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Configuring an Azure Integration

Beverley Andalora
  • Updated

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform. With the Azure integration in Virtana Platform, you can manage and optimize the cost of your entire cloud infrastructure. Cloud Cost Management (CCM) requires Reader role permissions of your Azure environment, which can be granted using the Owner or User Access Administrator roles.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled in an EA (Enterprise Administrator) setup, please ensure the "AO view charges" setting is enabled so assets within subscriptions have access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to confirm it's enabled.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled with a Cloud Service Provider (CSP), please ensure that the cost visibility policy for Azure Usage charges is set to Yes. This setting grants assets within your subscriptions access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to enable the policy to view Azure usage charges.

To complete the Azure integration with Virtana Platform you can use either the Azure CLI or the Azure Portal. The Azure CLI process is easier and provides the best user experience.

Note

In all Azure configuration tasks, the steps performed in Azure were accurate at the time the tasks were written. If the Azure interface changes, some steps might be different than described.

Preparing for an Azure Integration Setup

To set up a Microsoft Azure Integration in Virtana Platform, ensure you have the proper permissions to enable Guest OS DIagnostic Metrics in Azure and to install and properly set up the Azure CLI.

You must also ensure that each Azure account that is configured with Virtana Platform has the currency option set to US dollars (USD). Virtana Platform displays costs in USD only.

After enabling the diagnostic metrics, verifying the currency selection, and installing the CLI, you must determine the setup method that is best for your situation. The options are using the Azure CLI or using the Azure portal.

After the prerequisite tasks are completed, you can begin the process of setting up the Azure Integration in Virtana Platform.

Install the Azure CLI

If you do not have the Microsoft Azure CLI, you must install it. After installation, the Azure CLI can be accessed from the Windows Command Prompt (CMD) or from PowerShell.

  1. Download the Azure CLI.

    Windows 10 users may have this already installed and available through the Windows PowerShell.

  2. Install the CLI using Microsoft's instructions, available from the download page.

Enable OS Guest Diagnostic Metrics in Azure

Enabling guest metrics is an optional step. However, if you want to see memory utilization metrics in your Cloud Cost Management (CCM) reports, then you must enable OS guest diagnostic metrics. Without guest metrics enabled, the CCM report only displays default CPU utilization metrics.

Azure Virtual Machines have a subset of core metrics by default. However, OS guest diagnostic metrics, like memory utilization, are also needed for Azure cost reports in CCM.

Complete one of the following tasks in Azure to enable OS guest diagnostic metrics.

Enable OS Guest Diagnostic Metrics on an Existing VM

The following steps are based on the newest version of the Microsoft Azure management console.

Tip

To determine whether or not OS guest diagnostic metrics are enabled, select the VM in Azure, navigate to Monitoring > Metrics, and search the Metric or Metric Namespace field. You will not see guest metrics if they are not enabled.

  1. In Azure, navigate to Virtual machines and select the virtual machine to configure.

  2. Navigate to Diagnostic settings under Monitoring.

  3. Choose an existing Diagnostic storage account or create a new one.

    Tip

    Additional charges in Azure may apply.

  4. Click Enable guest-level monitoring.

    vp-scrn-azure-guest-metrics-enable-1.png

    Tip

    This operation can take several minutes to complete.

    The Diagnostic Settings Overview tab displays when the operation is complete.

    At this point, you have enabled monitoring, but you still need to allow access to the metrics before they display in the console.

  5. Click the Sinks tab and then click the warning message that states, "The Azure Monitor sink requires a managed identity. Click to configure..."

    The Identity page displays.

  6. Toggle the Status to On, click Save, and click Yes on the message regarding managed identity.

  7. Navigate back to Diagnostic settings > Sinks.

  8. Enable Send diagnostic data to Azure Monitor and click Save.

    Tip

    The save operation can take a couple of minutes to complete. A Notification message indicates when the operation completes.

    It might take another couple of minutes before guest metrics display in the Azure management console.

Guest metrics should now be available.

Enable OS Guest Diagnostic Metrics on a New VM

The following steps are based on the newest version of the Microsoft Azure management console.

  1. In Azure, navigate to Virtual machines.

  2. At the top of the Virtual machines window, click Add > Virtual Machine.

    Create a virtual machine opens to the Basics tab.

  3. Select the VM settings as appropriate for your configuration.

    Virtana Platform does not have any specific requirements for the settings on this tab.

  4. Continue to the Disks and Networking tabs and select the appropriate settings.

    There are no required settings for Virtana Platform on these tabs.

  5. On the Management tab, select Enable OS guest diagnostics.

    vp-scrn-azure-guest-metrics-enable-2.png

  6. Choose an existing Diagnostic storage account or create a new one.

    Tip

    Additional charges in Azure may apply.

  7. Make any additional selections on the Advanced and Tags tabs.

    There are no required settings for Virtana Platform on these tabs.

  8. On the Review + Create tab, click Create at the bottom.

    If you are using SSH, a message displays that you must accept to download the private key and create the resource.

    A page displays the progress of the deployment.

    Tip

    The deployment process can take a couple of minutes.

    At this point you have created the VM, but you still must enable additional settings for OS guest diagnostics.

  9. When deployment is complete, click Go to Resource and verify on the details page that the VM is running.

  10. Navigate to Diagnostic settings.

  11. Click the Sinks tab and then click the warning message that states, "The Azure Monitor sink requires a managed identity. Click to configure..."

    vp-scrn-azure-guest-metrics-enable-3.png

    The Identity page displays.

  12. Toggle the Status to On, click Save, and click Yes on the message regarding managed identity.

  13. Navigate back to Diagnostic settings > Sinks.

  14. Enable Send diagnostic data to Azure Monitor and click Save.

    Tip

    The save operation can take a couple of minutes to complete. A Notification message indicates when the operation completes.

    It might take another couple of minutes before guest metrics display in the Azure management console.

Guest metrics should now be available.

Set the Currency Option in Azure to USD

Virtana Platform displays monetary results only in US dollars (USD). Therefore, you must ensure that Azure accounts are set to use USD or the results displayed in Virtana Platform will not display properly.

Prerequisites

You must be an Azure cloud administrator to perform this task.

Steps

  1. Log in to the Azure Portal.

  2. In the left pane, click Cloud Management > Billing.

  3. Click a billing account ID and then click Properties.

    vp-plat-integ-azure-currency.png

  4. Under Currency, select USD and Save.

Azure CLI Setup

This installation method is recommended by Virtana for setting up your Microsoft Azure integration with Virtana Platform. However, you can use the Azure Portal to set up the integration.

About This Task

From a Windows command line shell interface you can obtain your Azure Client ID, Password, Subscription ID, and Tenant ID. All of these values must be provided to set up an Azure integration within Virtana Platform.

Virtana recommends that you enable guest OS diagnostic metrics after configuring the integration, so that you can run Azure cost reports in Cloud Cost Management (CCM).

Prerequisites

  • You must have an administrator role in Azure and in Virtana Platform.

    If you cannot assign yourself the application administrator role, you must request it from your Azure administrator. For more information, see the Microsoft documentation.

  • A command line shell, such as Windows PowerShell, must be available.

  • You must have installed the Azure CLI.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled in an EA (Enterprise Administrator) setup, please ensure the "AO view charges" setting is enabled so assets within subscriptions have access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to confirm it's enabled.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled with a Cloud Service Provider (CSP), please ensure that the cost visibility policy for Azure Usage charges is set to Yes. This setting grants assets within your subscriptions access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to enable the policy to view Azure usage charges.

Steps

  1. Open the WindowsPowerShell (or any command line shell for Windows).

  2. Enter the following command to prompt a browser sign-in request to Azure:

    > az login

  3. Run the following command to get account information:

    > az account show

    Sample output:

    {
  "environmentName": "AzureCloud",
  "homeTenantId": "70e745ff-69d3-74fd-898c-8423d510f4c1",
  "id": "a000b0c0-0e0e-000b-d00c-0000000000f0",     //copy this value
  "isDefault": true,
  "managedByTenants": [],
  "name": "Subscription Name",
  "state": "Enabled",
  "tenantId": "00e000b0-00f0-00ed-00ff-0000d000f0d0",     //copy this value
  "user": {
    "name": "john.nguyen@company.com",
    "type": "user"
   }
 }

  4. In Virtana Platform:

    1. Navigate to Settings>Integrations>Cloud Providers.

    2. Click Add Integration and select the appropriate integration type.

    3. Optional: Enter a descriptive name for the integration instance to identify its purpose.

  5. In the shell, copy the following account values and paste them into the related fields in the Virtana Platform integration configuration form:

    • tenantId: Paste in the Tenant ID field.

