Configuring Service Bus
Unlock the full potential of your Azure Service Bus monitoring with Nodinite. This guide empowers you to efficiently add, enable, disable, or remove subscriptions, set precise queue and topic thresholds, manage resource groups, and authenticate securely for robust, flexible, and proactive monitoring.
✅ Add, enable, disable, or remove Azure Service Bus subscriptions for complete control
✅ Set global and specific queue and topic thresholds for proactive, real-time alerting
✅ Manage resource groups and apply RegEx-based exclusions for fine-grained monitoring
✅ Secure authentication with Azure REST API and application access for peace of mind
Expect to learn how to:
- Seamlessly configure and manage Azure Service Bus monitoring
- Apply advanced filtering and threshold settings
- Ensure secure, scalable, and reliable integration monitoring
Note
Before you can monitor or remotely configure your Service Bus, you must install the Message Queueing Monitoring Agent and create a Monitoring Agent Configuration. First-time users should start with the Remote Configuration.
To monitor Azure Service Bus, you must authenticate with the Azure REST API. Review the Azure Application Access page for setup details.
From the Service Bus tab, manage any number of Azure Subscriptions, each with its own configurable properties.
Configure Azure Subscriptions to monitor from the Service Bus tab.
- Add Service Bus Subscription
- Remove Service Bus Subscription
- Enable Service Bus Subscription
- Disable Service Bus Subscription
- Edit Service Bus Configuration
- Manage Queue thresholds
- Global - Use if not overridden by a specific setting
- Specific - Overrides global configuration on named queue
- Apply exclusion filters
- Manage Queue thresholds
- Resource groups
- Authentication
Remember to click Save to persist your changes. Nodinite will reflect updates after the user-defined synchronization interval.
Add Service Bus Subscription
Click the Add button to add a new Azure Subscription with Azure Service Bus Resources to monitor. Repeat as needed.
Click Add button to add Azure Subscription.
Here's an example of a new entry.
Next, follow the steps in the Edit Service Bus Configuration section below.
Remove Service Bus Subscription
Click the Remove button to delete the configuration for monitoring the Azure Subscription with Azure Service Bus Resources.
Remove an Azure Subscription from monitoring.
Instead of removing an Azure Subscription, you can simply disable monitoring to keep your configuration for later use.
Enable Service Bus Subscription
A disabled Monitoring Configuration is clearly marked with a ban sign. Only disabled subscriptions can be Enabled.
Disabled subscriptions have a ban sign to indicate the subscription is not actively monitored.
Click the checkbox to re-enable monitoring of Azure Service Bus related Resources.
Service Bus Monitoring is enabled when the checkbox is checked.
Disable Service Bus Subscription
You can stop monitoring the Service Bus without removing the configuration by disabling the selected configuration. An enabled Monitoring Configuration does not have a ban sign. Only enabled subscriptions can be Disabled.
Enabled subscriptions do not have a ban sign.
Un-check the checkbox to disable monitoring of Azure Service Bus related Resources.
Edit Service Bus Configuration
Click the accordion to open the entry and start editing the connection. Configurable properties are separated within the following tabs:
Edit connection details in the configuration tabs.
- Basic - General information about the Azure Subscription
- Queue Thresholds - Configure global monitoring thresholds queues and specific queue settings
- Topic Thresholds - Configure global monitoring thresholds for topics and specific topic settings
- Resource groups - Manage resource groups to include in monitoring
- Authentication - Configure authentication for the Azure REST API
Basic tab
Provide the following general information in the Basic tab:
Edit the connection information for your Azure Subscription with Azure Service Bus related resources.
- Enable Service Bus monitoring - When checked, Service Bus Monitoring is enabled for this configuration.
- Configuration Name - The user-friendly name for this Azure Subscription Entry.
- The configuration Name is used as the Resource Name for the Azure Subscription Category.
Example of the Configuration Name field as it appears as a Resource in a Nodinite Monitor View.
- The configuration Name is used as the Resource Name for the Azure Subscription Category.
Important
Once set, do not change the Configuration Name as its name affects content in Monitor Views and Categories. If you need to change the name, review Monitor Views as content may change drastically depending on the type of inclusion/exclusion filters in use.
- Description - Text where you can provide additional information about this entry.
Queue Thresholds tab
From within the Thresholds tab, you can manage the following queue-related monitoring properties:
- Global - Default values used when not overridden by a specific setting.
- Specific queue settings - Overrides global configuration on named queue.
- Queue exclusion filter - Use one or more RegEx expressions to remove queues you do not want to monitor.
Queue tab with global and specific Monitoring thresholds.
You can provide different global thresholds for different configurations (e.g. different subscriptions).
Global Monitoring thresholds for Azure Service Bus Queues.
The following settings are available:
- Time-based evaluation - Monitoring is always evaluated based on time
- Count Evaluation Type - Monitoring is based on the number
Here's an example of the Count Evaluation Type.
Queue Time-based evaluation
Time-based evaluation is always performed. If you do not want to perform an evaluation based on time, simply provide long enough thresholds.
| State | Name | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warning TimeSpan | Timespan 00:05:00 (5 minutes) | The age of first message on the queue to trigger Warning alert | |
| Error TimeSpan | Timespan 01:10:00 (1 hour 10 minutes) | The age of first message on the queue to trigger Error alert |
Queue Count Evaluation Type
None
If you select the None option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is not based on the number of messages in the queue.
Fixed
If you select the Fixed option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is based on the number of messages in the queue.
| State | Name | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warning Count | integer | The number of messages to go above on the queue to trigger a Warning alert | |
| Error Count | integer | The number of messages to go above on the queue to trigger Error alert |
Percentage
If you select the Percentage option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is based on the quota set for the queue.
| State | Name | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warning Count Limit % | integer | The percentage to go above on the queue to trigger a Warning alert | |
| Error Count Limit % | integer | The percentage to go above on the queue to trigger Error alert |
Which comes first (both)
If you select the Which comes first (both) option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is based on both Fixed and Percent.
Specific queue settings
You can provide specific thresholds for named Service Bus Queues. The Namespace and Queue Name are used to uniquely identify the queue.
Add one or more named queues to provide specific settings.
Each specific queue needs to be identified by its namespace and queue name. You can also provide a user-friendly description.
The rest of the properties are the same as already described in the global configuration.
Tip
It is much easier to perform specific configurations using the Edit threshold menu item available on the Actions button in the list of queues (Resources) with Monitor Views and Remote Actions Option checked.
Queue exclusion filter
The Queue exclusion filter feature lets you use one or more RegEx expressions to remove queues you want to exclude from monitoring.
Example of the Exclusion Filter for Service Bus Queues.
Whenever you apply one or more filters, the configuration accordion will display a filter icon to indicate exclusions are in use.
Filter icon appears when exclusions are configured.
You can Add and Remove as many RegEx expressions as you like.
Important
We have had many support incidents with reports of missing queues due to this functionality. If you miss a queue in your Monitor Views, first check your filters. Remember: With great power comes great responsibility.
Topic Thresholds tab
From within the Topic Thresholds tab, you can manage the following topic monitoring properties:
- Global - Default values used when not overridden by a specific setting
- Enable/Disable monitoring
- Topic related Monitoring properties
- Topic Subscription related Monitoring properties
- Specific Topic settings - Overrides global configuration on named Topic
- Topic exclusion filter - Use one or more RegEx expressions to remove Topics you do not want to include in the Monitoring
Topic tab with global and specific thresholds.
You can provide different global thresholds for different configurations (e.g. different subscriptions). All these settings are used when no specific topic settings are provided.
Note
Topics are not the same as Queues. Topics are used to send messages to multiple subscribers, while Queues are used for point-to-point communication. The thresholds for topics are different from those for queues. The Topics Monitoring also has a Subscription concept, which is used to filter messages sent to the topic. Each subscription can have its own thresholds.
Global thresholds for Azure Service Bus Topics.
You can modify the following properties:
- Time-based evaluation - Monitoring is always evaluated based on time
- Count Evaluation Type - Monitoring is based on the number of messages in the topic/subscription
- None - Monitoring is not based on the number of messages in the topic/subscription
- Fixed - Monitoring is based on the number of messages in the topic/subscription
Here's an example of the Count Evaluation Type.
Topic Time-based evaluation
The Topic Time-based evaluation is always performed. If you do not want to perform an evaluation based on time, simply provide long enough thresholds.
| State | Name | Data Type | Value Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warning TimeSpan | Timespan | 00:05:00 (5 minutes) | The age of first message on the queue to trigger Warning alert | |
| Error TimeSpan | Timespan | 01:10:00 (1 hour 10 minutes) | The age of first message on the queue to trigger Error alert |
Topic Count Evaluation Type
There are two options for the Count Evaluation Type: None and Fixed.
- None - Monitoring is not based on the number of messages in the topic/subscription.
If you select the None option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is not based on the number of messages at the topic/subscription.
- Fixed - Monitoring is based on the number of messages in the topic/subscription.
If you select the Fixed option for Count Evaluation Type then monitoring is based on the number of messages at the topic/subscription.
| State | Name | Data Type | Value Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warning Count | integer | >=0 | The number of messages to go above on the topic/subscription to trigger Warning alert | |
| Error Count | integer | >=0 | The number of messages to go above on the topic/subscription to trigger Error alert |
Specific Topic settings
You can provide specific thresholds for named Service Bus Topics. The Namespace and Topic Name are used to uniquely identify the Topic.
Add one or more named topics to provide specific settings.
Each specific topic needs to be identified by its namespace and topic name. You can also provide a user-friendly description.
The rest of the properties are the same as already described in the global configuration.
Tip
You may find it easier to perform a specific configuration using the Edit threshold menu item available on the Actions button in the list of topics (Resources) with Monitor Views and Remote Actions Option checked.
Topic exclusion filter
The Topic exclusion filter feature lets you use one or more RegEx expressions to remove topics you want to exclude from monitoring.
Whenever you apply one or more filters, the configuration accordion will display a filter icon to indicate exclusions are in use.
Filter icon appears when exclusions are configured.
You can Add and Remove as many RegEx expressions as you like.
Important
We have had many support incidents with reports of missing queues due to this functionality. If you miss a queue in your Monitor Views, first check your filters. Remember: With great power comes great responsibility.
Resource Groups tab
You can choose to include only Service Bus Resources from named Azure Resource Groups. These are also monitored with their own Category: "Resource Group". If someone renames or removes a Resource group from the Azure Subscription, you will be alerted.
Configure which Resource Groups to include in Monitoring.
Click the accordion to expand the configuration. You must set the name of the Resource group to include.
Set the Resource Group name to include in Monitoring.
Repeat for all named Resource groups to monitor as required by your business case.
Monitor View filtered by Category Resource Group.
Authentication tab
Monitoring the Azure Service Bus requires some steps to authenticate with the Azure REST API. Make sure to first read the Azure Application Access page.
- TenantId
- SubscriptionId
- ClientId
- ClientSecret
If you provide invalid credentials, you will see this in the Monitor View since each configuration is presented as a Resource by Category Service Bus.
Service Bus Configuration Category in Monitor View.
Next Step
- Configuration of the agent
- Add or manage Monitor View
Related Topics
Add or manage a Monitoring Agent Configuration
Install Message Queueing Monitoring Agent