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Powell Analytics - Azure Application Insights Configuration Guide

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Summary : 

1. Creating an Application Insights Resource

2. Retrieving the Instrumentation Key

3. Data Retention Configuration

4. Adjusting Quota Based on Budget

5. Configuring Access to Your Own Application Insights Resource

6. Configuring Custom Application Insights in Powell Manager

7. Consenting to the Application Permissions

8. Verification and Testing

9. Troubleshooting Common Issues



Introduction

Powell Analytics allows you to collect and analyze usage statistics for Powell Intranet. This service relies on Azure Application Insights for data storage and processing. This guide explains how to configure Azure Application Insights for use with Powell Analytics.


1. Creating an Application Insights Resource

  1. Log in to the Azure portal
  2. Click on Create a resource
  3. Search for Application Insights and select it
  4. Click on Create
  5. Fill in the following information:
    • Subscription: Select your Azure subscription
    • Resource group: Select an existing group or create a new one
    • Name: Enter a unique name (e.g., PowellAnalytics-Prod)
    • Region: Select the region closest to your users
    • Resource mode: Select "Classic"
  6. Click on Review + create, then on Create
  7. Wait for the deployment to complete and click on Go to resource

2. Retrieving the Instrumentation Key

The instrumentation key is essential for connecting Powell Analytics to your Application Insights instance.

  1. In the left menu of your Application Insights resource, click on API Access
  2. The instrumentation key is displayed under Instrumentation Key
  3. Click on the copy icon to copy this key
  4. Keep this key in a safe place, you will need it when configuring Powell Analytics

3. Data Retention Configuration

By default, Application Insights retains data for 90 days. You can modify this duration according to your needs.

  1. In the left menu of your Application Insights resource, click on Usage and estimated costs
  2. Under the Data retention tab, adjust the retention period (between 30 and 730 days)
  3. Click on Apply to save the changes

Note: A longer retention period increases storage costs. Refer to the following section to understand the impact on your budget.


4. Adjusting Quota Based on Budget

Azure Application Insights uses a pricing model based on the volume of ingested data. It's important to adjust your quota to control your costs.

Understanding Pricing

  • Application Insights charges based on the volume of data ingested (in GB)
  • The first 5 GB/month are typically included in the free tier
  • Beyond that, you pay for each additional GB

Configuring a Daily Cap

  1. In your Application Insights resource, click on Usage and estimated costs
  2. Under the Daily tab, you can define:
    • Daily cap: Maximum volume of data accepted per day
    • Warning threshold: Percentage of the cap at which you will receive an alert
  3. Enable the option Stop collecting data once the cap is reached if you want strict cost control
  4. Configure email alert recipients
  5. Click on Save

Estimating Your Needs

For a typical Powell Intranet installation:

  • Small installation (< 1,000 users): 1-5 GB/month
  • Medium installation (1,000 - 5,000 users): 5-15 GB/month
  • Large installation (> 5,000 users): 15-50 GB/month

We recommend starting with a conservative daily cap and adjusting it based on actual usage.


5. Configuring Access to Your Own Application Insights Resource

To use your own Application Insights resource with Powell Analytics, you must configure an Azure AD application (now called Microsoft Entra ID) that will allow access to your Log Analytics workspace. This section details the complete procedure for setting up this secure integration.

5.1 Creating an Azure AD Application

  1. Log in to the Azure portal
  2. Navigate to Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) in the side menu
  3. Select App registrations, then click on New registration
  4. Fill in the following information:
    • Name: Give a descriptive name such as "PowellAnalyticsAccess"
    • Supported account types: Select "Accounts in this organizational directory only"
    • Redirect URI: Leave empty if not required by Powell Analytics
  5. Click on Register
  6. Once the application is created, note the Application (client) ID displayed on the overview page. This value will be used as the ClientId when configuring Powell Analytics

5.2 Creating a Client Secret

  1. In your newly created Azure AD application page, go to Certificates & secrets in the side menu
  2. Click on New client secret
  3. Provide a description such as "Powell Analytics Access" and choose an appropriate expiration period (1 year, 2 years, or never depending on your security policy)
  4. Click on Add
  5. IMPORTANT: Immediately copy the secret value that appears. It will no longer be visible after you leave this page. This value will be used as the ClientSecret in Powell Analytics

5.3 Configuring Access to Log Analytics

For your Azure AD application to read Log Analytics data, you must assign it the appropriate permissions:

  1. In the Azure portal, navigate to your Log Analytics workspace
    • If you don't have one yet, you'll need to create one and link it to your Application Insights resource
  2. In your Log Analytics workspace, click on Access control (IAM) in the side menu
  3. Click on Add role assignment
  4. Select the Log Analytics Reader role
  5. In the Members tab, click on Select members
  6. Search for the name of the Azure AD application you created earlier
  7. Select the application and click on Select
  8. Click on Review + assign to finalize the role assignment

5.4 Retrieving the Workspace ID

You will need your Log Analytics workspace ID to complete the configuration in Powell Analytics:

  1. In your Log Analytics workspace, go to Overview
  2. Locate the Workspace ID in the workspace properties
  3. Copy this value to use in the Powell Analytics configuration


6. Configuring Custom Application Insights in Powell Manager

After setting up the required Azure resources, the next step is to configure Powell Manager to use your custom Application Insights. This section provides detailed instructions on how to access and configure these settings in the Powell Manager interface.

6.1 Accessing Analytics Settings in Powell Manager

  1. Log in to your Powell Manager admin portal
  2. In the left navigation sidebar, click on Tenants
  3. Select the tenant you want to configure
  4. Click on Global settings in the left sidebar
  5. Navigate to Environment settings
  6. If not already enabled, activate the Powell Analytics advanced product

6.2 Configuring Your Custom Application Insights

Once you've accessed the Analytics App Insights Configuration screen as shown in the screenshot:

  1. Locate the section with two radio button options
  2. Select the option Use Your Own Application Insights Key (indicated by the blue circular button)
  3. This will activate the form fields below where you need to enter your custom Azure Application Insights information

6.3 Filling the Configuration Form

Complete the following fields in the form:

  1. AppInsight Connection String: Enter the instrumentation key from your Application Insights resource in the format:
    InstrumentationKey=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000;IngestionEndpoint=...
    • You can find the complete connection string in your Application Insights resource under API Access > Connection strings
  2. Client ID: Enter the Application (client) ID you noted from your Azure AD application registration
    • This is the unique identifier for the app you created in Microsoft Entra ID
  3. Client Secret: Enter the secret value you copied when creating the client secret
    • Remember that this value is only shown once during creation
  4. Workspace ID: Enter the Workspace ID from your Log Analytics workspace
    • This connects Powell Analytics with the specific workspace where your data is stored
  5. After entering all required information, click the check mark (✓) button at the top right of the configuration panel to save your settings

6.4 Additional Configuration Options

You may also notice other options on this screen:

  • Tenant Properties: This section contains tenant-specific configuration options
  • Enable Preview Features: Toggle switch for enabling preview analytics features
    • Note that changing this value requires a cache refresh across all sites


7. Consenting to the Application Permissions

After configuring your custom Application Insights integration in Powell Manager, you need to ensure proper consent is given to the Azure Entra application for accessing the necessary resources.

7.1 Admin Consent for the Application

  1. Log in to the Azure portal with an account that has Global Administrator or Application Administrator privileges
  2. Navigate to Microsoft Entra ID > Enterprise applications
  3. Search for the application you created for Powell Analytics and select it
  4. In the left sidebar, click on Permissions
  5. Click on the Grant admin consent for [Your Organization] button
  6. Review the permissions being requested and click Accept

7.2 Verifying Consent Status

To verify that consent has been properly granted:

  1. In the Azure portal, go to your Azure AD application under Microsoft Entra ID > App registrations
  2. Select your Powell Analytics application
  3. Click on API permissions in the left sidebar
  4. The status column should show "Granted for [Your Organization]" for all required permissions
  5. If any permissions show as not granted, click the Grant admin consent button at the top

7.3 Troubleshooting Consent Issues

If you encounter issues with the consent process:

  1. Ensure the account you're using has sufficient privileges in your Azure AD tenant
  2. Check that the application has been properly configured with the correct permissions
  3. Verify there are no conditional access policies or security defaults blocking the consent process
  4. If needed, you can remove and re-add permissions, then grant consent again


8. Verification and Testing

Once the configuration is complete, verify that everything is working correctly:

  1. In Powell Analytics, ensure all data fields show as properly connected
  2. Generate some test events by browsing through your Powell Intranet
  3. In Azure Application Insights, check that the data appears in the Live Metrics section
  4. In Powell Analytics dashboards, confirm that the data is correctly retrieved and displayed
  5. Verify that the data is being stored in your own Application Insights instance rather than Powell's default instance


9. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Authentication Problems

If Powell Manager cannot connect to your Application Insights, verify:

  1. That the client ID and client secret are correctly entered and have not expired
  2. That the role assignment has been properly made on the Log Analytics workspace
  3. That the Azure AD application has not been deleted or disabled
  4. That admin consent has been properly granted for the application

Data Collection Issues

If data does not appear in Powell Analytics:

  1. Check that the instrumentation key and connection string are correctly configured
  2. Make sure the collection quota has not been reached
  3. Confirm that the data retention is long enough for your analysis needs
  4. Verify that the "Use Your Own Application Insights Key" option is actually selected and saved

Configuration Persistence Issues

If your settings are not saving or reverting after refresh:

  1. Ensure you clicked the confirmation check mark (✓) button after entering your settings
  2. Try refreshing the cache as suggested in the interface
  3. Log out and log back in to ensure session consistency
  4. Contact Powell support if settings persistently fail to save

Support

For any assistance regarding the configuration of Azure Application Insights for Powell Analytics, contact our support team at support@powell-software.com or visit our Help Center.

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