Hi Everyone, Wanted to check the impact of using 2 ADs ( 1 for the HCI Nodes Registration & other one for the actual workload registration). Does it have any drawbacks? Regards A

Hi @jstajay Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A platform. Just to clarify, are you asking about the impact of using two separate Active Directory (AD) domains for registering HCI nodes and workloads in Azure? If so, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, using two separate AD domains means that you will need to manage two separate sets of user accounts and credentials. This can add complexity to your environment and may require additional administrative effort to keep both domains up to date and secure. Secondly, if you are using Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS) to manage your domain controllers, you will need to ensure that both domains are properly configured to work with Azure AD DS. This may require additional setup and configuration work. Finally, using two separate AD domains may impact your ability to manage and monitor your environment. It may be more difficult to get a complete view of your environment if you are using separate domains for different purposes. That being said, there may be valid reasons for using separate AD domains in your environment. For example, you may need to isolate workloads for security or compliance reasons. If you do decide to use separate AD domains, it's important to carefully consider the potential drawbacks and ensure that you have a plan in place to manage and monitor both domains effectively. Please Accept Answer and hit Yes for "was this answer helpful" if this helps

Azure Stack HCI - AD Intgration

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Prrudram-MSFT 22,941 Reputation points

2024-02-22T08:30:36.3333333+00:00

Hi @jstajay

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A platform.

Just to clarify, are you asking about the impact of using two separate Active Directory (AD) domains for registering HCI nodes and workloads in Azure? If so, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.
Firstly, using two separate AD domains means that you will need to manage two separate sets of user accounts and credentials. This can add complexity to your environment and may require additional administrative effort to keep both domains up to date and secure.

Secondly, if you are using Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS) to manage your domain controllers, you will need to ensure that both domains are properly configured to work with Azure AD DS. This may require additional setup and configuration work.

Finally, using two separate AD domains may impact your ability to manage and monitor your environment. It may be more difficult to get a complete view of your environment if you are using separate domains for different purposes.

That being said, there may be valid reasons for using separate AD domains in your environment. For example, you may need to isolate workloads for security or compliance reasons. If you do decide to use separate AD domains, it's important to carefully consider the potential drawbacks and ensure that you have a plan in place to manage and monitor both domains effectively.

Please Accept Answer and hit Yes for "was this answer helpful" if this helps
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jstajay 20 Reputation points

2024-02-22T09:37:18.4466667+00:00

Hi @Prrudram-MSFT , Thank you for your response. The inquiry concerns managing a service where we oversee both the platform (HCI Stack) and the Workload (applications running on top of HCI Stack). I am interested in determining any potential impact on functionality. Additionally, I am curious if Azure Monitor provides a means to track access and logging for both the HCI nodes and the actual workloads. Thanks, in advance.

Prrudram-MSFT 22,941 Reputation points

2024-02-27T07:55:33.0133333+00:00

Hi jstajay

Using two separate AD domains for HCI node registration and workload registration should not have any impact on the functionality of the HCI stack or the applications running on top of it. As long as the two AD domains are properly configured and integrated with the HCI stack, there should be no issues with authentication or authorization.

Regarding Azure Monitor, it provides a comprehensive set of tools for monitoring and logging both the HCI nodes and the workloads running on top of them. Azure Monitor can collect and analyze data from a variety of sources, including Azure resources, applications, and infrastructure. It provides a centralized location for monitoring and logging data, and allows you to create custom alerts and dashboards to track specific metrics and events.

For HCI nodes, Azure Monitor can collect data from the Azure Stack HCI cluster, including performance metrics, event logs, and system logs. It can also monitor the health of the HCI cluster and alert you to any issues that arise.

For workloads running on top of the HCI stack, Azure Monitor can collect data from a variety of sources, including virtual machines, containers, and applications. It can monitor performance metrics, log data, and application insights, and provide alerts and dashboards to track specific metrics and events.

Overall, Azure Monitor provides a powerful set of tools for monitoring and logging both the HCI nodes and the workloads running on top of them and can help you ensure the health and performance of your entire environment.

If I have answered your query, please click "Accept as answer" as a token of appreciation.

jstajay 20 Reputation points

2024-02-27T10:25:20.8433333+00:00

Hi @Prrudram-MSFT ,
Thank you for the comprehensive explanation. If we install the Azure Monitoring Agent, what specific information does it capture? Does it solely capture audit logs, or does it also collect application logs? Furthermore, is there a method to monitor Azure MABS (Microsoft Azure Backup Server) jobs within the Azure portal? Are there any services available for us to utilize, such as Backup Explorer? Regards, A

Prrudram-MSFT 22,941 Reputation points

2024-03-01T05:25:57.8666667+00:00

jstajay

The Azure Monitoring Agent is a lightweight agent that can be installed on your virtual machines to collect monitoring data. The agent can collect a variety of data, including performance metrics, event logs, and custom logs. It can also collect data from Azure services such as Azure Storage, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Virtual Machines.

In terms of application logs, the Azure Monitoring Agent can collect custom logs from your applications. You can configure the agent to collect logs from specific directories or files, or you can use the agent's API to send custom log data to Azure Monitor.

Regarding your question about monitoring Azure MABS jobs within the Azure portal, there are a few options available. One option is to use the Azure Backup service to monitor your MABS jobs. Azure Backup provides a centralized dashboard for monitoring and managing your backups, including MABS backups. You can use the Backup Explorer feature to view backup jobs, backup items, and recovery points.

Another option is to use Azure Monitor to monitor your MABS jobs. You can use the Azure Monitor agent to collect data from your MABS server, including event logs and performance metrics. You can then use Azure Monitor to create custom alerts and dashboards based on this data.

I hope this helps answer your questions. If you have any further questions or need more information, please let me know.
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Azure Stack HCI - AD Intgration

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