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](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-L43	Diagnosing and automating troubleshooting for outbound connectivity, NSG/admin rules, and VPN gateway/on-premises VPN issues using Network Watcher, Azure CLI, PowerShell, and Automation.
Decision Making	L44-L50	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	L51-L55	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	L56-L62	Configuring secure access to Network Watcher with RBAC, using Traffic Analytics for Zero Trust segmentation, and protecting VNet flow logs with managed identities.
Configuration	L63-L78	Configuring and governing Network Watcher logging: AMA for Connection Monitor, NSG/VNet flow logs setup, schemas, filtering, templates (Bicep/ARM), and Azure Policy enforcement.
Integrations & Coding Patterns	L79-L85	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
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/required-rbac-permissions
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
Configure Azure Monitor Agent for Connection Monitor	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/azure-monitor-agent-with-connection-monitor
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
Enable 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
Manage NSG flow logs deployment with Azure Policy	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/nsg-flow-logs-policy-portal
Enable NSG flow logs using 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
Parse and read Azure flow logs with PowerShell	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/flow-logs-read
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
Integrate Azure Traffic Analytics with Microsoft Sentinel	https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/network-watcher/traffic-analytics-sentinel

azure-network-watcher