- 9 minutes to read

Configuring the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent

This guide teaches how to configure the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent. The following two main options exist:

  1. Log File Events - Use this option to correlate events spanning one or more log files containing a date and some Identifier to use correlating the set.

  2. Content File - Use this option to get alerts if the specified RegEx matches data in one or more files.

Please use RegEx101 or a similar tool, to test your RegEx expression. You must practice RegEx to use this agent.

Note: The Monitoring and the remote configuration is available if you first install and create the initial Monitoring Agent Configuration for the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent. First-time users start here.

Remote Configuration

As a Nodinite Administrator, click on the 'Configuration' button to open a modal to configure the agent:

RemoteConfiguration
Click the 'Configuration' button to open a modal to configure the agent

Many specific configurations can also be made directly on the Resource using the Action button if the Monitor View has the use of Remote Actions feature enabled.

You must be a Nodinite Administrator, to Manage the collection of 'Log File Event' configurations.

Add 'Log File Events' monitoring configuration

The Log File Events tab holds an array with one or more log file monitoring configuration entries.
LogFilesTab
Add a new log file monitoring configuration. Perform the steps from within the 'Log File Events' tab

  • Press the Add button to add one (or more) log file monitoring configurations:
    EmptyAccordion
    An example of a 'Log File Events' monitoring configuration, there is one accordion per entry.

  • Repeat this step for each of your log file configurations to monitor with Nodinite

Configuring the Log File Monitoring entry

Click the Accordion to expand the configuration, then you can manage the content of the configuration.

General tab

Next, You need to enter some basic details for fields available in the General tab:

GeneralTab
First, name the configuration, and provide some general properties for this configuration

For each entry, the following properties can be set in the General Tab:

  • Enable monitoring of this Log File Configuration - When checked, Log File found according to the current settings, will be monitored
  • Display name - A user-friendly name.
  • Description - Logical user-friendly short description for this configuration
  • Application Id - Enter the Id from the Applications tab

Path tab

Next, You need to enter some details about the folder and type of files, available in the Path tab:

PathTab

  • Folder - The folder to look for log files to monitor. Provide a valid path reachable for the agent.
  • Filter - To get a specific type of files, enter a matching RegEx based expression

Filter

Below is a table with some common RegEx examples:

Filter Example Comment
\.xml$ XML Files All XML files with suffix ".xml"
\.txt$ Text Files All text files with suffix ".txt"
^ONLYME\.data$ Specific file Only this file "ONLYME.data"

Start Match tab

Next, You need to enter some details about what to start looking for in the log files, available in the Start Match tab:

Start Match

Line contains - Enter the RegEx, to check if the line contains a match, 'X' start to check for date, value and error(s)

  • Match date - Enter the RegEx, to extract the date and time (according to the format in the log file), for example ([0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}[T\\s]?[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\\.[0-9]{3}(\\+[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2})?)

  • Matched date groups - The RegEx match group numbers, or named groups (comma separated list). E.g. ^([0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}[T\\s]?[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\\.[0-9]{3}(\\+[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2})?), use number 1

  • Date Time Format (Optional)New 6.2 - Enter the Date Time format to use in the conversion to a DateTime, i.e yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fffZ

  • Match value -Enter the RegEx to extract the value to be used to compare with the 'End Match', for example #([0-9]{1,2})([0-9]{1,})

  • Matched value groups - The RegEx match should group the specified numbers, or named groups (comma separated list). E.g. 'Loading value ([0-9A-Z]{1,}), use number 1

  • Error, if found on line - If the line contains a match with the specified RegEx, issue the error alert

End Match tab

Next, You need to enter some optional details about what to match next with, from the log files, available in the End Match tab:

End Match - Part 1

  • Line contains - Enter the RegEx, to check if the line contains a match, 'X' start to check for date, value and error(s)
  • Match date - RegEx to extract date and time, for example ([0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}[T\\s]?[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\\.[0-9]{3}(\\+[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2})?)
  • Matched date groups - The RegEx group number, or named groups (comma-separated list). E.g. ^([0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}[T\\s]?[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}\\.[0-9]{3}(\\+[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2})?), use number 1
  • Date Time Format (Optional)New 6.2 - Enter the Date Time format to use in the conversion to a DateTime, i.e yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fffZ
  • Match value - Enter the RegEx to extract the value to be used to compare 'Start Match' value with the 'End Match' value. For example #([0-9]{1,2})([0-9]{1,})
  • Matched value groups - The RegEx match should group the specified numbers, or named groups (comma-separated list). E.g. 'Loading value ([0-9A-Z]{1,}), use number 1

