rsyslog/doc/source/configuration/modules/mmnormalize.rst

Log Message Normalization Module (mmnormalize)
==============================================

**Module Name:    mmnormalize**

**Available since:** 6.1.2+

**Author:** Rainer Gerhards <rgerhards@adiscon.com>

**Description**:

This module provides the capability to normalize log messages via
`liblognorm <http://www.liblognorm.com>`_. Thanks to liblognorm,
unstructured text, like usually found in log messages, can very quickly
be parsed and put into a normal form. This is done so quickly, that it
should be possible to normalize events in realtime.

This module is implemented via the output module interface. This means
that mmnormalize should be called just like an action. After it has been
called, the normalized message properties are available and can be
accessed. These properties are called the "CEE/lumberjack" properties,
because liblognorm creates a format that is inspired by the
CEE/lumberjack approach.

**Please note:** CEE/lumberjack properties are different from regular
properties. They have always "$!" prepended to the property name given
in the rulebase. Such a property needs to be called with
**%$!propertyname%**.

Note that from a performance point of view mmnormalize should only be called
once on each message, if possible. To do so, place all rules into a single
rule base. If that is not possible, you can safely call mmnormalize multiple
times. This incurs a small performance drawback.

Module Parameters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: parameter names are case-insensitive.

.. function:: allow_regex <boolean>

   **Default**: off

   Specifies if regex field-type should be allowed. Regex field-type has
   significantly higher computational overhead compared to other fields,
   so it should be avoided when another field-type can achieve the desired
   effect. Needs to be "on" for regex field-type to work.

Action Parameters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: parameter names are case-insensitive.

.. function:: ruleBase <word>

   Specifies which rulebase file is to use. If there are multiple
   mmnormalize instances, each one can use a different file. However, a
   single instance can use only a single file. This parameter or **rule** MUST be
   given, because normalization can only happen based on a rulebase. It
   is recommended that an absolute path name is given. Information on
   how to create the rulebase can be found in the `liblognorm
   manual <http://www.liblognorm.com/files/manual/index.html>`_.

.. function:: rule <array>

   *(Available since: 8.26.0)*

   Contains an array of strings which will be put together as the rulebase. This parameter
   or **rulebase** MUST be given, because normalization can only happen based on a rulebase.

.. function:: useRawMsg <boolean>

   **Default**: off

   Specifies if the raw message should be used for normalization (on)
   or just the MSG part of the message (off).

.. function:: path <word>

   **Default**: $!

   Specifies the JSON path under which parsed elements should be
   placed. By default, all parsed properties are merged into root of
   message properties. You can place them under a subtree, instead. You
   can place them in local variables, also, by setting path="$.".

.. function:: variable <word>

   *(Available since: 8.5.1)*

   Specifies if a variable instead of property 'msg' should be used for
   normalization. A variable can be property, local variable, json-path etc.
   Please note that **useRawMsg** overrides this parameter, so if **useRawMsg**
   is set, **variable** will be ignored and raw message will be used.




Legacy Configuration Parameters
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: parameter names are case-insensitive.

-  $mmnormalizeRuleBase <rulebase-file> - equivalent to the "ruleBase"
   parameter.
-  $mmnormalizeUseRawMsg <on/off> - equivalent to the "useRawMsg"
   parameter.

See Also
~~~~~~~~

-  `First steps for
   mmnormalize <http://www.rsyslog.com/normalizer-first-steps-for-mmnormalize/>`_
-  `Log normalization and special
   characters <http://www.rsyslog.com/log-normalization-and-special-characters/>`_
-  `Log normalization and the leading
   space <http://www.rsyslog.com/log-normalization-and-the-leading-space/>`_
-  `Using mmnormalize effectively with Adiscon
   LogAnalyzer <http://www.rsyslog.com/using-rsyslog-mmnormalize-module-effectively-with-adiscon-loganalyzer/>`_

Caveats/Known Bugs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

None known at this time.

Example
~~~~~~~

**Sample 1:**

In this sample messages are received via imtcp. Then they are normalized with the given rulebase.
After that they are written in a file.

::

  module(load="mmnormalize")
  module(load="imtcp")

  input(type="imtcp" port="10514" ruleset="outp")

  ruleset(name="outp") {
  	action(type="mmnormalize" rulebase="/tmp/rules.rulebase")
  	action(type="omfile" File="/tmp/output")
  }

**Sample 2:**

In this sample messages are received via imtcp. Then they are normalized based on the given rules.
The strings from **rule** are put together and are equal to a rulebase with the same content.

::

  module(load="mmnormalize")
  module(load="imtcp")

  input(type="imtcp" port="10514" ruleset="outp")

  ruleset(name="outp") {
  	action(type="mmnormalize" rule=["rule=:%host:word% %tag:char-to:\\x3a%: no longer listening on %ip:ipv4%#%port:number%", "rule=:%host:word% %ip:ipv4% user was logged out"])
  	action(type="omfile" File="/tmp/output")
  }

**Sample 3:**

This activates the module and applies normalization to all messages:

::

  module(load="mmnormalize")
  action(type="mmnormalize" ruleBase="/path/to/rulebase.rb")

The same in legacy format:

::

  $ModLoad mmnormalize
  $mmnormalizeRuleBase /path/to/rulebase.rb
  *.* :mmnormalize: