Updated guidance on Azure Monitor for WVD

Microsoft

Hey Tech Community!  

 

If you are currently using Azure Monitor for Windows Virtual Desktop, we have made some updates to our guidance and default configuration to help reduce your Azure Monitor Log Analytics cost. You must take action to implement these revised recommendations: 

 

  • We have removed 5 per-process performance counters from the default configuration, which has a minimal impact on UI and should reduce data ingestion by over 80% depending on your environment size and usage:   
    • Process(*)\% Processor Time 
    • Process(*)\% User Time 
    • Process(*)\ Thread count 
    • Process(*)\ IO Write Operations/second 
    • Process(*)\ IO Read Operations/second 

Existing customers must disable these counters manually to see reductions in data ingestion. To do so, follow the steps in Configuring performance counters to manage your agent configuration.  

 

If you rely on these counters, you can keep them enabled and monitor them in the Host Diagnostics: Host browser. 

 

  • We have also updated our Configuration Workbook to improve checks on your Windows Virtual Desktop workspace diagnostic settings. Use the Configuration Workbook to ensure that your environment is set up correctly. To do so, you can follow instructions in our How-to guide  

 

  • We recommend using a designated Log Analytics workspace for your Windows Virtual Desktop session hosts to ensure that performance counters and events are only collected for the virtual machines in your Windows Virtual Desktop deployment. To set up a new Log Analytics workspace, see Create a Log Analytics workspace in the Azure portal. 

 

We are continuing to investigate ways to optimize and improve your experience with monitoring Windows Virtual Desktop. We’re always eager to hear your thoughts- please leave comments and questions in the responses below! 

 

Best,  

Logan  

 

Learn more about Azure Monitor for Windows Virtual Desktop:

2 Replies
Does this have any impact on the monitoring of Session Hosts CPU?.

Hey @amalkabraham - these changes do not impact our charts monitoring CPU utilization. CPU information is based on the Processor performance counters, which send data per CPU. Process performance counters send data per the individual processes running per session, which is why ingestion can be so high for this type of counter. Process counters are only visible in the Host Diagnostics: Host browser, where you can monitor any performance counter you collect (UI automatically adjusts based on collection). If you do choose to remove the Process counters listed above, the one impact on CPU monitoring is that you won't be able to break down CPU utilization by the individual processes (i.e. using Process- % Processor time). You can always expand or reduce the set of counters you collect based on your monitoring preferences!