Skip to content

Update CEF and Syslog data connector templates to AMA/marketplace pat…#14526

Open
robertmoriarty12 wants to merge 1 commit into
Azure:masterfrom
robertmoriarty12:update/dataconnectors-templates
Open

Update CEF and Syslog data connector templates to AMA/marketplace pat…#14526
robertmoriarty12 wants to merge 1 commit into
Azure:masterfrom
robertmoriarty12:update/dataconnectors-templates

Conversation

@robertmoriarty12

Copy link
Copy Markdown

Update CEF and Syslog data connector templates to AMA/marketplace pattern

Change(s):

  • DataConnectors/Templates/Connector_CEF_template.json

    • Updated descriptionMarkdown to reference AMA-based ingestion and CEF via AMA solution
    • Added additionalRequirementBanner placeholder for optional parser dependency
    • Replaced generic sample queries with vendor-filtered queries on CommonSecurityLog using DeviceVendor + DeviceProduct
    • Removed sharedKeys resourceProvider permission (MMA artifact, not required for AMA)
    • Added customs permissions: Azure Arc requirement for non-Azure VMs, and marketplace link to CEF via AMA solution
    • Replaced four MMA instruction steps (cef_installer.py, Linux agent install, validation script, secure machine) with two-step AMA pattern: ISV product CEF config placeholder + install CEF via AMA from marketplace
    • Set isPreview: false
  • DataConnectors/Templates/Connector_Syslog_template.json

    • Updated descriptionMarkdown to reference AMA-based ingestion and Syslog via AMA solution
    • Added additionalRequirementBanner placeholder for optional parser dependency
    • Replaced generic baseQuery/sampleQueries/dataTypes/connectivityCriterias with vendor-filtered queries on Syslog table using ProcessName
    • Added customs permissions: Azure Arc requirement for non-Azure VMs, and marketplace link to Syslog via AMA solution
    • Replaced three MMA instruction steps (InstallAgentOnLinuxVirtualMachine, InstallAgentOnLinuxNonAzure, OpenSyslogSettings) with two-step AMA pattern: ISV product Syslog config placeholder + install Syslog via AMA from marketplace
    • Set isPreview: false

Reason for Change(s):

  • The Microsoft Monitoring Agent (MMA/Log Analytics Agent) was retired. Both templates were still instructing ISVs to install MMA via cef_installer.py and the InstallAgentOnLinux portal links, which no longer represent the supported ingestion path
  • The current pattern for CEF and Syslog connectors is a UI-only connector that depends on the Microsoft-published CEF via AMA or Syslog via AMA solution for the actual data collection. Neither template reflected this
  • The sharedKeys permission in the CEF template was an MMA artifact — AMA uses DCR + managed identity and does not require workspace key access
  • The generic placeholder queries (DATATYPE_NAME, "Kusto Query 1") provided no guidance on how to correctly filter a shared table. The updated templates show ISVs the correct pattern for discriminating their data from other sources in CommonSecurityLog and Syslog

Version Updated:

  • N/A — these are connector UI definition templates, not Analytic Rule templates

Testing Completed:

  • Template structure validated against existing published AMA connectors in the repository (AI Analyst Darktrace, Delinea Secret Server) to confirm field alignment
  • No KQL execution required — queries are placeholder patterns using standard Syslog and CommonSecurityLog schemas

Checked that the validations are passing and have addressed any issues that are present:

  • Yes — changes are limited to two JSON template files with no KQL, YAML, or ARM deployment content that would trigger detection schema or KQL validation checks

…tern

- Replace MMA agent instructions with AMA-based setup pattern
- Remove cef_installer.py, InstallAgentOnLinux, OpenSyslogSettings references
- Remove sharedKeys permission (MMA artifact) from CEF template
- Add customs permissions with Azure Arc requirement and marketplace links
- Add additionalRequirementBanner placeholder for optional parser dependency
- Replace generic sample queries with vendor-filtered queries on shared tables
  - Syslog: filters on ProcessName == PROCESS_NAME
  - CEF: filters on DeviceVendor + DeviceProduct
- Two-step instruction pattern: ISV product config + install upstream AMA solution
- Marketplace links to Syslog via AMA and CEF via AMA solutions
- Set isPreview: false on both templates
@robertmoriarty12 robertmoriarty12 requested review from a team as code owners June 19, 2026 22:36
@v-atulyadav v-atulyadav added the Connector Connector specialty review needed label Jun 22, 2026
@v-atulyadav v-atulyadav requested a review from Copilot June 22, 2026 04:18

Copilot AI left a comment

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Contributor

Choose a reason for hiding this comment

The reason will be displayed to describe this comment to others. Learn more.

Pull request overview

Note

Copilot was unable to run its full agentic suite in this review.

