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2.2.1. Selecting Data Connectors

💡 First Principle: The right connector is determined by the source, not by preference: where the data originates and what interface it exposes decides how it can reach the workspace. Match the source type to the connector family first, then refine by cost and scale.

Connectors are delivered through Content hub solutions. Installing a solution brings its connector plus related analytics rules, workbooks, hunting queries, and parsers. You then open the connector page and configure it. The families behave differently:

SourceConnector familyHow data arrivesTypical table
Defender XDR, Entra ID, Azure Activity, Microsoft 365Service-to-serviceMicrosoft cloud to workspace directly (or by diagnostic settings)Product tables, SigninLogs, AzureActivity, OfficeActivity
Windows servers and workstationsAgent-based: Windows Security Events via AMAAMA on each machine, scoped by DCRSecurityEvent
Windows events centralized with WEFAgent-based: Windows Forwarded EventsAMA on the Windows Event CollectorWindowsEvent
Linux machines, network devices, firewallsAgent-based: Syslog via AMA, CEF via AMALinux forwarder running AMASyslog, CommonSecurityLog
Third-party SaaS APIsAPI-based (often Codeless Connector Framework)Sentinel polls the vendor APIVendor-specific _CL tables
Threat intelligenceTI connectors or upload APITAXII feed, Microsoft TI, or APIThreatIntelIndicators, ThreatIntelObjects
Anything customLogs Ingestion API or AMA custom logsYour code or the agent posts data through a DCRCustom _CL table

For Windows logs, the decision is mostly about which events and how many machines. Security event logs (logon events, process creation if auditing is enabled, privileged operations) are the core detection source. Domain controllers are the highest-value Windows source because authentication and Kerberos events concentrate there. Non-Azure machines (on-premises or other clouds) need Azure Arc so AMA can be deployed and managed on them through Azure.

Prefer a native connector over a generic one whenever both exist. A firewall that has a dedicated CEF solution gets parsers, rules, and workbooks for free; dumping the same data into generic Syslog leaves you to build all of that.

⚠️ Exam Trap: Non-Azure Windows and Linux machines must be Azure Arc-enabled before AMA-based connectors can collect from them. "Install AMA directly on on-premises servers with no Azure registration" is not the supported path.

Reflection Question: Your organization has Defender for Endpoint on every Windows device. Why might you still ingest Windows Security events from domain controllers into Sentinel, and what would you deliberately not collect from every workstation to control cost?

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Alvin Varughese
Written byAlvin Varughese
Founder•20 professional certifications