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Configure audit messages and external syslog server

Contributors netapp-pcarriga netapp-madkat netapp-lhalbert
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You can configure a number of settings related to audit messages. You can adjust the number of audit messages recorded; define any HTTP request headers you want to include in client read and write audit messages; configure an external syslog server; and specify where audit logs, security event logs, and StorageGRID software logs are sent.

Audit messages and logs record system activities and security events, and are essential tools for monitoring and troubleshooting. All StorageGRID nodes generate audit messages and logs to track system activity and events.

Optionally, you can configure an external syslog server to save audit information remotely. Using an external server minimizes the performance impact of audit message logging without reducing the completeness of audit data. An external syslog server is especially useful if you have a large grid, use multiple types of S3 applications, or want to retain all audit data. See Considerations for external syslog server for details.

Before you begin

Change audit message levels

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

Audit category Default setting More information

System

Normal

System audit messages

Storage

Error

Object storage audit messages

Management

Normal

Management audit message

Client reads

Normal

Client read audit messages

Client writes

Normal

Client write audit messages

ILM

Normal

ILM audit messages

Cross-grid replication

Error

CGRR: Cross-Grid Replication Request
Note These defaults apply if you initially installed StorageGRID using version 10.3 or later. If you initially used 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.

  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.

    Note If you don't require a detailed record of client read operations for your S3 applications, optionally change the Client Reads setting to Error to decrease the number of audit messages recorded in the audit log.

  3. Select Save.

    A green banner indicates your configuration has been saved.

Define HTTP request headers

You can optionally define any HTTP request headers you want to include in client read and write audit messages. These protocol headers apply to S3 and Swift requests only.

Steps

  1. In the Audit protocol headers section, define the 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.

  2. 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.

  3. Select Save

    A green banner indicates your configuration has been saved.

Use an external syslog server

You can optionally configure an external syslog server to save audit logs, application logs, and security event logs to a location outside of your grid.

Note If you don't want to use an external syslog server, skip this step and go to Select audit information destinations.
Tip If the configuration options available in this procedure aren't flexible enough to meet your requirements, additional configuration options can be applied using the audit-destinations endpoints, which are in the private API section of the Grid Management API. For example, you can use the API if you want to use different syslog servers for different groups of nodes.

Enter syslog information

Access the Configure external syslog server wizard and provide the information StorageGRID needs to access the external syslog server.

Steps

  1. From the Audit and syslog server page, select Configure external syslog server. Or, if you have previously configured an external syslog server, select Edit external syslog server.

    The Configure external syslog server wizard appears.

  2. For the Enter syslog info step of the wizard, enter a valid fully qualified domain name or an IPv4 or IPv6 address for the external syslog server in the Host field.

  3. Enter the destination port on the external syslog server (must be an integer between 1 and 65535). The default port is 514.

  4. Select the protocol used to send audit information to the external syslog server.

    Using TLS or RELP/TLS is recommended. You must upload a server certificate to use either of these options. Using certificates helps secure the connections between your grid and the external syslog server. For more information, see Manage security certificates.

    All protocol options require support by, and configuration of, the external syslog server. You must choose an option that is compatible with the external syslog server.

    Note Reliable Event Logging Protocol (RELP) extends the functionality of the syslog protocol to provide reliable delivery of event messages. Using RELP can help prevent the loss of audit information if your external syslog server has to restart.

  5. Select Continue.

  6. If you selected TLS or RELP/TLS, upload the server CA certificates, client certificate, and client private key.

    1. Select Browse for the certificate or key you want to use.

    2. Select the certificate or key file.

    3. Select Open to upload the file.

      A green check appears next to the certificate or key file name, notifying you that it has been uploaded successfully.

  7. Select Continue.

Manage syslog content

You can select which information to send to the external syslog server.

Steps

  1. For the Manage syslog content step of the wizard, select each type of audit information you want to send to the external syslog server.

    • Send audit logs: Sends StorageGRID events and system activities

    • Send security events: Sends security events such as when an unauthorized user attempts to sign in or a user signs in as root

    • Send application logs: Sends log files useful for troubleshooting including:

      • bycast-err.log

      • bycast.log

      • jaeger.log

      • nms.log (Admin Nodes only)

      • prometheus.log

      • raft.log

      • hagroups.log

    For information about StorageGRID software logs, see StorageGRID software logs.

  2. Use the drop-down menus to select the severity and facility (type of message) for each category of audit information you want to send.

    Setting severity and facility values can help you aggregate the logs in customizable ways for easier analysis.

    1. For Severity, select Passthrough, or select a severity value between 0 and 7.

      If you select a value, the selected value will be applied to all messages of this type. Information about different severities will be lost if you override severity with a fixed value.

      Severity Description

      Passthrough

      Each message sent to the external syslog to have the same severity value as when it was logged locally onto the node:

      • For audit logs, the severity is "info."

      • For security events, the severity values are generated by the Linux distribution on the nodes.

      • For application logs, the severities vary between "info" and "notice," depending on what the issue is. For example, adding an NTP server and configuring an HA group gives a value of "info," while intentionally stopping the SSM or RSM service gives a value of "notice."

      0

      Emergency: System is unusable

      1

      Alert: Action must be taken immediately

      2

      Critical: Critical conditions

      3

      Error: Error conditions

      4

      Warning: Warning conditions

      5

      Notice: Normal but significant condition

      6

      Informational: Informational messages

      7

      Debug: Debug-level messages

    2. For Facilty, select Passthrough, or select a facility value between 0 and 23.

      If you select a value, it will be applied to all messages of this type. Information about different facilities will be lost if you override facility with a fixed value.

      Facility Description

      Passthrough

      Each message sent to the external syslog to have the same facility value as when it was logged locally onto the node:

      • For audit logs, the facility sent to the external syslog server is "local7."

      • For security events, the facility values are generated by the linux distribution on the nodes.

      • For application logs, the application logs sent to the external syslog server have the following facility values:

        • bycast.log: user or daemon

        • bycast-err.log: user, daemon, local3, or local4

        • jaeger.log: local2

        • nms.log: local3

        • prometheus.log: local4

        • raft.log: local5

        • hagroups.log: local6

      0

      kern (kernel messages)

      1

      user (user-level messages)

      2

      mail

      3

      daemon (system daemons)

      4

      auth (security/authorization messages)

      5

      syslog (messages generated internally by syslogd)

      6

      lpr (line printer subsystem)

      7

      news (network news subsystem)

      8

      UUCP

      9

      cron (clock daemon)

      10

      security (security/authorization messages)

      11

      FTP

      12

      NTP

      13

      logaudit (log audit)

      14

      logalert (log alert)

      15

      clock (clock daemon)

      16

      local0

      17

      local1

      18

      local2

      19

      local3

      20

      local4

      21

      local5

      22

      local6

      23

      local7

  3. Select Continue.

Send test messages

Before starting to use an external syslog server, you should request that all nodes in your grid send test messages to the external syslog server. You should use these test messages to help you validate your entire log collection infrastructure before you commit to sending data to the external syslog server.

Caution Don't use the external syslog server configuration until you confirm that the external syslog server received a test message from each node in your grid and that the message was processed as expected.
Steps

  1. If you don't want to send test messages because you are certain your external syslog server is configured properly and can receive audit information from all the nodes in your grid, select Skip and finish.

    A green banner indicates that the configuration has been saved.

  2. Otherwise, select Send test messages (recommended).

    Test results continuously appear on the page until you stop the test. While the test is in progress, your audit messages continue to be sent to your previously configured destinations.

  3. If you receive any errors, correct them and select Send test messages again.

    See Troubleshoot an external syslog server to help you resolve any errors.

  4. Wait until you see a green banner indicating all nodes have passed testing.

  5. Check your syslog server to determine if test messages are being received and processed as expected.

    Note If you are using UDP, check your entire log collection infrastructure. The UDP protocol does not allow for as rigorous error detection as the other protocols.

  6. Select Stop and finish.

    You are returned to the Audit and syslog server page. A green banner indicates that the syslog server configuration has been saved.

    Note StorageGRID audit information is not sent to the external syslog server until you select a destination that includes the external syslog server.

Select audit information destinations

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

Note Some destination are available only if you have configured an external syslog server.
Steps

  1. On the Audit and syslog server page, select the destination for audit information.

    Tip Local nodes only and External syslog server typically provide better performance.
    Option Description

    Local nodes only (default)

    Audit messages, security event logs, and application logs are not sent to Admin Nodes. Instead, they are saved only on the nodes that generated them ("the local node"). The audit information generated on every local node is stored in /var/local/log/localaudit.log

    Note: StorageGRID periodically removes 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.

    Admin Nodes/local nodes

    Audit messages are sent to the audit log (/var/local/log/audit.log) on Admin Nodes, and security event logs and application logs are stored on the nodes that generated them.

    External syslog server

    Audit information is sent to an external syslog server and saved on the local nodes. 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 (/var/local/log/audit.log) on Admin Nodes, 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.

  2. Select Save.

    A warning message appears.

  3. Select OK to confirm that you want to change the destination for audit information.

    A green banner indicates that the audit configuration has been saved.

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