How to Monitor Windows 365 (W365) Cloud PC Environment Using Azure Custom Dashboard

Author: Amit Kumar
Platform: Explore Cloudbuzz
Category: Azure | Windows 365 | Monitoring
Updated On: July 2025

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🔍 Introduction

Windows 365 (W365) Cloud PC offers an innovative and secure approach to delivering virtual desktops from the Microsoft cloud. But as your Cloud PC environment grows, monitoring performance, health, and compliance becomes critical.

In this article, we'll walk through how to build a custom Azure Dashboard to monitor your entire Windows 365 Cloud PC environment, integrating performance metrics, compliance status, provisioning reports, and more — all in one place.

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🎯 Why Monitor W365 via Azure Custom Dashboard?

A Custom Azure Dashboard provides:

• ✅ Centralized visibility of all Cloud PCs

• ✅ Real-time performance insights

• ✅ Compliance monitoring through Intune integration

• ✅ Alerts and diagnostics for fast troubleshooting

• ✅ Client-ready reports and visualizations

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🧰 Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following are in place:

• Azure subscription with appropriate permissions

• W365 Cloud PCs provisioned and active

• Microsoft Intune configured for compliance policies

• Log Analytics Workspace set up in Azure

• Azure Monitor enabled for W365 (via Intune or Endpoint Analytics)

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🪜 Step-by-Step Guide: Configure Azure Custom Dashboard for W365 Monitoring

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🔹 Step 1: Enable Diagnostics and Monitoring for W365

For Endpoint Monitoring via Intune:

1. Go to Microsoft Intune in Azure.

2. Navigate to:
   Devices → Windows 365 → Monitor

3. Enable Endpoint Analytics for performance and health insights.

For Log Analytics:

1. In Azure Portal, go to Log Analytics Workspace.

2. Link your W365 environment and enable data collection for:

   • CPU

   • Memory

   • Disk I/O

   • Boot times

   • Compliance logs (if available)

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🔹 Step 2: Collect Key Metrics for W365 Cloud PCs

Metrics to monitor:

Metric Type	Details
CPU Usage	Real-time CPU load
Memory Usage	RAM usage trend
Disk Utilization	Read/Write operations
Login Time	Average login time per user
Provisioning	Success/Failure/Error rates of Cloud PCs
Compliance	Antivirus, OS updates, encryption, etc.

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🔹 Step 3: Create a Log Analytics Query (KQL)

Go to Log Analytics Workspace → Logs and run sample queries like:

kusto
Perf
| where ObjectName == "Processor" and CounterName == "% Processor Time"
| where InstanceName == "_Total"
| summarize avg(CounterValue) by bin(TimeGenerated, 5m), Computer

Export visualizations from these queries to a workbook or pin them to your custom dashboard.

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🔹 Step 4: Create the Azure Custom Dashboard

1. Go to Azure Portal → Dashboard

2. Click on + New dashboard

3. Name it: W365 Cloud PC Monitoring

4. Choose "Grid" layout and click Edit

5. Click on + Add a tile and select:

   • Metrics for CPU/Memory

   • Logs (KQL queries) for advanced data

   • Workbooks for Endpoint Analytics views

6. Select resource group and region

7. Arrange tiles like:

   • 📊 CPU & Memory Utilization (Top 10 Cloud PCs)

   • ⚙️ Provisioning Status (Success, Failed)

   • 🚥 Login Time Trends

   • 🛡️ Intune Compliance Status

   • 📝 Boot Performance (from Endpoint Analytics)

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🔹 Step 5: Save and Share the Dashboard

• Click Done Customizing

• Click Share, choose access permissions:

  • Resource Group level for Admins

  • Read-only for Support or Clients

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🔹 Optional: Power BI Integration

If you prefer rich visualizations and need to generate daily/weekly compliance reports, integrate Log Analytics with Power BI.

1. In Power BI Desktop:

   • Use the Azure Log Analytics connector

2. Import KQL queries

3. Design your visuals: filters by user, device, policy

4. Publish the report to Power BI Service

5. Set up scheduled refresh and email alerts

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🛠️ Sample KQL Queries for Dashboard

🖥️ Top 5 Cloud PCs by CPU Usage

kusto
Perf
| where CounterName == "% Processor Time" and InstanceName == "_Total"
| summarize AvgCPU = avg(CounterValue) by Computer
| top 5 by AvgCPU desc

🔐 Non-Compliant Devices (from Intune)

kusto
DeviceComplianceOrg
| where ComplianceState != "compliant"
| project DeviceName, ComplianceState, OSVersion, LastCheckInDate

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📊 Recommended Widgets/Sections

Widget Name	Data Source	Type
CPU & Memory Trend	Log Analytics (Perf)	Line Chart
Provisioning Summary	Endpoint Analytics	Status Card
Compliance Heatmap	Intune Compliance Logs	Table/Graph
Boot Time Analysis	Endpoint Analytics	Line Graph
Active Sessions Count	Microsoft Graph API	Numeric

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🧠 Best Practices

• Use Workbooks for detailed visualization

• Schedule alerts for resource over-utilization

• Separate dashboards per department/project if needed

• Use Tags on Cloud PCs to filter tiles dynamically

• Document and export the dashboard config for DR or audit

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📦 Export and Backup Your Dashboard

To export your dashboard:

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings

2. Click "Export to JSON"

3. Save it to GitHub or Azure Storage for version control

To import later:

1. Go to Azure Portal → Dashboard → New

2. Click "Upload JSON"

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🧾 Conclusion

Monitoring your Windows 365 Cloud PC environment is essential for performance, reliability, and compliance. By leveraging Azure Custom Dashboards, you can visualize key metrics, troubleshoot proactively, and ensure a high-quality user experience.

Get started today and build a single-pane-of-glass dashboard for your Cloud PC infrastructure!

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📣 Coming Up Next

In our next blog, we’ll walk through how to create alert rules for W365 Cloud PCs using Azure Monitor and send automated notifications via email or Teams.