How and when to install Azure monitor Agent in On-premises Machines to monitor?

Question

How and when to install Azure monitor Agent in On-premises Machines to monitor?

Prabhjot Singh 255

Are Azure Monitor Agent and Azure Connected Machine Agent used to collect logs from On-premises Servers and Virtual Machines and store them in Log Analytics Workspace? When should one opt for Azure Monitor Agent versus Azure Connected Machine Agent? Furthermore, why should Non-Azure machines first install the Azure Connected Machine Agent before installing the Azure Monitor Agent?

SwathiDhanwada-MSFT 18,996 Reputation points Moderator

2023-08-09T03:58:34.3566667+00:00

@Prabhjot Singh Let us know if this answer was helpful to you or if you need additional assistance. If it was helpful, please remember to accept it so that others in the community with similar questions can more easily find a solution.

Accepted answer

0 additional answers

Your answer

SwathiDhanwada-MSFT 18,996 Reputation points Moderator

2023-08-09T03:58:34.3566667+00:00

@Prabhjot Singh Let us know if this answer was helpful to you or if you need additional assistance. If it was helpful, please remember to accept it so that others in the community with similar questions can more easily find a solution.

Answer 1

SwathiDhanwada-MSFT 18,996 Moderator

@Prabhjot Singh To connect hybrid machines to Azure, you install the Azure Connected Machine agent on each machine. This agent doesn't replace the Azure Log Analytics agent / Azure Monitor Agent. The Log Analytics agent or Azure Monitor Agent for Windows and Linux is required in order to:

Proactively monitor the OS and workloads running on the machine
Manage it using Automation runbooks or solutions like Update Management
Use other Azure services like Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Non-Azure machines should first install the Azure Connected Machine Agent before installing the Azure Monitor Agent because the Azure Connected Machine Agent provides additional functionality such as the ability to manage and monitor the machine using Azure Automation. The Azure Monitor Agent relies on the Azure Connected Machine Agent to communicate with the Log Analytics workspace and to receive configuration updates.

The Azure Connected Machine Agent provides a secure and reliable way to manage and monitor non-Azure machines. It allows you to automate tasks such as patch management and software updates, and provides a centralized location to monitor all your on-premises servers and virtual machines using Azure Monitor.

By installing the Azure Connected Machine Agent first, you can ensure that the machine is properly configured to communicate with Azure Monitor and that it has the necessary components to receive configuration updates. Once the Azure Connected Machine Agent is installed, you can then install the Azure Monitor Agent to start collecting logs and metrics from the machine.

Overall, installing the Azure Connected Machine Agent first provides a more streamlined and secure way to manage and monitor non-Azure machines using Azure Monitor.

Prabhjot Singh 255 Reputation points

2023-08-07T09:58:34.2366667+00:00

Thanks, but Is it required to deploy the Azure Connected Machine Agent on On-premises Windows Servers and Physical Machines? Considering the replacement of the Log Analytics agent by the Azure Monitor Agent, can the Azure Monitor Agent be directly downloaded onto On-premises machines without Azure management, enabling the collection and storage of logs in a Log Analytics workspace?
Prabhjot Singh 255 Reputation points

2023-08-07T10:07:44.4366667+00:00

Also, When to Use Azure monitor Agent and when to use Azure Arc agent?
Prabhjot Singh 255 Reputation points

2023-08-07T11:21:12.6933333+00:00

Can you suggest for above?
SwathiDhanwada-MSFT 18,996 Reputation points Moderator

2023-08-08T06:17:06.83+00:00

Azure Connected Machine Agent is a prerequisite to run Azure Monitor agent on physical servers and virtual machines hosted outside of Azure (that is, on-premises) or in other clouds. The Azure Monitor Agent can be directly downloaded onto on-premises machines without Azure management, but it requires the Azure Connected Machine Agent to be installed first. The Azure Connected Machine Agent enables the Azure Monitor Agent to collect and store logs in a Log Analytics workspace.

When to Use Azure monitor Agent and when to use Azure Arc agent?

The Azure Monitor Agent is used to collect monitoring logs and data from Azure and non-Azure sources, including virtual machines, containers, and Kubernetes clusters. It provides a single agent that consolidates all the features necessary to address all connectivity logs and metrics data collection needs across Azure and on-premises machines compared to running various monitoring agents. The Azure Monitor Agent is typically used for monitoring and troubleshooting Azure resources and applications.

On the other hand, the Azure Arc agent is used to manage and monitor servers and Kubernetes clusters that are hosted outside of Azure, such as on-premises or in other cloud environments. The Azure Arc agent enables you to manage and monitor these resources using Azure services and tools, such as Azure Policy, Azure Security Center, and Azure Monitor. The Azure Arc agent is typically used for managing and monitoring hybrid environments.

In summary, you should use the Azure Monitor Agent when you want to monitor and troubleshoot Azure resources and applications, and you should use the Azure Arc agent when you want to manage and monitor servers and Kubernetes clusters that are hosted outside of Azure.
Prabhjot Singh 255 Reputation points

2023-08-08T08:41:49.04+00:00

Can you provide the link for installing Azure Monitor Agent on On-premises sources?
SwathiDhanwada-MSFT 18,996 Reputation points Moderator

2023-08-08T09:21:42.6566667+00:00

Here is reference document as requested : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/agents/azure-monitor-agent-manage?tabs=azure-portal

Share via

How and when to install Azure monitor Agent in On-premises Machines to monitor?

0 additional answers

Your answer