The status of Azure Monitor Agent extension on a VM is always Transitioning

Question

The status of Azure Monitor Agent extension on a VM is always Transitioning

vinixwu 41

I found that the status of the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA) extension on a Windows Server 2019 Datacenter VM is always "Transitioning," which causes daily auto-updates to fail every time.

I've tried updating to the latest version and rebooting the VM, but the problem persists. I then uninstalled the extension. Now, I don't know how to reinstall it. The documentation states that creating a data collection rule (DCR) will install the agent on all associated VMs, but the DCR is already there. A day has passed, but AMA has not reinstalled.

So, my questions are:

Do I need to delete the DCR and recreate it to reinstall AMA?
I don't remember why this extension was installed. Is it required, or can I delete it?
There is one Data Collection Endpoint (DCE) listed under All resources, but I see nothing under Configuration > Resources for this DCE. The DCR in question is also not configured to use any DCE. Can I safely delete this DCE?

Nagarjuna Reddy Yanna 255 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2025-03-10T17:19:29.6266667+00:00
Hi vinixwu,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A, thank you for posting your query here.

Could you please follow the below clarifications on your question.

Do I need to delete the DCR and recreate it to reinstall AMA?

It is generally unnecessary to delete and recreate the DCR in order to reinstall the AMA. When a DCR is linked to a virtual machine, it should automatically initiate the installation of the AMA, provided it is not already present. However, if the AMA remains in a "Transitioning" state, this may suggest a problem with the installation process. Below are some steps you may consider taking:

Examine the Azure Portal: Investigate any error messages or logs associated with the AMA installation within the Azure Portal. This may offer valuable information regarding the reasons for the installation failure.

Recreate the DCR: To restore the DCR's functionality, consider deleting and then recreating it if it is not operating as intended. This action may help rectify any association problems and initiate a new installation of the AMA.

Manual Installation: In the event that the DCR fails to initiate the installation, you have the option to manually install the AMA by utilizing either Azure PowerShell or the Azure CLI. This process involves executing the relevant command to directly install the AMA extension on the virtual machine.

I don't remember why AMA was installed. Is it required, or can I delete it?

The Azure Monitor Agent serves the purpose of gathering telemetry data from your virtual machines and transmitting it to Azure Monitor. If you are utilizing Azure Monitor for logging, metrics, or other monitoring functionalities, the Azure Monitor Agent is probably necessary. Conversely, if you are not employing these features or have other monitoring solutions implemented, it may not be essential.

Assess Your Monitoring Requirements: Should you depend on Azure Monitor for information regarding the performance, logs, or metrics of your virtual machines, it is advisable to retain the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA).

Evaluate Dependencies: In the event that you utilize any services or applications that rely on the data gathered by the AMA, it is prudent to refrain from deleting it.

Can I safely delete the Data Collection Endpoint (DCE)?

If the DCE is not currently utilized by any DCRs, as you indicated that the DCR is not set up to utilize any DCE, you may proceed with the deletion of the DCE. Nevertheless, prior to taking this action, please take the following into account.

Verify Additional DCRs: Confirm that there are no other DCRs set up to utilize this DCE. In the case of having several DCRs, examine their configurations thoroughly.

Consideration for Future Use: Should you intend to utilize DCEs for data collection in the future, it may be prudent to retain this one, as establishing a new DCE at a later time will necessitate further configuration efforts.

Please find the documentation for your reference.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/agents/azure-monitor-agent-manage?tabs=azure-portal

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/essentials/data-collection-endpoint-overview?tabs=portal

Finally It may be necessary to recreate the DCR if the AMA does not reinstall automatically.

Evaluate your monitoring requirements to ascertain whether the AMA is essential.

The DCE can be removed if it is not associated with any DCRs.

Please let us know if it was helpful and feel free to reach out if you have any further queries.

If you found the information useful, please click "Upvote" on the post to let us know.

Thank You
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vinixwu 41 Reputation points

2025-03-11T07:19:43.5466667+00:00

Hi Nagarjuna Reddy Yanna,

Thanks for reply.

