the Deploy Template pane, select Deploy.

    Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. This typically takes less than 1 minute.

  16. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Session host data settings tab, select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.

    Note: Before you proceed, make sure that the newly created DCR is listed in the Available DCRs subsection of the Create DCR section. If that is not the case, wait for another minute and refresh the page again.

  17. On the Session host data settings tab, in the Selected DCR drop-down list, select the entry starting with microsoft-avdi- prefix.

  18. If needed, on the Session host data settings tab, in the DCR associations section, select Deploy Association and, in the Deploy Template pane, select Deploy.

    Note: This effectively associates the newly created DCR with the session hosts in the az140-21-hp1 host pool.

    Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. This typically takes less than 1 minute.

  19. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Session host data settings tab, select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.
  20. On the Session host data settings tab, in the Session hosts missing Azure Monitor extension section, select Add extension.

  21. In the Deploy Template pane, select Deploy.

    Note: This effectively installs the Azure Monitor extension on the session hosts in the az140-21-hp1 host pool.

    Note: Wait for the deployment to complete. This might take about 1 minute.

  22. On the CheckAMAConfiguration page, on the Session host data settings tab, select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.
  23. Verify that there are no error or warning messages displayed.
  24. Navigate to the top of the CheckAMAConfiguration page, select the Data generated tab, and then select the Refresh icon (a circular arrow) in the toolbar.

  25. Review the sections displaying graphs representing collected data, including Billed data over last 24hrs, Performance Counters, and Events.

    Note: Use the Billed data over last 24hrs section to monitor data ingestion. You are responsible for Log Analytics charges for data storage and ingestion.

  26. In the web browser displaying the Azure portal, navigate back to the Azure Virtual Desktop page and, in the Monitoring section of the vertical navigation menu, select Insights.
  27. On the Azure Virtual Desktop | Insights page, review the content of the Overview tab, including the Capacity section, Connection diagnostics: % of users able to connect, Connection performance: Time to connect (new sessions), and Utilization telemetry.

  28. Next, review all the remaining tabs on the Azure Virtual Desktop | Insights page, including Connection Reliability, Connection Diagnostics, Connection Performance, Users, Utilization, Clients, and Alerts.

    Note: Consider revisiting these tabs of the Insights page once you complete the subsequent labs to review the charts representing collected telemetry.