How do I migrate from using an Instrumentation Key to a Connection String in Application Insights for a Java Spring Boot application using an ARM template (template.json)?

Question

How do I migrate from using an Instrumentation Key to a Connection String in Application Insights for a Java Spring Boot application using an ARM template (template.json)?

Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0

I am currently using Application Insights in a Java Spring Boot application, where the telemetry is configured using the legacy Instrumentation Key (InstrumentationKey). I understand that Microsoft now recommends using Connection Strings (connectionString) instead of Instrumentation Keys for better flexibility and future support.

I am deploying my application and its associated resources using an ARM (Azure Resource Manager) template (template.json). I would like to understand the correct process to migrate from using the Instrumentation Key to the Connection String within this ARM template and ensure that my Java Spring Boot application reads the Connection String properly.

Specifically, I need guidance on:

How to update the ARM template to expose the connectionString instead of the instrumentationKey.

How to reference and inject this connection string into the Spring Boot application during deployment.

Any changes needed in the Spring Boot code or configuration (e.g., application.properties or application.yml) to support the connection string.

Best practices or potential pitfalls to be aware of during this migration.

Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-29T19:08:24.8233333+00:00
Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

Hey there! It sounds like you're looking to migrate from using the Instrumentation Key to the Connection String for Application Insights in your Java Spring Boot application, and you want to do this using an ARM template. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this:

Updating the ARM Template

1). Modify the Template: Update your template.json to include the connection string as follows:

{ "properties": { "appInsightsConfiguration": { "connectionString": "<YOUR_APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING>" }, ... } }

Make sure to replace <YOUR_APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING> with the actual connection string from your Application Insights resource.

2). Deployment: Deploy your ARM template using Azure CLI or your preferred method. This will ensure that your Application Insights resource is configured to use the connection string.

Referencing the Connection String in Spring Boot

You can set the connection string in your Spring Boot application via properties or environment variables:

1). application.properties or application.yml: Add the following line to your application.properties or application.yml file:

applicationinsights.connection.string=<YOUR_APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING>

OR

applicationinsights: connection: string: <YOUR_APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING>

2). Environment Variable: Alternatively, set the following environment variable for your deployment:

export APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING="<YOUR_APP_INSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING>"

This takes precedence over the configuration file.

Code Changes

In many cases, you won't need to change your application code if you simply switch the way you provide the connection string. However, if you're setting up the connection string programmatically or wish to validate the configuration, ensure you reference the setting correctly.

Best Practices and Pitfalls

Testing: After the migration, test your application to make sure telemetry is being sent correctly to the Application Insights resource.

Monitor for Issues: Watch for any exceptions or issues in your logs related to telemetry sent to Application Insights.

Environment-specific Configurations: If deploying to different environments (dev, test, production), ensure that each environment has the correct connection string set, either programmatically or through environment variables.

Please accept as "Yes" if the answer provided is useful, so that you can help others in the community looking for remediation for similar issues.

If you have any further questions or need clarification on any specific part, feel free to ask!
Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-30T17:01:50.3433333+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-02T16:59:57.9166667+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-07T02:35:16.2533333+00:00

Hi Prabhavathi Manchala,

I have followed the above steps to migrate from using the InstrumentationKey to the new ConnectionString for Application Insights. After completing the migration, I tested the Azure AppService , but I am no longer seeing any logs in Application Insights.

I am using:

Spring Boot version: 3.2.11

Java version: 17

Application Insights Spring Boot dependency: I tried both version 2.5.1 and 2.6.2

However, logs are still not appearing in Application Insights. Could you please provide a clear step-by-step solution to fix this issue? I would appreciate a simple and detailed explanation.

Thank you
Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-08T12:56:17.4533333+00:00
Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

Switching to the recommended Connection String is correct. If you're not seeing telemetry, here's a solution for Spring Boot 3.2.11, Java 17, and Application Insights agent/SDK 2.6.x.

Download the latest Application Insights Java Agent .jar from below link and place it next to your app deployment (e.g., /home/site/wwwroot/ for Azure App Service).

https://github.com/microsoft/ApplicationInsights-Java/releases

To configure the Java Agent in Azure App Service, navigate to Configuration -> Application settings and add the following setting:

JAVA_OPTS: -javaagent:/home/site/wwwroot/applicationinsights-agent-3.5.0.jar

This will enable auto-collection of requests, logs, and dependencies.

