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Configure audit messages and log destinations

Contributors netapp-pcelmer netapp-perveilerk netapp-madkat netapp-lhalbert

Audit messages and logs record system activities and security events, and are essential tools for monitoring and troubleshooting. You can adjust audit levels to increase or decrease the type and number of audit messages recorded. Optionally, you can define any HTTP request headers you want to include in client read and write audit messages. You can also configure an external syslog server and change the destination of audit information.

For more information on audit messages, see Review audit logs.

What you'll need
  • You are signed in to the Grid Manager using a supported web browser.

  • You have Maintenance or Root access permissions.

About this task

All StorageGRID nodes generate audit messages and logs to track system activity and events. By default, audit information is sent to the audit log on Admin Nodes. You can adjust audit levels to increase or decrease the type and number of audit messages recorded in the audit log. Optionally, you can configure audit information to be sent to a remote syslog server or to be stored temporarily on the originating nodes for manual collection.

Change audit message levels in the audit log

You can set a different audit level for each of the following categories of messages in the audit log:

Audit category Description

System

By default, this level is set to Normal. See System audit messages.

Storage

By default, this level is set to Error. See Object storage audit messages.

Management

By default, this level is set to Normal. See Management audit message.

Client Reads

By default, this level is set to Normal. See Client read audit messages.

Client Writes

By default, this level is set to Normal. See Client write audit messages.

Note These defaults apply if you initially installed StorageGRID using version 10.3 or later. If you have upgraded from an earlier version of StorageGRID, the default for all categories is set to Normal.
Note During upgrades, audit level configurations will not be effective immediately.
Steps
  1. Select CONFIGURATION > Monitoring > Audit and syslog server.

    Audit messages main page
  2. For each category of audit message, select an audit level from the drop-down list:

    Audit level Description

    Off

    No audit messages from the category are logged.

    Error

    Only error messages are logged—​audit messages for which the result code was not "successful" (SUCS).

    Normal

    Standard transactional messages are logged—​the messages listed in these instructions for the category.

    Debug

    Deprecated. This level behaves the same as the Normal audit level.

    The messages included for any particular level include those that would be logged at the higher levels. For example, the Normal level includes all of the Error messages.

  3. Optionally, under Audit protocol headers, define any HTTP request headers you want to include in client read and write audit messages. Use an asterisk (*) as a wildcard to match zero or more characters. Use the escape sequence (\*) to match a literal asterisk.

    Note Audit protocol headers apply to S3 and Swift requests only.
  4. Select Add another header to create additional headers, if needed.

    When HTTP headers are found in a request, they are included in the audit message under the field HTRH.

    Note Audit protocol request headers are logged only if the audit level for Client Reads or Client Writes is not Off.
  5. Select Save

    A green banner displays indicating your configuration has been saved successfully.

Use an external syslog server

You can configure an external syslog server if you want to save audit information remotely.

Select audit information destinations

You can specify where audit logs, security event logs, and application logs are sent.

Note Some destination are available only if you are using an external syslog server. See Configure an external syslog server to configure an external syslog server.
Note For more information on StorageGRID software logs, see StorageGRID software logs.
  1. On the Audit and syslog server page, select the destination for audit information from the listed options:

    Option Description

    Default (Admin nodes/local nodes)

    Audit messages are sent to the audit log (audit.log) on the Admin Node, and security event logs and application logs are stored on the nodes where they were generated (also referred to as "the local node").

    External syslog server

    Audit information is sent to an external syslog server and saved on the local node. The type of information sent depends upon how you configured the external syslog server. This option is enabled only after you have configured an external syslog server.

    Admin Node and external syslog server

    Audit messages are sent to the audit log (audit.log) on the Admin Node, and audit information is sent to the external syslog server and saved on the local node. The type of information sent depends upon how you configured the external syslog server. This option is enabled only after you have configured an external syslog server.

    Local nodes only

    No audit information is sent to an Admin Node or remote syslog server. Audit information is saved only on the nodes that generated it.

    Note: StorageGRID periodically removes these local logs in a rotation to free up space. When the log file for a node reaches 1 GB, the existing file is saved, and a new log file is started. The rotation limit for the log is 21 files. When the 22nd version of the log file is created, the oldest log file is deleted. On average about 20 GB of log data is stored on each node.

Note Audit information generated on every local node is stored in /var/local/log/localaudit.log
  1. Select Save.

A warning message appears:

Caution Change the log destination?
  1. Confirm that you want to change the destination for audit information by selecting OK.

    A green banner appears notifying you that your audit configuration has been saved successfully.

    New logs are sent to the destinations you selected. Existing logs remain in their current location.