Azure Monitor and Graylog Integration

Input and output integration overview

Gather metrics from Azure resources using the Azure Monitor API.

The Graylog plugin allows you to send Telegraf metrics to a Graylog server, utilizing the GELF format for structured logging.

Integration details

Azure Monitor

The Azure Monitor Telegraf plugin is specifically designed for gathering metrics from various Azure resources using the Azure Monitor API. Users must provide specific credentials such as client_id, client_secret, tenant_id, and subscription_id to authenticate and gain access to their Azure resources. Additionally, the plugin supports functionality to collect metrics from both individual resources and resource groups or subscriptions, allowing for flexible and scalable metric collection tailored to user needs. This plugin is ideal for organizations leveraging Azure cloud infrastructure, providing crucial insights into resource performance and utilization over time, facilitating proactive management and optimization of cloud resources.

Graylog

The Graylog plugin is designed for sending metrics to a Graylog instance using the GELF (Graylog Extended Log Format) format. GELF helps standardize the logging data, making it easier for systems to send and analyze logs. The plugin adheres to the GELF specification, which lays out requirements for specific fields within the payload. Notably, the timestamp must be in UNIX format, and if present, the plugin sends the timestamp as-is to Graylog without alterations. If omitted, it automatically generates a timestamp. Additionally, any extra fields not explicitly defined by the spec will be prefixed with an underscore, helping to keep the data organized and compliant with GELF’s requirements. This capability is particularly valuable for users monitoring applications and infrastructure in real-time, as it allows for seamless integration and improved visibility across multiple systems.

Configuration

Azure Monitor

# Gather Azure resources metrics from Azure Monitor API
[[inputs.azure_monitor]]
  # can be found under Overview->Essentials in the Azure portal for your application/service
  subscription_id = "<>"
  # can be obtained by registering an application under Azure Active Directory
  client_id = "<>"
  # can be obtained by registering an application under Azure Active Directory.
  # If not specified Default Azure Credentials chain will be attempted:
  # - Environment credentials (AZURE_*)
  # - Workload Identity in Kubernetes cluster
  # - Managed Identity
  # - Azure CLI auth
  # - Developer Azure CLI auth
  client_secret = "<>"
  # can be found under Azure Active Directory->Properties
  tenant_id = "<>"
  # Define the optional Azure cloud option e.g. AzureChina, AzureGovernment or AzurePublic. The default is AzurePublic.
  # cloud_option = "AzurePublic"

  # resource target #1 to collect metrics from
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_target]]
    # can be found under Overview->Essentials->JSON View in the Azure portal for your application/service
    # must start with 'resourceGroups/...' ('/subscriptions/xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx'
    # must be removed from the beginning of Resource ID property value)
    resource_id = "<>"
    # the metric names to collect
    # leave the array empty to use all metrics available to this resource
    metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
    # metrics aggregation type value to collect
    # can be 'Total', 'Count', 'Average', 'Minimum', 'Maximum'
    # leave the array empty to collect all aggregation types values for each metric
    aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

  # resource target #2 to collect metrics from
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_target]]
    resource_id = "<>"
    metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
    aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

  # resource group target #1 to collect metrics from resources under it with resource type
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_group_target]]
    # the resource group name
    resource_group = "<>"

    # defines the resources to collect metrics from
    [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_group_target.resource]]
      # the resource type
      resource_type = "<>"
      metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
      aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

    # defines the resources to collect metrics from
    [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_group_target.resource]]
      resource_type = "<>"
      metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
      aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

  # resource group target #2 to collect metrics from resources under it with resource type
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_group_target]]
    resource_group = "<>"

    [[inputs.azure_monitor.resource_group_target.resource]]
      resource_type = "<>"
      metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
      aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

  # subscription target #1 to collect metrics from resources under it with resource type
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.subscription_target]]
    resource_type = "<>"
    metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
    aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]

  # subscription target #2 to collect metrics from resources under it with resource type
  [[inputs.azure_monitor.subscription_target]]
    resource_type = "<>"
    metrics = [ "<>", "<>" ]
    aggregations = [ "<>", "<>" ]
</code></pre>

Graylog

[[outputs.graylog]]
  ## Endpoints for your graylog instances.
  servers = ["udp://127.0.0.1:12201"]

  ## Connection timeout.
  # timeout = "5s"

  ## The field to use as the GELF short_message, if unset the static string
  ## "telegraf" will be used.
  ##   example: short_message_field = "message"
  # short_message_field = ""

  ## According to GELF payload specification, additional fields names must be prefixed
  ## with an underscore. Previous versions did not prefix custom field 'name' with underscore.
  ## Set to true for backward compatibility.
  # name_field_no_prefix = false

  ## Connection retry options
  ## Attempt to connect to the endpoints if the initial connection fails.
  ## If 'false', Telegraf will give up after 3 connection attempt and will
  ## exit with an error. If set to 'true', the plugin will retry to connect
  ## to the unconnected endpoints infinitely.
  # connection_retry = false
  ## Time to wait between connection retry attempts.
  # connection_retry_wait_time = "15s"

  ## Optional TLS Config
  # tls_ca = "/etc/telegraf/ca.pem"
  # tls_cert = "/etc/telegraf/cert.pem"
  # tls_key = "/etc/telegraf/key.pem"
  ## Use TLS but skip chain & host verification
  # insecure_skip_verify = false

Input and output integration examples

Azure Monitor

1. Dynamic Resource Monitoring: Use the Azure Monitor plugin to dynamically gather metrics from Azure resources based on specific criteria like tags or resource types. Organizations can automate the process of loading and unloading resource metrics, enabling better performance tracking and optimization based on resource utilization patterns.

2. Multi-Cloud Monitoring Integration: Integrate metrics collected from Azure Monitor with other cloud providers using a centralized monitoring solution. This allows organizations to view and analyze performance data across multiple cloud deployments, providing a holistic overview of resource performance and costs, and streamlining operations.

3. Anomaly Detection and Alerting: Leverage the metrics gathered via the Azure Monitor plugin in conjunction with machine learning algorithms to detect anomalies in resource utilization. By establishing baseline performance metrics and automatically alerting on deviations, organizations can mitigate risks and address performance issues before they escalate.

4. Historical Performance Analysis: Use the collected Azure metrics to conduct historical analysis by feeding the data into a data warehousing solution. This enables organizations to track trends over time, allowing for detailed reporting and decision-making based on historical performance data.

Graylog

1. Enhanced Log Management for Cloud Applications: Use the Graylog Telegraf plugin to aggregate logs from cloud-deployed applications across multiple servers. By integrating this plugin, teams can centralize logging data, making it easier to troubleshoot issues, monitor application performance, and maintain compliance with logging standards.

2. Real-Time Security Monitoring: Leverage the Graylog plugin to collect and send security-related metrics and logs to a Graylog server for real-time analysis. This allows security teams to quickly identify anomalies, track potential breaches, and respond to incidents promptly by correlating logs from various sources within the infrastructure.

3. Dynamic Alerting and Notification System: Implement the Graylog plugin to enhance alerting mechanisms in your infrastructure. By sending metrics to Graylog, teams can set up dynamic alerts based on log patterns or unexpected behavior, enabling proactive monitoring and rapid incident response strategies.

4. Cross-Platform Log Consolidation: Use the Graylog plugin to facilitate cross-platform log consolidation across diverse environments such as on-premises, hybrid, and cloud. By standardizing logging in the GELF format, organizations can ensure consistent monitoring and troubleshooting practices, regardless of where their services are hosted.

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