Microsoft Azure Mgmt Applicationinsights Dotnet

Azure.ResourceManager.ApplicationInsights (.NET)

Azure Resource Manager SDK for managing Application Insights resources for application performance monitoring.

Installation

dotnet add package Azure.ResourceManager.ApplicationInsights
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

Current Version: v1.0.0 (GA)
API Version: 2022-06-15

Environment Variables

AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID=<your-subscription-id> # Required: Azure subscription ID
AZURE_RESOURCE_GROUP=<your-resource-group> # Required: Azure resource group name
AZURE_APPINSIGHTS_NAME=<your-appinsights-component> # Required: Application Insights component name
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod  # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication

using Azure.Identity;
using Azure.ResourceManager;
using Azure.ResourceManager.ApplicationInsights;

// Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
    DefaultAzureCredential.DefaultEnvironmentVariableName
);
// Or use a specific credential directly in production:
// See https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-dotnet#credential-classes
// var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential();
ArmClient client = new ArmClient(credential);

Resource Hierarchy

Subscription
└── ResourceGroup
    └── ApplicationInsightsComponent          # App Insights resource
        ├── ApplicationInsightsComponentApiKey  # API keys for programmatic access
        ├── ComponentLinkedStorageAccount      # Linked storage for data export
        └── (via component ID)
            ├── WebTest                        # Availability tests
            ├── Workbook                       # Workbooks for analysis
            ├── WorkbookTemplate               # Workbook templates
            └── MyWorkbook                     # Private workbooks

Core Workflows

1. Create Application Insights Component (Workspace-based)

using Azure.ResourceManager.ApplicationInsights;
using Azure.ResourceManager.ApplicationInsights.Models;

ResourceGroupResource resourceGroup = await client
    .GetDefaultSubscriptionAsync()
    .Result
    .GetResourceGroupAsync("my-resource-group");

ApplicationInsightsComponentCollection components = resourceGroup.GetApplicationInsightsComponents();

// Workspace-based Application Insights (recommended)
ApplicationInsightsComponentData data = new ApplicationInsightsComponentData(
    AzureLocation.EastUS,
    ApplicationInsightsApplicationType.Web)
{
    Kind = "web",
    WorkspaceResourceId = new ResourceIdentifier(
        "/subscriptions/<sub-id>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/<workspace-name>"),
    IngestionMode = IngestionMode.LogAnalytics,
    PublicNetworkAccessForIngestion = PublicNetworkAccessType.Enabled,
    PublicNetworkAccessForQuery = PublicNetworkAccessType.Enabled,
    RetentionInDays = 90,
    SamplingPercentage = 100,
    DisableIPMasking = false,
    ImmediatePurgeDataOn30Days = false,
    Tags =
    {
        { "environment", "production" },
        { "application", "mywebapp" }
    }
};

ArmOperation<ApplicationInsightsComponentResource> operation = await components
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-appinsights", data);

ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = operation.Value;

Console.WriteLine($"Component created: {component.Data.Name}");
Console.WriteLine($"Instrumentation Key: {component.Data.InstrumentationKey}");
Console.WriteLine($"Connection String: {component.Data.ConnectionString}");

2. Get Connection String and Keys

ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponentAsync("my-appinsights");

// Get connection string for SDK configuration
string connectionString = component.Data.ConnectionString;
string instrumentationKey = component.Data.InstrumentationKey;
string appId = component.Data.AppId;

Console.WriteLine($"Connection String: {connectionString}");
Console.WriteLine($"Instrumentation Key: {instrumentationKey}");
Console.WriteLine($"App ID: {appId}");

3. Create API Key

ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponentAsync("my-appinsights");

ApplicationInsightsComponentApiKeyCollection apiKeys = component.GetApplicationInsightsComponentApiKeys();

// API key for reading telemetry
ApplicationInsightsApiKeyContent keyContent = new ApplicationInsightsApiKeyContent
{
    Name = "ReadTelemetryKey",
    LinkedReadProperties =
    {
        $"/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}/providers/microsoft.insights/components/{component.Data.Name}/api",
        $"/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}/providers/microsoft.insights/components/{component.Data.Name}/agentconfig"
    }
};

ApplicationInsightsComponentApiKeyResource apiKey = await apiKeys
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, keyContent);

Console.WriteLine($"API Key Name: {apiKey.Data.Name}");
Console.WriteLine($"API Key: {apiKey.Data.ApiKey}"); // Only shown once!

