Azure Insights: SQL counters; Compute resources; Web Application Firewall

Azure pros discuss using SQL counters with Azure Arc, deploying and managing compute resources, and false positives with Web Application Firewall.

Using SQL counters with Azure Arc

Matthew Quickenden, writing on Crying Cloud, took a look at the Azure Arc SQL Extension. The extension is moving into general availability and receiving new visibility features, as well as controlled backup and patching. He demonstrated how to set up a SQL-specific performance counter for Azure Monitor Metrics.

Initially, users need to set up a Data Collection Rule (DCR), choose the Arc resource they want to track, define a counter, and plugin the DCR. Data will feed into the Log Analytics Workspace where users can leverage Kusto queries to analyze it.

Adjust the Sample rate as needed.  I have used the default 60 seconds. For large SQL servers estates, you might want to consider increasing this depending on your needs.It’s worth considering building a template for this if you want to do this repeatedly.  This resource type has some challenging layers to work through for deployment.

Deploying and managing compute resources

An author writing on the WhizLabs blog explored how to deploy and manage Azure compute resources. Getting started with a deployment involves understanding VM needs, compute size, networking and storage needs. The author explained how to deploy VMs with Azure Virtual Machine or through Azure portal with ARM and PowerShell.

VMs are only part of the picture. Users can leverage App Service PaaS capabilities to deploy and scale web apps, build serverless apps with Azure Functions, or orchestrate containers with Container Instances.  Manager and Security Center collectively provide monitoring, management, and security controls. The author encouraged users to get certified:

With AZ-104 certification, professionals can optimize resource utilization, enhance application performance, and streamline operations in the Azure environment. By completing the AZ-104 certification, individuals will possess the expertise to confidently orchestrate Azure compute resources, unlocking the full potential of Microsoft Azure for their organizations.

False positives with Web Application Firewall

Azure trainer Aidan Finn discussed ways to override false positives in Web Application Firewall. WAF inspects layer 7 application layer traffic stopping attacks like cross-site scripting, SQL injection, or protocol misuse, but false positives do occur. He explained: