Configure the Azure Enhanced Monitoring Extension for SAP

  • 14 minutes

Azure PowerShell for Linux and Windows virtual machines

To install the Azure Extension for SAP by using PowerShell:

  1. Make sure that you've installed the latest version of the Az PowerShell module.

  2. Run the following PowerShell cmdlet. For a list of available environments, run the commandlet Get-AzEnvironment. If you want to use global Azure, your environment is AzureCloud. You can also select AzureChinaCloud.

    $env = Get-AzEnvironment -Name [name of the environment]

Connect-AzAccount -Environment $env

Set-AzContext -SubscriptionName [subscription name]

Set-AzVMAEMExtension -ResourceGroupName [resource group name] -VMName [virtual machine name]

The script deploys the required extensions and enables the required features. This can take several minutes. The Set-AzVMAEMExtension configuration handles all the steps to configure host monitoring for SAP.

The script output includes the following information:

  • Confirmation that monitoring for the OS disk and all other data disks has been configured.
  • Confirmation of the configuration of storage metrics for a specific storage account.
  • Status of the update of the monitoring configuration.
  • Confirmation that configuration has been deployed or updated.
  • List of options for testing the monitoring configuration.

Wait 15-30 minutes for Azure Diagnostics to collect the relevant data.

Azure CLI for Linux virtual machines

To install the Azure Extension for SAP by using Azure CLI:

  1. Install using Azure CLI 2.0.

  2. Sign in with your Azure account:

    az login

  3. Install Azure CLI AEM Extension:

    az extension add --name aem

  4. Install the extension:

    az vm aem set -g [resource-group-name] -n [vm name]

Checks and troubleshooting for end-to-end monitoring

After you've deployed your Azure Virtual Machine and set up the relevant Azure monitoring infrastructure, run the readiness check for the Azure Extension for SAP to make sure that all performance metrics that appear inside your SAP application are provided by the underlying Azure monitoring infrastructure.

If all readiness check results are positive and all relevant performance counters appear fine, Azure monitoring has been set up successfully and you can proceed with the installation of SAP Host Agent. If the readiness check indicates that counters are missing, run the health check for the Azure monitoring infrastructure.

Readiness check on a Windows virtual machine

  1. Sign in to the Azure Virtual Machine (using an admin account isn't necessary).

  2. Open a Command Prompt window.

  3. At the command prompt, change the directory to the installation folder of the Azure Extension for SAP: C:\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.AzureCAT.AzureEnhancedMonitoring.AzureCATExtensionHandler\[version]\drop. The version in the path to the monitoring extension might vary. If you see folders for multiple versions of the monitoring extension in the installation folder, check the configuration of the AzureEnhancedMonitoring Windows service, and then switch to the folder indicated as Path to executable.

  4. At the command prompt, run azperflib.exe without any parameters. Azperflib.exe runs in a loop and updates the collected counters every 60 seconds. To end the loop, close the Command Prompt window.

    Note

    If the Azure Extension for SAP isn't installed, or the AzureEnhancedMonitoring service isn't running, the extension has not been configured correctly.

  5. Azperflib.exe output shows all populated Azure performance counters for SAP. At the bottom of the list of collected counters, a summary and health indicator show the status of Azure monitoring. Check the result returned for the Counters total output, which is reported as empty, and for Health status. Next, interpret the resulting values as follows:

    Azperflib.exe result values Azure Extension for SAP health status
    API Calls - not available Counters that aren't available might be either not applicable to the virtual machine configuration or are errors. See Health status.
    Counters total - empty The following two Azure storage counters can be empty:
    - Storage Read Op Latency Server msec
    - Storage Read Op Latency E2E msec
    All other counters must have values.
    Health status Only OK if return status shows OK.
    Diagnostics Detailed information about health status.

  6. Make sure that every health check result is OK.

Readiness check on a Linux virtual machine

  1. Connect to the Azure Virtual Machine by using SSH.

  2. Check the output of the Azure Enhanced Monitoring Extension.

    • Run more /var/lib/AzureEnhancedMonitor/PerfCounters

      • Expected result: Returns list of performance counters. The file shouldn't be empty.

    • Run cat /var/lib/AzureEnhancedMonitor/PerfCounters | grep Error

      • Expected result: Returns one line where the error is none, for example, 3;config;Error;;0;0;none;0;1456416792;tst-servercs;

    • Run more /var/lib/AzureEnhancedMonitor/LatestErrorRecord

      • Expected result: Returns as empty or doesn't exist.

  3. If the preceding check wasn't successful, run the following extra checks.

  4. Make sure that the waagent is installed and enabled:

    • Run sudo ls -al /var/lib/waagent/

      • Expected result: Lists the content of the waagent directory.

    • Run ps -ax | grep waagent

      • Expected result: Displays one entry similar to: python /usr/sbin/waagent –daemon

  5. Make sure that the Azure Enhanced Monitoring Extension is installed and running:

    • Run sudo sh -c 'ls -al /var/lib/waagent/Microsoft.OSTCExtensions.AzureEnhancedMonitorForLinux-*/'

      • Expected result: Lists the content of the Azure Enhanced Monitoring Extension directory.

    • Run ps -ax | grep AzureEnhancedImplementing HA SAP HANA on Azure VMs

      • Expected result: Displays one entry similar to: python /var/lib/waagent/Microsoft.OSTCExtensions.AzureEnhancedMonitorForLinux-2.0.0.2/handler.py daemon

  6. Install SAP Host Agent as described in SAP Note #1031096, and check the output of saposcol:

    • Run /usr/sap/hostctrl/exe/saposcol –d
    • Run dump ccm

  7. Check whether the Virtualization_Configuration\Enhanced Monitoring Access metric is true:

    • If you already have an SAP NetWeaver ABAP application server installed, open transaction ST06 and check whether enhanced monitoring is enabled.

Note

You can experience some warnings in cases where managed Standard Disks are used. Warnings will be displayed instead of the tests returning OK. This is normal and intended in case of that disk type.