Azure Network Watcher

Azure Network Watcher Skill

This skill provides expert guidance for Azure Network Watcher. Covers troubleshooting, decision making, limits & quotas, security, configuration, and integrations & coding patterns. It combines local quick-reference content with remote documentation fetching capabilities.

How to Use This Skill

> IMPORTANT for Agent: Use the Category Index below to locate relevant sections. For categories with line ranges (e.g., L35-L120), use read_file with the specified lines. For categories with file links (e.g., security.md), use read_file on the linked reference file

> IMPORTANT for Agent: If metadata.generated_at is more than 3 months old, suggest the user pull the latest version from the repository. If mcp_microsoftdocs tools are not available, suggest the user install it: Installation Guide

This skill requires network access to fetch documentation content:

• Preferred: Use mcp_microsoftdocs:microsoft_docs_fetch with query string from=learn-agent-skill. Returns Markdown.
• Fallback: Use fetch_webpage with query string from=learn-agent-skill&accept=text/markdown. Returns Markdown.

Category Index

| Category | Lines | Description |

|----------|-------|-------------|

| Troubleshooting | L34-L44 | Diagnosing and fixing outbound connectivity, NSG/admin rule issues, and VPN gateway/on-prem VPN connection problems, plus automating VPN monitoring with Azure Network Watcher. |

| Decision Making | L45-L51 | Guidance for migrating network monitoring: moving from classic Connection Monitor and Network Performance Monitor tests, and switching NSG flow logs to VNet flow logs. |

| Limits & Quotas | L52-L56 | How to configure and run Network Watcher packet capture, storage and filtering options, and the key limits/quotas (size, duration, concurrency) that apply to captures |

| Security | L57-L64 | Securing Network Watcher: RBAC setup, hardening deployments and data access, Zero Trust segmentation with Traffic Analytics, and protecting VNet flow logs using managed identities. |

| Configuration | L65-L79 | Configuring and managing Network Watcher agents and flow logs (NSG/VNet), including schemas, filters, ARM/Bicep setup, Traffic Analytics, and Azure Policy enforcement/governance. |

| Integrations & Coding Patterns | L80-L84 | Using Network Watcher data in tools and code: parsing NSG flow logs with PowerShell, visualizing in Power BI, triggering packet capture from Functions, querying Traffic Analytics with KQL, and integrating with Sentinel. |

Troubleshooting

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Diagnose outbound connection issues with Network Watcher | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/connection-troubleshoot-manage |

| Troubleshoot NSG and admin rules with NSG diagnostics | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/diagnose-network-security-rules |

| Resolve common Azure Network Watcher issues | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/frequently-asked-questions |

| Diagnose on-premises VPN connectivity to Azure with Network Watcher | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-diagnose-on-premises-connectivity |

| Automate VPN connectivity monitoring with Azure Automation and Network Watcher | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-monitor-with-azure-automation |

| Troubleshoot VPN gateways and connections with Azure CLI | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vpn-troubleshoot-cli |

| Troubleshoot VPN gateways and connections with PowerShell | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vpn-troubleshoot-powershell |

Decision Making

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Migrate from Connection Monitor classic to new Connection Monitor | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/migrate-to-connection-monitor-from-connection-monitor-classic |

| Migrate tests from Network Performance Monitor to Connection Monitor | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/migrate-to-connection-monitor-from-network-performance-monitor |

| Migrate from NSG flow logs to VNet flow logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/nsg-flow-logs-migrate |

Limits & Quotas

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Use Network Watcher packet capture and understand its limits | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/packet-capture-overview |

Security

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Configure RBAC permissions for Azure Network Watcher | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/rbac-permissions |

| Secure Azure Network Watcher deployment and data access | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/secure-network-watcher |

| Apply Zero Trust segmentation using Traffic Analytics | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics-zero-trust |

| Secure VNet flow logs with managed identities | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vnet-flow-logs-managed-identity |

Configuration

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Install and manage Azure Monitor Agent on Arc servers | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/connection-monitor-install-azure-monitor-agent |

| Understand Connection Monitor Log Analytics data schemas | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/connection-monitor-schema |

| Install and manage Network Watcher Agent on Linux VMs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/network-watcher-agent-linux |

| Configure NSG flow logs using Bicep | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/nsg-flow-logs-bicep |

| Configure and manage Azure NSG flow logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/nsg-flow-logs-manage |

| Enable NSG flow logs with ARM templates | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/nsg-flow-logs-template |

| Govern Traffic Analytics with Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics-policy-portal |

| Understand Traffic Analytics schema and aggregation | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics-schema |

| Configure filtering for Azure VNet flow logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vnet-flow-logs-filtering |

| Configure and manage Azure virtual network flow logs | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vnet-flow-logs-manage |

| Enforce VNet flow logs with Azure Policy | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/vnet-flow-logs-policy |

Integrations & Coding Patterns

| Topic | URL |

|-------|-----|

| Trigger Network Watcher packet captures from Azure Functions alerts | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/packet-capture-alert-triggered |

| Analyze Traffic Analytics data with KQL queries | https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics-queries |