Monitoring Azure Storage
Learn how to monitor Azure Storage
Nodinite has monitoring for the following Azure Storage types:
- fal fa-user-circle Storage Account
- File Shares
- Blob Containers
- Queues
This page provides documentation about Azure Storage Monitoring options using Nodinite from one or more role-based Monitor Views. Nodinite monitors the state of content in Azure Storage, as specified by user-defined thresholds, either global or specific. You can manage configured Azure Storages; Remote commands are available as Actions to help you swiftly address reported problems. The Remote Actions are detailed on the Managing Azure Storage page.
Example list of monitored Azure Storages in a Nodinite Monitor View
Monitoring Features
- State Evaluation - Provide state according to user-defined thresholds.
- Time-based - Make sure your Azure Storage items do not stockpile.
If Nodinite can't check your Azure Storage items' state, chances are no one else can use them either.
- Time-based - Make sure your Azure Storage items do not stockpile.
- Queues have Automatic Discovery
- The Nodinite Azure Agent makes use of the Azure Rest API. Hence, queues are dynamically managed.
- Category-based monitoring - To help you sort out the different Azure Storage items, the monitored Resources groups by the Nodinite concept of Categories.
- Share access to individual items from within Nodinite using one or more role-based Monitor Views.
State evaluation for Azure Storage items
The configured Azure storages to monitor manifests within Nodinite as one or more Resources. For example, if you have one queue, two files shares and three blob containers, you will have six Resources in Nodinite.
The Nodinite Resources name is the user-defined configuration name (files and blob containers) or the deployed Azure Storage Queue name.
Monitored Azure Storages belong to one of the following 'Azure Storage' Categories:
- File Shares
- Blob Containers
- Queues
- Storage
List of monitored categories
Many other Azure related Categories exists as well, please review the Azure Monitoring Overview
- The user-defined configuration name is the Application name:
Each item (presented in Nodinite as a Resource) evaluates with a state (i.e. OK, Warning, Error, Unavailable).
You can override the evaluation process by configuring the Expected State option available for all Nodinite Resources.
File Shares
For File Shares, the state evaluates as described in the table below:
| State | Status | Description | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailable | Resource not available |
|
Review prerequisites | |
| Error | Error threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| Warning | Warning threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| OK | Within user-defined thresholds |
|
One example is a specific File Share that you have configured for monitoring, and then someone accidentally removes this (for example your DevOps based automatic deployment fails to recreate a business-critical file share and/or virtual directory)
The screenshot shows an example of un unavailable Azure Storage configuration
Blob Containers
For Blob Containers, the state evaluates as described in the table below:
| State | Status | Description | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailable | Resource not available |
|
Review prerequisites | |
| Error | Error threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| Warning | Warning threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| OK | Within user-defined thresholds |
|
One example is a specific Blob Container that you have configured for monitoring, and then the content is added but never removed (for example orders to be processed). Eventually, stockpiling messages will become a problem.
The screenshot shows an example with old files according to the 'Warning' threshold.
Queues
For Queues, the state evaluates as described in the table below:
| State | Status | Description | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailable | Resource not available |
|
Review prerequisites | |
| Error | Error threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| Warning | Warning threshold is breached |
|
Edit thresholds List Files |
|
| OK | Within user-defined thresholds |
|
One example is a specific Queue that you have configured for monitoring, and then some content is added but never removed (e.g. orders to be processed). Eventually, stockpiling messages will become a problem.
Old messages according to the 'Error' threshold was detected in this example.
Storage Account
The storage Account Resource is merely a placeholder to help out when there is a problem with the configuration to monitor queues, file shares, and/or blobs. For example, the provided connection string is no longer valid (due to; revoked access rights or even the Azure subscription itself has been terminated).
For Storage, the state evaluates as described in the table below:
| State | Status | Description | Actions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unavailable | Resource not available |
|
Review prerequisites | |
| OK | Connection and credentials are valid |
|
Alert history for Azure Storage
During root cause analysis or other purposes, it might be useful to understand how often your Azure Storage problems happen. If your Monitor View allows it, you can search for historical state changes for the provided time-span either for all your Azure Storage or individually. This topic is further detailed within the generic instructions on how to Add or manage Monitor View page.
| Search | Resource history |
|---|---|
 Search for alert history for all resources in the Monitor View |
 Alert history for the selected Azure Storage item (in this case, a Blob Container) |
Frequently asked questions
Use the troubleshooting guide to find the FAQ and answers to known problems.
How do I enable monitoring of Azure Storage
To Monitor Azure Storage, check the Enable monitoring check box (default is checked). This is detailed in the 'Configuration' user guide.
The screenshot shows the remote configuration form; Available from within the Monitoring Agents administration page.
Example with the monitoring disabled for Azure Storage