Logstash is an open-source data processing pipeline that ingests data from various sources, transforms it, and then outputs it to a variety of destinations. It's widely used for log management and data processing in complex environments.

Key Features

  • Flexible Data Processing: Logstash can process data in various formats, including JSON, XML, CSV, and more.
  • Pipeline Configuration: You can define a data processing pipeline with a configuration file, specifying inputs, filters, and outputs.
  • Scalable: Logstash can be scaled horizontally to handle large volumes of data.

Use Cases

  • Log Management: Collect, process, and store logs from various sources for analysis.
  • Data Aggregation: Aggregate data from multiple sources and transform it into a unified format.
  • Event Driven Architecture: Use Logstash to trigger actions based on specific events.

Getting Started

To get started with Logstash, you can follow these steps:

  1. Install Logstash: Download and install Logstash.
  2. Configure Input: Define the input source in the Logstash configuration file.
  3. Configure Filters: Apply filters to transform the data as needed.
  4. Configure Output: Define the output destination for the processed data.

Example Configuration

input {
  file {
    path => "/path/to/your/logs/*.log"
    start_position => "beginning"
  }
}

filter {
  mutate {
    convert => {
      "timestamp" => "date"
    }
  }
}

output {
  stdout { codec => rubydebug }
}

Logstash Architecture

For more detailed information and resources, please visit the Logstash documentation.