> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bronto.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ingesting Azure Data into Bronto

> An overview of the available methods for sending Azure log and trace data to Bronto, with guidance on choosing the right approach.

## Overview

Bronto supports several methods for ingesting data from Azure environments. The right choice depends on where your telemetry originates, your infrastructure preferences, and cost constraints. Bronto ingests OpenTelemetry **logs, metrics, and traces**.

Broadly, Azure telemetry falls into two categories:

* **Platform, diagnostic, and activity logs** — emitted by Azure services through diagnostic settings. These are streamed to Bronto via the [Azure Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client).
* **Application logs, metrics, and traces** — emitted by your own workloads. Send these to Bronto using [OpenTelemetry on Azure](./azure-otel).

***

## Service-to-Method Mapping

Different Azure services suit different ingestion methods. The recommended method is the simplest path that gets the data into Bronto; alternatives may be preferable depending on your existing infrastructure or cost constraints. Each service name in the table below links to a per-source landing page with a short summary of what the service emits and the configuration entry points for that data.

<Tip>
  Where the OpenTelemetry SDK supports your runtime, prefer OTel-based instrumentation — it sends logs, metrics, and traces through one Collector and gives you consistent resource identity. [OpenTelemetry on Azure](./azure-otel) covers AKS, Container Apps, Container Instances, VMs, App Service, and Functions.
</Tip>

| Azure Service                                         | Recommended Method                                                                                                              | Alternatives                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Azure Virtual Machines / VM Scale Sets](./azure-vms) | [OTel Collector](./azure-otel#self-managed-opentelemetry-collector)                                                             | [Azure Monitor Distro](./azure-monitor-otel-distro), [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (diagnostic logs)                 |
| [Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)](./azure-aks)         | [OTel Collector](./azure-otel#self-managed-opentelemetry-collector)                                                             | [Azure Monitor Distro](./azure-monitor-otel-distro), [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (control plane / diagnostic logs) |
| [Azure Container Apps](./azure-container-apps)        | [OTel Collector](./azure-otel#self-managed-opentelemetry-collector) (Collector container) / [OTel SDK](/opentelemetry/overview) | [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (diagnostic logs)                                                                      |
| [Azure Container Instances (ACI)](./azure-aci)        | [OTel Collector](./azure-otel#self-managed-opentelemetry-collector) (sidecar)                                                   | —                                                                                                                            |
| [Azure App Service](./azure-app-service)              | [OTel SDK](/opentelemetry/overview)                                                                                             | [Azure Monitor Distro](./azure-monitor-otel-distro), [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (diagnostic logs)                 |
| [Azure Functions](./azure-functions)                  | [OTel SDK](/opentelemetry/overview)                                                                                             | [Azure Monitor Distro](./azure-monitor-otel-distro), [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (Function App logs)               |
| Azure SQL Database                                    | [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) (diagnostic / audit logs)                                                                 | —                                                                                                                            |
| Azure Monitor / Activity Logs                         | [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client)                                                                                           | —                                                                                                                            |
| Microsoft Entra ID (sign-in / audit logs)             | [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client)                                                                                           | —                                                                                                                            |
| Network Security Perimeter Logs                       | [Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client)                                                                                           | —                                                                                                                            |

***

## Ingestion Methods

Bronto supports the following Azure ingestion methods:

* [Azure Event Hub Forwarder](./azure-client) — A Bronto Function App subscribes to an Event Hub and forwards platform, diagnostic, and activity logs streamed to it via diagnostic settings. It can also receive logs re-exported from a Log Analytics workspace via [Data Export](./azure-client#streaming-from-a-log-analytics-workspace).
* [OpenTelemetry on Azure](./azure-otel) — Application logs, metrics, and traces via a self-managed OpenTelemetry Collector or the OpenTelemetry SDK.
* [Azure Monitor OpenTelemetry Distro](./azure-monitor-otel-distro) — Microsoft's SDK distro; a convenient option for teams already using Application Insights who want to forward the same data to Bronto.

***

For assistance or questions, contact [support@bronto.io](mailto:support@bronto.io).