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Azure Network Watcher’s Connection Monitor feature is now generally available. Connection monitor provides unified end-to-end connection monitoring capabilities for hybrid and Azure deployments. Some of the new capabilities include:

  • Enhanced support for VNETs, Subnets, custom on-premises networks, URL and IP based monitoring
  • Support for cross subscription and cross-region monitoring
  • Centralized workspace support for your monitoring data
  • Enhanced HTTP Monitoring support
  • Express Route connectivity monitoring between on-premises and Azure
  • Enhanced topology bringing together Azure, non-Azure, and internet hops
  • Automation support through PowerShell, CLI, and Terraform
Diagram showing how Connection Monitor interacts with Azure VMs, non-Azure hosts, endpoints, and data storage locations

To start using Connection Monitor for monitoring, follow these steps:

  1. Install monitoring agents: You can install the Network Watcher extension when you create a VM. You can also separately install, configure, and troubleshoot the Network Watcher extension for Linux and Windows. For your on-prem machines, you will need to install the Log Analytics agent for Windows machines, see Azure Monitor virtual machine extension for Windows.
  2. Enable Network Watcher on your subscription: by default all Azure subscriptions that have a virtual network deployed, have Network Watcher enabled.
  3. Create a connection monitor
    In connection monitors that you create, you can add both on-premises machines and Azure VMs as sources. These connection monitors can also monitor connectivity to endpoints. The endpoints can be on Azure or any other URL or IP.
  4. Set up data analysis and alerts.
  5. Diagnose issues in your network.
How to start a network analysis using the new Connection Monitor from Azure Portal

Connection monitors have the following scale limits:

  • Maximum connection monitors per subscription per region: 100
  • Maximum test groups per connection monitor: 20
  • Maximum sources and destinations per connection monitor: 100
  • Maximum test configurations per connection monitor: 20
Diagram showing a connection monitor, defining the relationship between test groups and tests

In this context, a rebranding is taking place, and the existing Connection Monitor will become “Connection Monitor (classic)”.

You can learn more here.