Target monitoring solutions in Azure Monitor (preview)

Important

This feature has been deprecated because the Log Analytics agent is being replaced with the Azure Monitor Agent. Solutions in Azure Monitor are being replaced with insights. You can continue to use it if you already have it configured, but it's being removed from regions where it isn't already being used. The feature will no longer be supported after August 31, 2024.

When you add a monitoring solution to your subscription, it's automatically deployed by default to all Windows and Linux agents connected to your Log Analytics workspace. You might want to manage your costs and limit the amount of data collected for a solution by limiting it to a particular set of agents. This article describes how to use solution targeting, which is a feature that allows you to apply a scope to your solutions.

Target a solution

There are three steps to targeting a solution, as described in the following sections.

Create a computer group

You specify the computers that you want to include in a scope by creating a computer group in Azure Monitor. The computer group can be based on a log query or imported from other sources, such as Active Directory or Windows Server Update Services groups. As described in the section Solutions and agents that can't be targeted, only computers that are directly connected to Azure Monitor are included in the scope.

After you have the computer group created in your workspace, you'll include it in a scope configuration that can be applied to one or more solutions.

Create a scope configuration

A scope configuration includes one or more computer groups and can be applied to one or more solutions.

To create a scope configuration:

  1. In the Azure portal, go to Log Analytics workspaces and select your workspace.
  2. In the properties for the workspace under Classic, select Scope configurations (deprecated).
  3. Select Add to create a new scope configuration.
  4. Enter a name for the scope configuration.
  5. Click Select Computer Groups.
  6. Select the computer group that you created and optionally any other groups to add to the configuration. Click Select.
  7. Select OK to create the scope configuration.

Apply the scope configuration to a solution.

After you have a scope configuration, you can apply it to one or more solutions. Although a single scope configuration can be used with multiple solutions, each solution can only use one scope configuration.

To apply a scope configuration:

  1. In the Azure portal, go to Log Analytics workspaces and select your workspace.
  2. In the properties for the workspace, select Legacy solutions.
  3. Select the solution you want to scope.
  4. In the properties for the solution under Workspace Data Sources, select Solution Targeting. If the option isn't available, this solution can't be targeted.
  5. Select Add scope configuration. If you already have a configuration applied to this solution, this option is unavailable. You must remove the existing configuration before you add another one.
  6. Select the scope configuration that you created.
  7. Watch the Status of the configuration to ensure that it shows Succeeded. If the status indicates an error, select the ellipses to the right of the configuration and select Edit scope configuration to make changes.

Solutions and agents that can't be targeted

The following criteria are for agents and solutions that can't be used with solution targeting:

  • Solution targeting only applies to solutions that deploy to agents.
  • Solution targeting only applies to solutions provided by Microsoft. It doesn't apply to solutions created by yourself or partners.
  • You can only filter out agents that connect directly to Azure Monitor. Solutions automatically deploy to any agents that are part of a connected Operations Manager management group whether or not they're included in a scope configuration.

Exceptions

Solution targeting can't be used with the following solution even though it fits the stated criteria:

  • Agent Health Assessment

Next steps