Hands-on: Learn how to create Azure Action Groups

Creating Azure Action Groups is a key step in automating responses and notifications to alerts in Azure Monitor. Action Groups allow you to define a set of actions that are triggered by an alert. These actions can include sending emails, SMS messages, calling webhooks, or invoking Azure Functions, among others. Below is a guide on how to create an Azure Action Group using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, and Azure PowerShell.

Creating Azure Action Groups via the Azure Portal

Step 1: Access Azure Monitor

1. Sign in to the Azure portal.

2. In the portal, search for and select Azure Monitor.

Step 2: Navigate to Action Groups

1. In the Azure Monitor blade, under Monitoring, click on Alerts.

2. On the Alerts page, select Action Groups from the left-hand menu.

Step 3: Create a New Action Group

1. Click on + Create at the top of the Action Groups page.

2. Choose a Subscription and Resource Group for the Action Group.

Step 4: Provide Basic Information

1. Action Group Name: Enter a unique name for the action group (e.g., "CriticalAlertActionGroup").

2. Short Name: This is an optional field. It’s used to display the action group’s name in the Azure portal.

3. Click Next to proceed to the next step.

Step 5: Define Actions

This is where you define what actions will be performed when the action group is triggered. You can add multiple types of actions.

Common Action Types

1. Email/SMS/Push/Voice: Configure notifications to send via email, SMS, or voice calls.

   • Click Add action and choose Email/SMS/Push/Voice.

   • Provide the necessary contact details like email addresses or phone numbers.

2. Webhook: Trigger an HTTP request to a specified URL.

   • Click Add action and select Webhook.

   • Enter the Webhook URL and any necessary HTTP headers.

3. Azure Function: Trigger an Azure Function in response to an alert.

   • Click Add action and select Azure Function.

   • Choose the appropriate Function App and Function.

4. Logic App: Execute a Logic App workflow.

   • Click Add action and select Logic App.

   • Choose the Logic App you want to trigger.

Step 6: Configure Action Details

For each action type, provide the necessary details like the recipient for emails or the URL for webhooks.

You can add multiple actions within an action group and configure them as needed.

Step 7: Review and Create

Review your action group settings and make sure everything is configured correctly.

Click Create to finalize and create the action group.

Creating Azure Action Groups using Azure CLI

You can also create Action Groups through the Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI).

Step 1: Log in to Azure CLI

Open your terminal or command prompt and log in to Azure:

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az login

Step 2: Create an Action Group

Run the following CLI command to create an Action Group:

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az monitor action-group create \
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--resource-group <ResourceGroupName> \
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--name <ActionGroupName> \
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--short-name <ShortName> \
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--action email <ActionName1> --send-to <Email1> \
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--action sms <ActionName2> --send-to <PhoneNumber1> \
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--action webhook <ActionName3> --uri <WebhookURL>

Example:

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az monitor action-group create \
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--resource-group MyResourceGroup \
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--name MyActionGroup \
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--short-name MyActionGroupShort \
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--action email NotifyAdmins --send-to admin@example.com \
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--action sms AlertUsers --send-to +1234567890 \
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--action webhook TriggerFunction --uri https://example.com/webhook

Step 3: Verify Action Group Creation

Once the command is executed, verify the creation of the Action Group:

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az monitor action-group show \
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--resource-group <ResourceGroupName> \
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--name <ActionGroupName>

Creating Azure Action Groups using Azure PowerShell

Azure PowerShell can also be used to create Action Groups.

Step 1: Install and Set Up Azure PowerShell

Make sure you have Azure PowerShell installed and authenticated.

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Connect-AzAccount

Step 2: Create an Action Group

Use the following PowerShell command to create an Action Group:

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New-AzActionGroup `
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-ResourceGroupName <ResourceGroupName> `
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-ActionGroupName <ActionGroupName> `
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-ShortName <ShortName> `
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-EmailReceiver "admin@example.com" `
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-SmsReceiver "+1234567890" `
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-WebhookReceiver "https://example.com/webhook"

Example:

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New-AzActionGroup `
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-ResourceGroupName "MyResourceGroup" `
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-ActionGroupName "MyActionGroup" `
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-ShortName "MyActionGrp" `
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-EmailReceiver "admin@example.com" `
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-SmsReceiver "+1234567890" `
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-WebhookReceiver "https://example.com/webhook"

Step 3: Verify Action Group Creation

To confirm the creation of the Action Group:

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Get-AzActionGroup `
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-ResourceGroupName <ResourceGroupName> `
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-ActionGroupName <ActionGroupName>

Managing Action Groups

Once created, you can manage Azure Action Groups by:

1. Editing: Modify existing actions, add new actions, or update contact information.

2. Deleting: Remove an Action Group if it is no longer needed.

3. Viewing: Check the status of an Action Group and monitor which actions were triggered.

Best Practices for Action Groups

1. Use Descriptive Names: Name your Action Groups logically so that it's clear what they are used for (e.g., "ProductionAlerts", "BackupFailureNotification").

2. Limit the Number of Actions: While you can add multiple actions, try to keep it efficient. Too many actions might lead to unnecessary noise in case of multiple alerts.

3. Group Similar Actions: Group similar actions together to streamline alerting, for instance, all email notifications for admin users in one group.

4. Test Action Groups: Ensure that the actions are properly tested to confirm that notifications or automation triggers are working as expected.

Summary

Creating Azure Action Groups is an essential step for automating alert responses and notifications in Azure Monitor. By using the Azure portal, Azure CLI, or Azure PowerShell, you can create action groups that execute predefined actions such as sending emails, invoking webhooks, or triggering Azure Functions. Action Groups streamline monitoring by ensuring that your team is notified of issues in real-time and can take swift corrective actions.