4. Create Web Test (Availability Test)

WebTestCollection webTests = resourceGroup.GetWebTests();

// URL Ping Test
WebTestData urlPingTest = new WebTestData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
    Kind = WebTestKind.Ping,
    SyntheticMonitorId = "webtest-ping-myapp",
    WebTestName = "Homepage Availability",
    Description = "Checks if homepage is available",
    IsEnabled = true,
    Frequency = 300, // 5 minutes
    Timeout = 120,   // 2 minutes
    WebTestKind = WebTestKind.Ping,
    IsRetryEnabled = true,
    Locations =
    {
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "us-ca-sjc-azr" },  // West US
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "us-tx-sn1-azr" },  // South Central US
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "us-il-ch1-azr" },  // North Central US
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "emea-gb-db3-azr" }, // UK South
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "apac-sg-sin-azr" }  // Southeast Asia
    },
    Configuration = new WebTestConfiguration
    {
        WebTest = """
            <WebTest Name="Homepage" Enabled="True" Timeout="120" 
                     xmlns="http://microsoft.com/schemas/VisualStudio/TeamTest/2010">
                <Items>
                    <Request Method="GET" Version="1.1" Url="https://myapp.example.com" 
                             ThinkTime="0" Timeout="120" ParseDependentRequests="False" 
                             FollowRedirects="True" RecordResult="True" Cache="False" 
                             ResponseTimeGoal="0" Encoding="utf-8" ExpectedHttpStatusCode="200" />
                </Items>
            </WebTest>
        """
    },
    Tags =
    {
        { $"hidden-link:/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}/providers/microsoft.insights/components/my-appinsights", "Resource" }
    }
};

ArmOperation<WebTestResource> operation = await webTests
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "webtest-homepage", urlPingTest);

WebTestResource webTest = operation.Value;
Console.WriteLine($"Web test created: {webTest.Data.Name}");

5. Create Multi-Step Web Test

WebTestData multiStepTest = new WebTestData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
    Kind = WebTestKind.MultiStep,
    SyntheticMonitorId = "webtest-multistep-login",
    WebTestName = "Login Flow Test",
    Description = "Tests login functionality",
    IsEnabled = true,
    Frequency = 900, // 15 minutes
    Timeout = 300,   // 5 minutes
    WebTestKind = WebTestKind.MultiStep,
    IsRetryEnabled = true,
    Locations =
    {
        new WebTestGeolocation { WebTestLocationId = "us-ca-sjc-azr" }
    },
    Configuration = new WebTestConfiguration
    {
        WebTest = """
            <WebTest Name="LoginFlow" Enabled="True" Timeout="300"
                     xmlns="http://microsoft.com/schemas/VisualStudio/TeamTest/2010">
                <Items>
                    <Request Method="GET" Version="1.1" Url="https://myapp.example.com/login" 
                             ThinkTime="0" Timeout="60" />
                    <Request Method="POST" Version="1.1" Url="https://myapp.example.com/api/auth" 
                             ThinkTime="0" Timeout="60">
                        <Headers>
                            <Header Name="Content-Type" Value="application/json" />
                        </Headers>
                        <Body>{"username":"testuser","password":"{{TestPassword}}"}</Body>
                    </Request>
                </Items>
            </WebTest>
        """
    },
    Tags =
    {
        { $"hidden-link:/subscriptions/{subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/{resourceGroupName}/providers/microsoft.insights/components/my-appinsights", "Resource" }
    }
};

await webTests.CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "webtest-login-flow", multiStepTest);

6. Create Workbook

WorkbookCollection workbooks = resourceGroup.GetWorkbooks();

WorkbookData workbookData = new WorkbookData(AzureLocation.EastUS)
{
    DisplayName = "Application Performance Dashboard",
    Category = "workbook",
    Kind = WorkbookSharedTypeKind.Shared,
    SerializedData = """
    {
        "version": "Notebook/1.0",
        "items": [
            {
                "type": 1,
                "content": {
                    "json": "# Application Performance\n\nThis workbook shows application performance metrics."
                },
                "name": "header"
            },
            {
                "type": 3,
                "content": {
                    "version": "KqlItem/1.0",
                    "query": "requests\n| summarize count() by bin(timestamp, 1h)\n| render timechart",
                    "size": 0,
                    "title": "Requests per Hour",
                    "timeContext": {
                        "durationMs": 86400000
                    },
                    "queryType": 0,
                    "resourceType": "microsoft.insights/components"
                },
                "name": "requestsChart"
            }
        ],
        "isLocked": false
    }
    """,
    SourceId = component.Id,
    Tags =
    {
        { "environment", "production" }
    }
};