    • Id: Paste in the Subscription ID field.

    Keep Virtana Platform open to the integration configuration form.

  6. In the shell, run the following command to create a reader role for Virtana Platform for this Azure integration instance:

    > az ad sp create-for-rbac --role "Monitoring Reader" --name VirtanaReader --scopes /subscriptions/<subscription-id>

    Substitute <subscription-id> with the "id" value from the output in step 3.

    Important

    Each integration added to Virtana Platform must have its own reader role, and each reader role must be uniquely named, such as VirtanaReader, VirtanaReader-1, etc.

    Sample output:

    {
  "appId": "0e00ceb0-0c0d-0f00-0b00-00f00000c0d0",     //copy this value
  "displayName": "VirtanaReader",
  "name": "http://VirtanaReader",
  "password": "0f00e000-00ef-000b-aa0d-0a000000000c",     //copy this value
  "tenant": "00f000e0-00f0-00fd-000b-0000e000d0f0"
}

    You need the values for the "appId" and "password" parameters to complete the integration form in Virtana Platform.

  7. In the shell, copy the following account values and paste them into the related fields in the Virtana Platform setup page:

    • appId: Paste in the Application ID field.

    • password: Paste in the Client Secret Value field.

  8. In Virtana Platform, click Save and close the setup form.

    The new integration displays in the Cloud Provider Integrations list.

Azure Portal Setup

Tip

Virtana recommends setting up Azure using the CLI for the best integration experience.

If you prefer to use the Microsoft Azure portal to collect the information needed for the integration setup in Virtana Platform, you must have administrative access to both the Azure portal and Virtana Platform.

Prerequisites

  • You must have an administrator role in Azure and in Virtana Platform.

    If you cannot assign yourself the application administrator role, you must request it from your Azure administrator. For more information, see the Microsoft documentation.

  • You must have installed the Azure CLI.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled in an EA (Enterprise Administrator) setup, please ensure the "AO view charges" setting is enabled so assets within subscriptions have access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to confirm it's enabled.

Tip

If your Azure account is enrolled with a Cloud Service Provider (CSP), please ensure that the cost visibility policy for Azure Usage charges is set to Yes. This setting grants assets within your subscriptions access to cost data. See Azure's documentation for how to enable the policy to view Azure usage charges.

Perform the following tasks:

Create an Active Directory Application in Azure

  1. Open the Azure portal and select Azure Active Directory from the left or top menu.

    azure-active-directory

  2. Select App registrations from the Manage options.

    app-registrations

  3. Select + New Registration at the top.

    new-registration

  4. Provide a name for the application.

    Example: Virtana-Integration

    You will need to provide this name in a later task, when setting roles.

  5. Select Accounts in this organizational directory only (Default Directory only - Single tenant) for Supported Account Types.

  6. Under Redirect URI (optional), select Web and input the URL to access the Virtana Platform UI.

    Enter https://<env>.cloud.virtana.com, where <env> is the variable used for your locale. For example: https://app.cloud.virtana.com/.

    redirect-uri-url

  7. Select Register at the bottom of the window.

This completes creation of the AD application.

Next, you must obtain Azure IDs and credentials.

Obtain Azure IDs and Credentials

You must collect the Tenant ID, Subscription ID, Application ID, and Client Secret Value from Azure and enter them in the Virtana Platform integration setup form.

  1. In Azure, ensure you are signed in to the account that you want to connect to Virtana Platform.

  2. In Virtana Platform:

    1. Navigate to Settings>Integrations>Cloud Providers.

      screenshot of cloud provider integrations page

    2. Click Add Integration and select the appropriate integration type.

    3. Optional: Enter a descriptive name for the integration instance to identify its purpose.

    vp-integ-azure-setup-form.png

    Tip

    Keep Virtana Platform open to the integration setup page until you complete this task.

