[Feature Request] Application Insights "Live Metrics Stream" is only showing "Cloud Instance", but no "Cloud role name", make it hard to find the proper service

[SimonLuckenuik]

What problem would the feature you're requesting solve? Please describe.

When have a microservice solution based on Azure Functions and all services are logging inside the same Application Insights instance is order to allow us to monitor everything at one location. When accessing the "Live Metrics Stream", only "Cloud role instance" number is showing and no information about the "Cloud role name", making it hard to find which service to look into.

I raised the issue in Application Insights a long time ago, but they are doing nothing about it, no follow-up or triage, so I am asking here so that your users can use properly the tool supported by your platform.

Ref: https://github.com/microsoft/ApplicationInsights-Home/issues/393

Describe the solution you'd like

Could we have either a new column showing the Cloud Role Name or having an Instance Id that contains information about the cloud role name?

[alrod]

@SimonLuckenuik, where do you see "Cloud role instance" on "Live Metrics Stream" page? where do you expect to see "Cloud role name" ? Can you please add a screenshot to clarify.

I only see "Server Name" on the page:

[AartBluestoke]

If you have 1 big insights collecting from 10 functions in 5 apps running on 2 service plans, there is a poor correlation between the name of the host and the work it is doing. The server name d0a5b is a random name and meaningless to me, specifically it doesn't tell me what work it is doing. At the bottom, if it could show the app service and the server is part of, and on the right, the app which logged the message. The server name is visible if you select a specific message out of the stream.

[SimonLuckenuik]

The column called "Server Name" only contains the instance name (physical server) and not the logical server name (name of the app service). Example : I have an App Service called "MyService1", with url MyService1.azurewebsites.net and a second service called "MyService2", with url MyService2.azurewebsites.ne, both using the same Application Insights instance (same instrumentation key). In that screen they all look the same (server name is a long unique identifier) I would like to see both the long unique identifier and the logical name (MyService1) on the same row, or even better a view like you have in Performance->Roles, all instances grouped by logical name. So if  MyService1 scaled to 50 physical servers and MyService2 scaled to 1 physical server I would be able to quickly find MyService2 without clicking all the rows.

[SimonLuckenuik]

Being able to filter the logs and the metrics by logical name would be a bonus.

[alrod]

@SimonLuckenuik, thanks for clarification. @brettsam can we do something on our side or the item should go to directly to "Live Metrics Stream"/"App insights"?

[brettsam]

This sounds like ux changes to app insights... we can't handle any of that from the functions side.

@lmolkova do you know if there are plans to tweak anything like this in Live Metrics?

[lmolkova]

I don't know if there are any plans to change Live Metrics UX.

The best way to share this feedback is through the Azure Portal feedback. It will end up in the right hands.

[SimonLuckenuik]

If App Insights doesn't want to change that part for any reason, could Functions include the Context.Cloud.RoleName as a prefix for Context.Cloud.RoleInstance when reporting to Application Insights?

[lmolkova]

let's first explore if Live Metrics can address the feedback and group by/filter by role name and share the plans around it. Generally I'd advise against duplication (as this increases bill for everyone)

[SimonLuckenuik]

@lmolkova any update on this? Thanks!

[anandsowm]

The App Insights Live Metrics UX is showing the "Role name", so that you can know which function app is being run by the physical "server name". Does that not help ?