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Azure Audit Log Consolidation Template

Azure Audit Log consolidation is the process of downloading Azure Audit Logs and saving them to a Data Provider, also known as a Log Database.

How to Configure Azure Audit Log Consolidation:

  • From the Menu Bar, select File | New. The Create New Object View displays.
  • From the Create New Object view, expand Template | Log Management then select Log Consolidation. The New Log Consolidation Template Properties view displays.
  • From the New Log Consolidation Template Properties view, use the Sub type drop-down to select Azure AD Audit Log. The Template Properties view now contains 7 tabs.

Logs Tab

The Logs Tab enables you to configure the Azure AD connection then select the logs to consolidate. Before you can configure the software to download Azure AD Audit Logs, you must create an App Registration in your Azure Portal. For more information see: Tutorial: Register an app with Azure Active Directory from Microsoft.

To create an App Registration in Azure:

  • Log into your Azure Portal at https://portal.azure.com/
  • Select Azure Services | Azure Active Directory. The Overview displays.
  • Click Manage | App Registrations. The App Registrations view displays.
  • Click New Registration. The Register an application view displays.
  • Use the name field to specify a name (e.g. CBSM), then click Register. The Properties view displays.
Note
Copy the Application (client) ID for later use.
Copy the Directory (tenant) ID for later use.
  • Select API Permissions. The API Permissions view displays.
  • Click Add a permission. The Request API permissions view displays.
  • Select Microsoft Graph then select Application permissions.
  • From the Select permissions text box type AuditLog.Read.All then check the option.
  • From the Select permissions text box type IdentityRiskEvent.Read.All then check the option.
  • Click Add permissions. Once the permissions are added, the API permissions view displays.
  • Click Grant admin consent then when prompted to confirm click Yes.
  • Click Manage | Certificates & secrets. The Certificates & secrets view displays.
  • Click New client secret. The Add a client secret view displays
  • Specify a name (e.g. MySecret) and an expiration date then click Add.
Note
Copy your new secret Value then save for later use.

To configure the Azure AD connection:

  • Use the Client ID text box to specify your Azure App registration's Application (client) ID.
  • Use the Tenant ID text box to specify your Azure App registration's Directory (tenant) ID.
  • Use the Client secret text box to specify your App registration's secret.

To select the logs to save:

  • Check the Audit Logs check box to select the Audit log.
  • Check the Sign-Ins check box to select the Sign-Ins log.
  • Check the Identity Risk Events check box to select the Identity Risk Events log.

Options Tab

  • Optionally assign a Consolidation filter to dump entries you do not want saved to the Log Database. When assigned, only entries that pass the assigned consolidation filter are saved to the Log Database.
  • Use the Initial number of days to download to configure the initial download. Subsequent downloads always pull from the last saved entry forward.
Important
If you have a heavily loaded domain controller you may need to limit the initial download of the Security Event Log to one day then build the database from that point on, otherwise you may receive a Quota Violation. You also have the option of specifying 0 days. When set to 0, Server Manager downloads the last hour of entries which should resolve any Quote Violation errors.
  • Use the Download in batches of option to minimize WMI results sizes. This option is yet another attempt to work around Quota Violation errors.
Important
If you are unable to resolve Quota Violation errors using the hourly batch method increase the Windows host's WMI Quota. For more information see: WMI Properties.
  • Use the Clear the remote Event Log after each download to clear the actual Event Log from managed hosts once the download is complete.
  • Use the Log Entry Retention Policy drop-down to select the retention policy. The retention policy is another template that defines the number of days to retain in the Primary and Archive Log Databases, for example, archive entries older than 30 days and retain entries for 150 days for a total of 180 days. Assign multiple retention policies to remove entries that match filter criteria defined in each retention policy. For more information see: Log Entry Retention Policy Template

Related Topics

Log Consolidation Templates

Log Entry Retention Policy Template

Data Providers

Log Monitor