// Note: Workbook ID should be a new GUID
string workbookId = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();

ArmOperation<WorkbookResource> operation = await workbooks
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, workbookId, workbookData);

WorkbookResource workbook = operation.Value;
Console.WriteLine($"Workbook created: {workbook.Data.DisplayName}");

7. Link Storage Account

ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponentAsync("my-appinsights");

ComponentLinkedStorageAccountCollection linkedStorage = component.GetComponentLinkedStorageAccounts();

ComponentLinkedStorageAccountData storageData = new ComponentLinkedStorageAccountData
{
    LinkedStorageAccount = new ResourceIdentifier(
        "/subscriptions/<sub-id>/resourceGroups/<rg>/providers/Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts/<storage-account>")
};

ArmOperation<ComponentLinkedStorageAccountResource> operation = await linkedStorage
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, StorageType.ServiceProfiler, storageData);

8. List and Manage Components

// List all Application Insights components in resource group
await foreach (ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component in 
    resourceGroup.GetApplicationInsightsComponents())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Component: {component.Data.Name}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  App ID: {component.Data.AppId}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Type: {component.Data.ApplicationType}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Ingestion Mode: {component.Data.IngestionMode}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Retention: {component.Data.RetentionInDays} days");
}

// List web tests
await foreach (WebTestResource webTest in resourceGroup.GetWebTests())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Web Test: {webTest.Data.WebTestName}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Enabled: {webTest.Data.IsEnabled}");
    Console.WriteLine($"  Frequency: {webTest.Data.Frequency}s");
}

// List workbooks
await foreach (WorkbookResource workbook in resourceGroup.GetWorkbooks())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Workbook: {workbook.Data.DisplayName}");
}

9. Update Component

ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponentAsync("my-appinsights");

// Update using full data (PUT operation)
ApplicationInsightsComponentData updateData = component.Data;
updateData.RetentionInDays = 180;
updateData.SamplingPercentage = 50;
updateData.Tags["updated"] = "true";

ArmOperation<ApplicationInsightsComponentResource> operation = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponents()
    .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-appinsights", updateData);

10. Delete Resources

// Delete Application Insights component
ApplicationInsightsComponentResource component = await resourceGroup
    .GetApplicationInsightsComponentAsync("my-appinsights");
await component.DeleteAsync(WaitUntil.Completed);

// Delete web test
WebTestResource webTest = await resourceGroup.GetWebTestAsync("webtest-homepage");
await webTest.DeleteAsync(WaitUntil.Completed);

Key Types Reference

Application Types

Web Test Locations

Best Practices

1. Use workspace-based — Workspace-based App Insights is the current standard
2. Link to Log Analytics — Store data in Log Analytics for better querying
3. Set appropriate retention — Balance cost vs. data availability
4. Use sampling — Reduce costs for high-volume applications
5. Store connection string securely — Use Key Vault or managed identity
6. Enable multiple test locations — For accurate availability monitoring
7. Use workbooks — For custom dashboards and analysis
8. Set up alerts — Based on availability tests and metrics
9. Tag resources — For cost allocation and organization
10. Use private endpoints — For secure data ingestion

Error Handling

using Azure;

try
{
    ArmOperation<ApplicationInsightsComponentResource> operation = await components
        .CreateOrUpdateAsync(WaitUntil.Completed, "my-appinsights", data);
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 409)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Component already exists");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 400)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Invalid configuration: {ex.Message}");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Azure error: {ex.Status} - {ex.Message}");
}

SDK Integration

Use the connection string with Application Insights SDK:

// Program.cs in ASP.NET Core
builder.Services.AddApplicationInsightsTelemetry(options =>
{
    options.ConnectionString = configuration["ApplicationInsights:ConnectionString"];
});

// Or set via environment variable
// APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING=InstrumentationKey=...;IngestionEndpoint=...

Related SDKs

Reference Links