Updates the CEF and Syslog data connector UI templates to align with the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) + Marketplace “solution dependency” ingestion pattern, removing legacy MMA guidance and improving sample query patterns for shared tables.

Changes:

  • Updated CEF/Syslog connector descriptions and instruction steps to reference “CEF via AMA” / “Syslog via AMA” Marketplace solutions instead of MMA.
  • Replaced generic sample queries with vendor/source-filtered KQL patterns (CommonSecurityLog via DeviceVendor/DeviceProduct, Syslog via ProcessName).
  • Removed MMA-only permissions (e.g., workspace shared keys) and set templates to non-preview.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 2 out of 2 changed files in this pull request and generated 5 comments.

File Description
DataConnectors/Templates/Connector_CEF_template.json Shifts CEF template to AMA + Marketplace dependency model; updates instructions, queries, and permissions accordingly.
DataConnectors/Templates/Connector_Syslog_template.json Shifts Syslog template to AMA + Marketplace dependency model; updates instructions, queries, and permissions accordingly.

"publisher": "PROVIDER NAME",
"descriptionMarkdown": "Common Event Format (CEF) is an industry standard format on top of Syslog messages, used by many security vendors to allow event interoperability among different platforms. By connecting your CEF logs to Azure Sentinel, you can take advantage of search & correlation, alerting, and threat intelligence enrichment for each log.",
"descriptionMarkdown": "The PROVIDER NAME APPLIANCE NAME data connector ingests Common Event Format (CEF) logs from APPLIANCE NAME into Microsoft Sentinel. CEF is an industry standard format on top of Syslog messages, used by many security vendors to allow event interoperability. Logs are collected using the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) via the Microsoft **Common Event Format (CEF) via AMA** solution, which must be installed in your workspace before configuring this connector.\n\n[Learn more about the CEF via AMA connector >](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/sentinel/connect-cef-ama)",
"additionalRequirementBanner": "This data connector depends on a parser based on a Kusto Function to work as expected. The [**KUSTO_FUNCTION_ALIAS**](LINK_TO_PARSER_ON_GITHUB) parser is deployed with the Microsoft Sentinel solution. If your connector does not use a custom parser, remove this field.",
"descriptionMarkdown": "Syslog is an event logging protocol that is common to Linux. Applications will send messages that may be stored on the local machine or delivered to a Syslog collector. When the Agent for Linux is installed, it configures the local Syslog daemon to forward messages to the agent. The agent then sends the message to the workspace.\n\n[Learn more >](https://aka.ms/sysLogInfo)",
"additionalRequirementBanner": "This data connector depends on a parser based on a Kusto Function to work as expected [**enter the Kusto Function alias**](Link to Kusto Function on Azure Sentinel GitHub) which is deployed with the Azure Sentinel Solution.",
"descriptionMarkdown": "The PROVIDER NAME APPLIANCE NAME data connector ingests Syslog events from APPLIANCE NAME into Microsoft Sentinel. Logs are collected using the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) via the Microsoft **Syslog via AMA** solution, which must be installed in your workspace before configuring this connector.\n\n[Learn more about the Syslog via AMA connector >](https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/sentinel/connect-syslog)",
"additionalRequirementBanner": "This data connector depends on a parser based on a Kusto Function to work as expected. The [**KUSTO_FUNCTION_ALIAS**](LINK_TO_PARSER_ON_GITHUB) parser is deployed with the Microsoft Sentinel solution. If your connector does not use a custom parser, remove this field.",
Comment on lines 10 to +11
"legend": "DATATYPE_NAME",
"baseQuery": "DATATYPE_NAME"
"baseQuery": "Syslog\n| where ProcessName == \"PROCESS_NAME\""
Comment on lines 26 to +27
"name": "Syslog (DATATYPE_NAME)",
"lastDataReceivedQuery": "DATATYPE_NAME\n | summarize Time = max(TimeGenerated)\n | where isnotempty(Time)"
"lastDataReceivedQuery": "Syslog\n| where ProcessName == \"PROCESS_NAME\"\n| summarize Time = max(TimeGenerated)\n| where isnotempty(Time)"
"type": "IsConnectedQuery",
"value": [
"DATATYPE_NAME\n | summarize LastLogReceived = max(TimeGenerated)\n | project IsConnected = LastLogReceived > ago(30d)"
"Syslog\n| where ProcessName == \"PROCESS_NAME\"\n| summarize LastLogReceived = max(TimeGenerated)\n| project IsConnected = LastLogReceived > ago(30d)"
@robertmoriarty12

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Author

@v-shukore @v-atulyadav

copilot findings look like noise. Sample data validation seems not needed for a template update

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

Connector Connector specialty review needed

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

5 participants