  3. In Azure, navigate to the Overview page for the integration application you previously created (e.g., Virtana-Integration).

  4. Copy the Application (client) ID in Azure and paste the value into the Application ID field in the Virtana Platform integration setup page.

    ids

  5. Copy the Directory (tenant) ID in Azure and paste the value into the Tenant ID field in Virtana Platform.

  6. Navigate to the Azure Subscriptions page, copy the subscription ID for the application you previously created, and paste the ID into the Virtana Platform setup form.

    vp-azure-subscription-list.png

  7. Click the name of the Subscription you are using, navigate to Resource Providers and ensure the microsoft.insights resource provider is registered.

    This resource is needed to gather performance metrics for your Azure objects.

  8. Navigate to Azure Certificates & secrets and the Client Secrets tab.

    vp-azure-integ-client-secret.png

  9. Click + New client secret, provide a description, and select an Expiration for the key.

    add-desc-expiration

  10. Click Add.

    The Secret is now listed in the Client secrets section.

  11. Copy the Secret’s Value and paste it into the Client Secret Value field in Virtana Platform.

    Important

    The access key is only shown in the Azure portal for a few minutes.

    copy-secret-value

This completes setting the Azure IDs and credentials in Virtana Platform.

Next, you must add delegated permissions in Azure.

Set Delegated Permissions in Azure

  1. In Azure, navigate to the API Permissions section of your Virtana integration (e.g., Virtana-Integration).

    api-permissions

  2. Select + Add a permission.

    A side panel appears.

  3. Select the Azure Service Management card.

    azure-service-management

  4. Select Delegated Permissions.

    • Note: Granting delegated permissions authorizes the registered application (Virtana Platform) to make requests to the Azure API only. Details of what data can be read is configured in the next step.

  5. Enable the user_impersonation permission.

    user-impersonation

  6. Select Add permissions.

This completes the addition of delegated permissions.

Next, you must set an IAM read-only role for the Virtana Platform integration.

Set the IAM Role

  1. In Azure, navigate to this subscription’s Access Control (IAM) tab.

    access-control-tab

  2. Select Add > Add role assignment.

    A side panel appears.

    add-role-assignment

  3. Complete the following fields:

    • Role: Monitoring Reader

    • Assign access to: Azure AD user, group, or service principal

    • Select: Enter the name of the application you previously created (ex.L Virtana-Integration( and select the application.

  4. Select Save.

    Tip

    You can verify the permissions by selecting Role Assignments and searching for the Virtana Platform application.

  5. Return to the Virtana Platform integration setup form, verify each field has been filled in accurately, and then click the Save button and close the form.

Update the Azure Client Secret Key

Virtana Platform requires use of the Client Secret Key to access Azure metrics. The key is provided to Virtana Platform during configuration of the Azure integration.

The secret key has an expiration date that is set when the key is created in Azure. When the key expires, Virtana Platform can no longer process the Azure metrics.

Therefore, it is recommended that you note the expiration date of the secret key that is created during integration configuration and renew the key prior to expiration.

  1. In Azure, access the app registration for the Virtana Platform integration you created,

  2. Navigate to Azure Certificates & secrets and the Client Secrets tab.

    vp-azure-integ-client-secret.png

  3. Click + New client secret, provide a description, and select an Expiration for the key.

    Tip

    When the secret key expires, Virtana Platform will not be able to collect data from Azure until a new secret key is generated. Therefore, selecting the longest possible period before the key expires is recommended. Update the key prior to the expiration date.

  4. Click Add.

    The Secret is now listed in the Client secrets section.

  5. Copy the Secret’s Value.

    Important

    The access key is only shown in the Azure portal for a few minutes.

    copy-secret-value

  6. In Virtana Platform, navigate to Settings>Integrations>Cloud Providers and open the integration configuration that contains the expired key.

  7. Paste the Azure Client Secret Key into the Access Key field and Save.

    vp-azure-integ-client-key-replace.png

This completes updating an expired Azure secret key.

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