Latest revision as of 13:09, 17 July 2017

Rsyslog log format change proposal

Summary

Currently Fedora uses RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat as a default format for timestamps in its logs. There is missing year and timezone. This proposal aims to change this by adopting ISO 8601 and RFC 3339 compliant timestamp format known as RSYSLOG_FileFormat instead of current RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat.

Owner

Name: Radovan Sroka
Email: rsroka@redhat.com

Name: Roman Pavelka
Email: rpavelka@redhat.com
Release notes owner:

Current status

Targeted release: Fedora 27
Last updated: 2017-07-17
Tracker bug: #1429009

Detailed Description

Currently Fedora, RHEL and CentOS use RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat for log’s timestamp, so timestamps in files like /var/log/messages, /var/log/cron and /var/log/secure looks like e.g.:

May 29 13:37:50 localhost systemd: Starting Fingerprint Authentication Daemon...

This format has few disadvantages

Does not include year which sometimes may be needed, mostly when doing long term analysis or some investigation.

Does not include timezone which may be important piece when working with system scattered around the globe.

It is not standard format. Standards are ISO 8601 and more strict RFC 3339

We would propose to change this to defaults to standard format with timezone included. We are suggesting RSYSLOG_FileFormat that looks like e.g.:

2017-05-29T13:40:50.976409+02:00 localhost systemd: Stopping System Logging Service...

This also matches short-iso-precise output format in journalctl added in the upcoming systemd v234. All necessary changes are:

$ diff rsyslog.conf.orig rsyslog.conf -u
--- rsyslog.conf.orig    2017-05-26 16:31:09.768671818 +0200
+++ rsyslog.conf    2017-05-26 16:30:36.093682748 +0200
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 global(workDirectory="/var/lib/rsyslog")
 
 # Use default timestamp format
-module(load="builtin:omfile" Template="RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat")
+module(load="builtin:omfile" Template="RSYSLOG_FileFormat")
 
 # Include all config files in /etc/rsyslog.d/
 $IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf

Benefit to Fedora

Compliance to international standard, more information available in logs.

Scope

Proposal owners:
- commit necessary changes
- create rsyslog build
Other developers: none
Release engineering: Releng#6818
- List of deliverables: Not affected
Policies and guidelines: Not affected
Trademark approval: Not needed for this Change

Upgrade/compatibility impact

Someone parsing logs would need update his/her scripts or revert configuration to traditional one.

How To Test

Restart rsyslog by “systemctl restart rsyslog” and check “sudo tail /var/log/messages”, timestamp should be in ISO 8601 format, e.g.: 2017-05-26T16:25:47.125900+02:00

User Experience

Regular users should not experience any change. Administrators would benefit from more information provided, especially when maintaining a system scattered in more timezones or doing long-term analysis.

Dependencies

None

Contingency Plan

Contingency mechanism: Rsyslog maintainer will either change the configuration or keep the original.
Contingency deadline: Fedora 27 Beta freeze
Blocks release? No
Blocks product? No

