network-watcher-create.md

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Create an Azure Network Watcher instance | Microsoft Docs	Learn how to create an Azure Network Watcher in an Azure region by using the Azure portal or other technologies, and how to delete a Network Watcher.	network-watcher	na	damendo	b1314119-0b87-4f4d-b44c-2c4d0547fb76	network-watcher	how-to	na	infrastructure-services	02/22/2017	damendo	devx-track-azurepowershell, devx-track-azurecli	azurecli

Create an Azure Network Watcher instance

Network Watcher is a regional service that enables you to monitor and diagnose conditions at a network scenario level in, to, and from Azure. Scenario level monitoring enables you to diagnose problems at an end to end network level view. Network diagnostic and visualization tools available with Network Watcher help you understand, diagnose, and gain insights to your network in Azure. Network Watcher is enabled through the creation of a Network Watcher resource. This resource allows you to utilize Network Watcher capabilities.

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Network Watcher is automatically enabled

When you create or update a virtual network in your subscription, Network Watcher will be enabled automatically in your Virtual Network's region. There is no impact to your resources or associated charge for automatically enabling Network Watcher.

Opt-out of Network Watcher automatic enablement

If you would like to opt out of Network Watcher automatic enablement, you can do so by running the following commands:

Warning

Opting-out of Network Watcher automatic enablement is a permanent change. Once you opt-out you cannot opt-in without contacting support

Register-AzProviderFeature -FeatureName DisableNetworkWatcherAutocreation -ProviderNamespace Microsoft.Network
Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderNamespace Microsoft.Network

az feature register --name DisableNetworkWatcherAutocreation --namespace Microsoft.Network
az provider register -n Microsoft.Network

Create a Network Watcher in the portal

Navigate to All Services > Networking > Network Watcher. You can select all the subscriptions you want to enable Network Watcher for. This action creates a Network Watcher in every region that is available.

When you enable Network Watcher using the portal, the name of the Network Watcher instance is automatically set to NetworkWatcher_region_name where region_name corresponds to the Azure region where the instance is enabled. For example, a Network Watcher enabled in the West Central US region is named NetworkWatcher_westcentralus.

The Network Watcher instance is automatically created in a resource group named NetworkWatcherRG. The resource group is created if it does not already exist.

If you wish to customize the name of a Network Watcher instance and the resource group it's placed into, you can use PowerShell, the Azure CLI, the REST API, or ARMClient methods described in the sections that follow. In each option, the resource group must exist before you create a Network Watcher in it.

Create a Network Watcher with PowerShell

To create an instance of Network Watcher, run the following example:

New-AzNetworkWatcher -Name "NetworkWatcher_westcentralus" -ResourceGroupName "NetworkWatcherRG" -Location "West Central US"

Create a Network Watcher with the Azure CLI

To create an instance of Network Watcher, run the following example:

az network watcher configure --resource-group NetworkWatcherRG --locations westcentralus --enabled

Create a Network Watcher with the REST API

The ARMclient is used to call the REST API using PowerShell. The ARMClient is found on chocolatey at ARMClient on Chocolatey

Log in with ARMClient

armclient login

Create the network watcher

$subscriptionId = '<subscription id>'
$networkWatcherName = '<name of network watcher>'
$resourceGroupName = '<resource group name>'
$apiversion = "2016-09-01"
$requestBody = @"
{
'location': 'West Central US'
}
"@

armclient put "https://management.azure.com/subscriptions/${subscriptionId}/resourceGroups/${resourceGroupName}/providers/Microsoft.Network/networkWatchers/${networkWatcherName}?api-version=${api-version}" $requestBody

Create a Network Watcher using Azure Quickstart Template

To create an instance of Network Watcher refer this Quickstart Template

Delete a Network Watcher in the portal

Navigate to All Services > Networking > Network Watcher.

Select the overview tab, if you're not already there. Use the dropdown to select the subscription you want to disable network watcher in. Expand the list of regions for your chosen subscription by clicking on the arrow. For any given, use the 3 dots on the right to access the context menu. Click on "Disable network watcher" to start disabling. You will be asked to confirm this step. Click Yes to continue. On the portal, you will have to do this individually for every region in every subscription.

Delete a Network Watcher with PowerShell

To delete an instance of Network Watcher, run the following example:

New-AzResourceGroup -Name NetworkWatcherRG -Location westcentralus
New-AzNetworkWatcher -Name NetworkWatcher_westcentralus -ResourceGroupName NetworkWatcherRG -Location westcentralus
Remove-AzNetworkWatcher -Name NetworkWatcher_westcentralus -ResourceGroupName NetworkWatcherRG

Next steps

Now that you have an instance of Network Watcher, learn about the features available:

• Topology
• Packet capture
• IP flow verify
• Next hop
• Security group view
• NSG flow logging
• Virtual Network Gateway troubleshooting