If you are using Azure to host your applications and services, you know how important it is to have a reliable and secure network infrastructure. However, managing and troubleshooting network issues can be challenging, especially in complex and dynamic environments. That’s why Azure provides a powerful tool to help you monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into your network performance and health

Azure Network Watcher

Azure Network Watcher is a service that enables you to monitor and diagnose conditions at a network scenario level in, to, and from Azure. Network diagnostic and visualization tools available with Network Watcher help you understand, diagnose, and gain insights to your network in Azure.

Some of the key capabilities of Azure Network Watcher are:

• Network Performance Monitor: A service that monitors the performance of your network across cloud and on-premises environments. It helps you detect network issues such as packet loss, latency, and topology changes. You can also set alerts and notifications based on your performance thresholds and SLAs.
• Connection Monitor: A feature of Network Performance Monitor that tracks the connectivity and performance of individual connections between your VMs, endpoints, or Azure services. It helps you identify the source and scope of network issues and troubleshoot them quickly.
• Traffic Analytics: A feature of Network Performance Monitor that analyzes the flow logs from your NSGs to provide insights into the traffic patterns, usage trends, and security risks in your network. It helps you optimize your network configuration, identify anomalies, and detect threats.
• Network Watcher Agent: A VM extension that enables you to collect network data from your VMs and send it to Network Watcher for analysis. It supports various tools such as IP flow verify, packet capture, next hop, security group view, and connection troubleshoot.
• Packet Capture: A tool that allows you to capture packets from your VMs or NICs for offline analysis. You can specify filters, time limits, and storage options for your packet capture sessions. You can also analyze the captured packets using open-source tools such as Wireshark or Microsoft Message Analyzer.
• IP Flow Verify: A tool that allows you to check if a packet is allowed or denied by an NSG based on the 5-tuple information (source IP, destination IP, source port, destination port, protocol). It helps you validate your NSG rules and troubleshoot connectivity issues.
• Next Hop: A tool that allows you to determine the next hop for packets being sent from a VM. It helps you verify your user-defined routes and troubleshoot routing issues.
• Security Group View: A tool that allows you to view the effective security rules applied to a VM or NIC. It helps you understand the impact of multiple NSGs and ASGs on your network security posture.
• Connection Troubleshoot: A tool that allows you to check the connectivity status and latency between a source and a destination. It also provides hop-by-hop analysis and possible causes for connectivity failures. It helps you diagnose network issues across hybrid and distributed environments.

Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive solution for enhancing your network monitoring and diagnostics capabilities in Azure. It can help you improve your network performance, reliability, security, and visibility. To learn more about Azure Network Watcher and how to use it, check out the official documentation here: Azure Network Watcher