Documentation

http://www.rsyslog.com/doc/v8-stable/configuration/templates.html

Release Notes

@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 * FESCo shepherd: [[User:FASAccountName| Shehperd name]] <email address>
 -->
 <!--- UNCOMMENT only if this Change aims specific product, working group (Cloud, Workstation, Server, Base, Env & Stacks)
 * Product:
@@ Line 76: / Line 74: @@
 <pre>May 29 13:37:50 localhost systemd: Starting Fingerprint Authentication Daemon...</pre>
-We are suggesting new '''RSYSLOG_FileFormat''' that looks like e.g.:
+This format has few disadvantages
-<pre>2017-05-29T13:40:50.976409+02:00 localhost systemd: Stopping System Logging Service...</pre>
+* Does not include year which sometimes may be needed, mostly when doing long term analysis or some investigation.
+* Does not include timezone which may be important piece when working with system scattered around the globe.
-This format has few disadvantages
+* It is not standard format. Standards are ISO 8601 and more strict RFC 3339
-. Does not include year which sometimes may be needed, mostly when doing long term analysis or some investigation.
+We would propose to change this to defaults to standard format with timezone included. We are suggesting '''RSYSLOG_FileFormat''' that looks like e.g.:
-. Does not include timezone which may be important piece when working with system scattered around the globe.
+<pre>2017-05-29T13:40:50.976409+02:00 localhost systemd: Stopping System Logging Service...</pre>
-. It is not standard format. Standards are ISO 8601 and more strict RFC 3339
+This also matches short-iso-precise output format in journalctl added in the upcoming systemd v234. All necessary changes are:
-I would propose to change this to defaults to standard format with timezone included.
+<pre>$ diff rsyslog.conf.orig rsyslog.conf -u
+--- rsyslog.conf.orig    2017-05-26 16:31:09.768671818 +0200
++++ rsyslog.conf    2017-05-26 16:30:36.093682748 +0200
+@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
+ global(workDirectory="/var/lib/rsyslog")
+ # Use default timestamp format
+-module(load="builtin:omfile" Template="RSYSLOG_TraditionalFileFormat")
++module(load="builtin:omfile" Template="RSYSLOG_FileFormat")
+ # Include all config files in /etc/rsyslog.d/
+ $IncludeConfig /etc/rsyslog.d/*.conf</pre>
 == Benefit to Fedora ==
@@ Line 101: / Line 111: @@
 == Scope ==
 * Proposal owners:
+** commit necessary changes
+** create rsyslog build
 <!-- What work do the feature owners have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
+* Other developers: none <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-* Other developers: N/A (not a System Wide Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- What work do other developers have to accomplish to complete the feature in time for release?  Is it a large change affecting many parts of the distribution or is it a very isolated change? What are those changes?-->
+* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issue/6818 Releng#6818]
-* Release engineering: [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number] (a check of an impact with Release Engeneering is needed) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE AS WELL AS FOR SELF CONTAINED CHANGES -->
+<!-- [https://pagure.io/releng/issues #Releng issue number] (a check of an impact with Release Engeneering is needed) --> <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE AS WELL AS FOR SELF CONTAINED CHANGES -->
 <!-- Does this feature require coordination with release engineering (e.g. changes to installer image generation or update package delivery)?  Is a mass rebuid required?  include a link to the releng issue.
 The issue is required to be filed prior to feature submission, to ensure that someone is on board to do any process development work and testing, and that all changes make it into the pipeline; a bullet point in a change is not sufficient communication -->
+** [[Fedora_Program_Management/ReleaseBlocking/Fedora{{FedoraVersionNumber|next}}|List of deliverables]]: Not affected <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-** [[Fedora_Program_Management/ReleaseBlocking/Fedora{{FedoraVersionNumber|next}}|List of deliverables]]: N/A (not a System Wide Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- Please check the list of Fedora release deliverables and list all the differences the feature brings -->
+* Policies and guidelines: Not affected <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-* Policies and guidelines: N/A (not a System Wide Change) <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
 <!-- Do the packaging guidelines or other documents need to be updated for this feature?  If so, does it need to happen before or after the implementation is done?  If a FPC ticket exists, add a link here. -->
+* Trademark approval: Not needed for this Change
-* Trademark approval: N/A (not needed for this Change)
 <!-- If your Change may require trademark approval (for example, if it is a new Spin), file a ticket ( https://fedorahosted.org/council/ ) requesting trademark approval from the Fedora Council. This approval will be done via the Council's consensus-based process. -->
@@ Line 123: / Line 131: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+Someone parsing logs would need update his/her scripts or revert configuration to traditional one.
 == How To Test ==
@@ Line 141: / Line 149: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+Restart rsyslog by “systemctl restart rsyslog” and check “sudo tail /var/log/messages”, timestamp should be in ISO 8601 format, e.g.:
+-05-26T16:25:47.125900+02:00
 == User Experience ==
 <!-- If this change proposal is noticeable by its target audience, how will their experiences change as a result?  Describe what they will see or notice. -->
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+Regular users should not experience any change. Administrators would benefit from more information provided, especially when maintaining a system scattered in more timezones or doing long-term analysis.
 == Dependencies ==
@@ Line 152: / Line 161: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+None
 == Contingency Plan ==
-<!-- If you cannot complete your feature by the final development freeze, what is the backup plan?  This might be as simple as "Revert the shipped configuration".  Or it might not (e.g. rebuilding a number of dependent packages).  If you feature is not completed in time we want to assure others that other parts of Fedora will not be in jeopardy.  -->
+* Contingency mechanism: Rsyslog maintainer will either change the configuration or keep the original.
-* Contingency mechanism: (What to do?  Who will do it?) N/A (not a System Wide Change)  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Contingency deadline: Fedora 27 Beta freeze
-<!-- When is the last time the contingency mechanism can be put in place?  This will typically be the beta freeze. -->
+* Blocks release? No
-* Contingency deadline: N/A (not a System Wide Change)  <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
+* Blocks product? No
-<!-- Does finishing this feature block the release, or can we ship with the feature in incomplete state? -->
-* Blocks release? N/A (not a System Wide Change), Yes/No <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-* Blocks product? product <!-- Applicable for Changes that blocks specific product release/Fedora.next -->
 == Documentation ==
@@ Line 168: / Line 174: @@
 <!-- REQUIRED FOR SYSTEM WIDE CHANGES -->
-N/A (not a System Wide Change)
+http://www.rsyslog.com/doc/v8-stable/configuration/templates.html
 == Release Notes ==
@@ Line 184: / Line 190: @@
 <!-- Select proper category, default is Self Contained Change -->
-[[Category:SelfContainedChange]]
+<!-- [[Category:SelfContainedChange]] -->
-<!-- [[Category:SystemWideChange]] -->
+[[Category:SystemWideChange]]

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