Set the connection string as an environment variable in Azure Portal under Your App Service -> Configuration -> Application Settings:

APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING = InstrumentationKey=xxx;IngestionEndpoint=https://<region>.in.applicationinsights.azure.com/

You can find this value in Azure under Application Insights -> Overview -> Connection String.

Remove the old InstrumentationKey from application.properties, application.yml, and environment variables like APPINSIGHTS_INSTRUMENTATIONKEY.

Restart your app and check Live Metrics in Application Insights to verify telemetry is being received.

For more details on Application Insights, please refer to the following documents:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/connection-strings
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-09T17:57:16.2233333+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-12T16:59:20.6+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:11:20.27+00:00

Hi Team

Above you have provided the manual setup of the Java agent in a dynamic way programmatically in the Spring Boot application. I have referred to the links (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot) where it is done using Spring Boot, and it works for me. However, the problem is that in the main application, we are using the line ApplicationInsights.attach();, which results in tightly coupled code. Is there any option to make the code and configuration more loosely coupled?
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:13:13.2166667+00:00

Hi Team

Above you have provided the manual setup of the Java agent in a dynamic way programmatically in the Spring Boot application. I have referred to the links (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot) where it is done using Spring Boot, and it works for me. However, the problem is that in the main application, we are using the line ApplicationInsights.attach();, which results in tightly coupled code. Is there any option to make the code and configuration more loosely coupled?

0 commentsNo commentsReport a concern

Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi
Remove ApplicationInsights.attach(); from your code and attach java agent properly at runtime.

You can attach Manually via JAVA_OPTS, orAutomatically via spring-boot-maven-plugin or buildpack configuration (e.g., in containers or Azure App Service)
Conditional attachment with reflection (for loose coupling) If for some reason you should engage through the code (eg, you are not allowed to use agents), you can dynamically use the reflection to keep the dependence alternate:

public class AppInsightsLoader {
    public static void tryAttachAppInsights() {
        try {
            Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.microsoft.applicationinsights.attach.ApplicationInsights");
            Method attachMethod = clazz.getMethod("attach");
            attachMethod.invoke(null);
            System.out.println("Application Insights attached successfully.");
        } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) {
            System.out.println("Application Insights not found on classpath. Skipping attachment.");
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:49:10.85+00:00

Hi ,
If I attach the Java agent manually in my app service, I need to attach it java agent every time for each app service? I have tried using an ARM template, but it didn't work, and the application did not load. For a dynamic setup, can I use the code above without any dependencies to make it work?

1 answer

Your answer

Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-04-30T17:01:50.3433333+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-02T16:59:57.9166667+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-07T02:35:16.2533333+00:00

Hi Prabhavathi Manchala,

I have followed the above steps to migrate from using the InstrumentationKey to the new ConnectionString for Application Insights. After completing the migration, I tested the Azure AppService , but I am no longer seeing any logs in Application Insights.

I am using:

Spring Boot version: 3.2.11

Java version: 17

Application Insights Spring Boot dependency: I tried both version 2.5.1 and 2.6.2

However, logs are still not appearing in Application Insights. Could you please provide a clear step-by-step solution to fix this issue? I would appreciate a simple and detailed explanation.

Thank you
Prabhavathi Manchala 1,375 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-08T12:56:17.4533333+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

Switching to the recommended Connection String is correct. If you're not seeing telemetry, here's a solution for Spring Boot 3.2.11, Java 17, and Application Insights agent/SDK 2.6.x.

Download the latest Application Insights Java Agent .jar from below link and place it next to your app deployment (e.g., /home/site/wwwroot/ for Azure App Service).

https://github.com/microsoft/ApplicationInsights-Java/releases

To configure the Java Agent in Azure App Service, navigate to Configuration -> Application settings and add the following setting:

JAVA_OPTS: -javaagent:/home/site/wwwroot/applicationinsights-agent-3.5.0.jar

This will enable auto-collection of requests, logs, and dependencies.

Set the connection string as an environment variable in Azure Portal under Your App Service -> Configuration -> Application Settings:

APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING = InstrumentationKey=xxx;IngestionEndpoint=https://<region>.in.applicationinsights.azure.com/

You can find this value in Azure under Application Insights -> Overview -> Connection String.

Remove the old InstrumentationKey from application.properties, application.yml, and environment variables like APPINSIGHTS_INSTRUMENTATIONKEY.

Restart your app and check Live Metrics in Application Insights to verify telemetry is being received.

For more details on Application Insights, please refer to the following documents:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/connection-strings
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-09T17:57:16.2233333+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-12T16:59:20.6+00:00

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT),

We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. In case if you have any resolution, please do share that same with the community as it can be helpful to others. Otherwise, will respond with more details and we will try to help.
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:11:20.27+00:00

Hi Team

Above you have provided the manual setup of the Java agent in a dynamic way programmatically in the Spring Boot application. I have referred to the links (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot) where it is done using Spring Boot, and it works for me. However, the problem is that in the main application, we are using the line ApplicationInsights.attach();, which results in tightly coupled code. Is there any option to make the code and configuration more loosely coupled?
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:13:13.2166667+00:00

Hi Team

Above you have provided the manual setup of the Java agent in a dynamic way programmatically in the Spring Boot application. I have referred to the links (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/app/java-spring-boot) where it is done using Spring Boot, and it works for me. However, the problem is that in the main application, we are using the line ApplicationInsights.attach();, which results in tightly coupled code. Is there any option to make the code and configuration more loosely coupled?

0 commentsNo commentsReport a concern
Alekhya Vaddepally 1,340 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-05-12T17:39:57.79+00:00

Hi
Remove ApplicationInsights.attach(); from your code and attach java agent properly at runtime.

You can attach Manually via JAVA_OPTS, orAutomatically via spring-boot-maven-plugin or buildpack configuration (e.g., in containers or Azure App Service)
Conditional attachment with reflection (for loose coupling) If for some reason you should engage through the code (eg, you are not allowed to use agents), you can dynamically use the reflection to keep the dependence alternate:

public class AppInsightsLoader { public static void tryAttachAppInsights() { try { Class<?> clazz = Class.forName("com.microsoft.applicationinsights.attach.ApplicationInsights"); Method attachMethod = clazz.getMethod("attach"); attachMethod.invoke(null); System.out.println("Application Insights attached successfully."); } catch (ClassNotFoundException e) { System.out.println("Application Insights not found on classpath. Skipping attachment."); } catch (Exception e) { e.printStackTrace(); } } }
Devarakonda Amani (SEBT) 0 Reputation points

2025-05-12T17:49:10.85+00:00

Hi ,
If I attach the Java agent manually in my app service, I need to attach it java agent every time for each app service? I have tried using an ARM template, but it didn't work, and the application did not load. For a dynamic setup, can I use the code above without any dependencies to make it work?

Answer 1

Hi Devarakonda Amani (SEBT)
T the coupled code tightly caused by the app using a connection string in the spring boot application and applicationisights.attach (). To support more scalable and maintainable setups, we recommend using the application Insights Java agent, which enables a complete telemetry collection (request, dependence, log) without the need for any code change. This approach keeps your application relaxed and avoids the requirement of clear SDK calls such as applicationinsights.attach (). For Azure App Service, you can automate this setup:

Deployment of Java Agent (Applicationinsights -Gent.jar) with your application (eg,/home/site/wwwroot/).

Setting the following application settings via azure portal or ARM template: Java_opts = -Javaagent: /home/site/wwwroot/applicationinsights-gent-3.5.0.jar Applicationinsights_connection_string = <Your connection string> This configuration ensures dynamic, environment-operated telemetry setup without any tight coupling in your application code. If you prefer a programmatic followback, a reflection-based dynamic attachment method can be used, which handles the absence of application by application and avoids breaking your application. We recommend agent-based setup as it aligns with microsoft best practices, is future proof, and avoids the need for any code-level changes in the atmosphere.

Please accept as "Yes" if the answer provided is useful, so that you can help others in the community looking for remediation for similar issues.

Let me know if you have any further Queries.

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How do I migrate from using an Instrumentation Key to a Connection String in Application Insights for a Java Spring Boot application using an ARM template (template.json)?

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