I've deleted the DCE. As for AMA, I used the following command to install it:

az vm extension set --name AzureMonitorWindowsAgent --publisher Microsoft.Azure.Monitor --ids <vm-resource-id> --enable-auto-upgrade true

It has been running for about 30 minutes now. Is it always took so long?
vinixwu 41 Reputation points

2025-03-11T09:42:31.8666667+00:00

Finally it took 53 minutes to return, but the status of AMA on Azure Portal is still Transitioning, and the Status message is ExtensionOperation:enable. Status:Warning. Is there anything to try?
vinixwu 41 Reputation points

2025-03-11T10:04:23.7233333+00:00

In the log C:\WindowsAzure\Logs\Plugins\Microsoft.Azure.Monitor.AzureMonitorWindowsAgent\1.32.0.0\ExtensionHealth.13.log:
[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [StartAzureMA] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Starting agent with MCS:Monitoring\Agent\MonAgentLauncher.exe -useenv -ShutDownEvent AzureMonitorAgentExtension-ShutdownEventName -TotalShutDownEvent AzureMonitorAgentExtension-TotalShutdownEventName -StartEvent AzureMonitorAgentExtension-StartAgentEventName -StopEvent AzureMonitorAgentExtension-StopAgentEventName

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [SetSecurityAttributesOnDir] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Explicit ACE is already set by user. Skipping setting security info.

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [ValidateDataStorePersistence] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Validating persistence key for the data store at path: C:\WindowsAzure\Resources\AMADataStore.web2.persistencekey.

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [ValidateDataStorePersistence] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Key file does not exist in data store

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [ValidateDataStorePersistence] ErrorCode:0 INFO: The key file does not exist at path: C:\WindowsAzure\Resources\AMADataStore.web2.persistencekey.

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [DoesRegValueExist] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Query Registry for Key:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AzureMonitorAgent\Secrets, Name:PersistenceKeyCreated

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [ValidateDataStorePersistence] ErrorCode:0 INFO: The registry value exist

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [SetRegSecurityDescriptorOnSubKey] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Setting security descriptor for registry key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AzureMonitorAgent\Secrets

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [ValidateDataStorePersistence] ErrorCode:0 ERROR: The registry value exists but the key file does not. Cannot launch AMA.

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [StartAzureMA] ErrorCode:1120 ERROR: Failed to validate data store persistence C:\WindowsAzure\Resources\AMADataStore.web2

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [AggregateHeartbeat] ErrorCode:1120 WARN: Unable to start or detect MA service running. Will try again in 5 min.

[2025-03-11 17:51:16.000] [AggregateHeartbeat] ErrorCode:1120 INFO: Completed heartbeat aggregation.

[2025-03-11 17:51:18.000] [WriteStatusToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Sending the status.

[2025-03-11 17:51:18.000] [WriteHeartbeatToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Sending the heartbeat.

[2025-03-11 17:51:18.000] [WriteHeartbeatToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Done Sending the heartbeat.

[2025-03-11 17:51:18.000] [WriteStatusToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Done Sending the status.

[2025-03-11 17:51:48.000] [WriteHeartbeatToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Sending the heartbeat.

[2025-03-11 17:51:48.000] [WriteHeartbeatToFile] ErrorCode:0 INFO: Done Sending the heartbeat.

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This comment has been deleted due to a violation of our Code of Conduct. The comment was manually reported or identified through automated detection before action was taken. Please refer to our Code of Conduct for more information.
vinixwu 41 Reputation points

2025-03-11T07:19:43.5466667+00:00

Hi Nagarjuna Reddy Yanna,

Thanks for reply.

I've deleted the DCE. As for AMA, I used the following command to install it:

az vm extension set --name AzureMonitorWindowsAgent --publisher Microsoft.Azure.Monitor --ids <vm-resource-id> --enable-auto-upgrade true

It has been running for about 30 minutes now. Is it always took so long?
vinixwu 41 Reputation points

2025-03-11T09:42:31.8666667+00:00

Finally it took 53 minutes to return, but the status of AMA on Azure Portal is still Transitioning, and the Status message is ExtensionOperation:enable. Status:Warning. Is there anything to try?

Answer 1

vinixwu 41

By reading the log carefully, I found that because there is a key Key:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AzureMonitorAgent\Secrets, Name:PersistenceKeyCreated is present, but key file does not exist in data store, which blocks the AMA from starting.

So I deleted the key PersistenceKeyCreated and reboot the VM, the status finally changed to Provisioning succeeded, and I can do operations like Check for updates in Azure Update Manager.

According to another question, reboot seems not necessary.

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The status of Azure Monitor Agent extension on a VM is always Transitioning

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