As there are many options on this tab, the rest follows as below: End Match - Part 2

  • Error if found on Line - If the Line contains a RegEx match 'X' issue the error alert
  • Warning Time Span - Issue the warning alert, if the matching event (Match End) did not happen within this threshold
  • Error Time Span - Issue the error alert, if the matching event (Match End) did not happen within this threshold

Time Options tab

Next, You can manage the 'Clear Date Time' field and select a Time Option for files to be included in the Monitoring.

Timed Options tab

  • Clear Date Time - Ignore issues that occurred before this time. Exclude files with an older created/modified time according to the 'File time option' setting and whether the files should include a date time. in ISO 8601 format (UTC or with date time offset) (yyyy-mm-ddThh:MM:ss.ms+/-timezoneoffset, for example '2019-05-17T13:37:00.123+02:00'
  • File time option - Select the time option for files to be included for evaluation (using the time from the file system)
  • File time span Time span subtracted from 'Clear Date Time' to include older files that otherwise would have been excluded
  • Lines have a DateTime - When checked, you can use the Clear operation to ignore previous errors on a line by line basis. Otherwise, the Clear operation applies to each file.
  • Match date - Enter the RegEx to extract the date and time (according to the format in the log file)
  • Matched date groups - The RegEx match group numbers, or named groups (comma separated list). E.g. '^([0-9]{4}-[0-9]{2}-[0-9]{2}[T\s]?[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2}.[0-9]{3}(+[0-9]{2}:[0-9]{2})?)', use number 1
  • Date Time Format (Optional) - Enter the Date Time format to use in the conversion to a DateTime, i.e yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fffZ
  • Use Agent time zone - Use this setting when the date and time lack the UTC 'Z' indicator or offset. When checked, assume the date-time is in the same time zone as the agent. Otherwise, assume the date-time is UTC.

Time options

Time options

  • Created after - File time span
  • Created after Clear Date Time
  • Created after Clear Date Time - File time span - This is a useful option for IIS Logs
  • Evaluate all
  • Last Created, one file only
  • Last Modified, one file only
  • Modified after Clear Date Time
  • Modified after - File time span

Applications tab

There is support to partition the monitored log file configurations (Resources), using the Nodinite Applications grouping concept. Read more about the Applications concept here:

The list of Applications is populated from within the settings from within the Application tab.

List of Applications

  • ApplicationId - The Id in use as the internal reference to the application from the other tabs. A positive integer set by an administrator.
  • Name - The user-friendly name is displayed on the Resource in Monitor Views.
  • Description - A user-friendly description of the Application.
  • There can be any number of Applications.
    • Click the Add button to add additional records.
    • Click the icon to remove the selected record.
  • The ApplicationId is used to reference the name of the Application.

Settings tab

From within the Settings tab, you provide some details that determine the operation behaviour of the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent.

  • Environment
  • Debug
  • Culture Information

SettingsTab

Environment

Part of the common features shared with all Monitoring Agents is an option to set the name of the target Environment, for example, TEST, QA, PROD.

Debug

As part of the common features shared with all Monitoring Agents, there is an option to set the Debug flag for additional file logging that can be enabled/disabled as needed (Default is unchecked).

Culture Information

The Culture Information setting determines how time-based data from this agent is presented in the Web Client/Web API.

Save

You must click Save for changes to be written to the agent and take effect.
Save and Close buttons

NOTE: The delay in presenting the new evaluated state depends on the synchronisation interval set for the monitoring agent. Click the Sync Now button to force an immediate synchronisation.

Save and close, save, and close the dialogue.
Cancel, closes the dialogue without saving any changes.

Add Log File Parser Monitoring Agent Configuration

After the successful installation of the Log File Parser Monitoring Agent you must provide Nodinite with connection details so the Monitoring Service knows there's a new guy in town.

No monitoring or other configuration of the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent can be performed before the steps outlined below has been executed.

Configuration Steps

  1. Add and configure a new Monitoring Agent Configuration

    • Connection information is available in the README.txt file in the installation folder

  2. Use the Remote Configuration feature to configure the agent. Detailed at the beginning of this user guide.

  3. Create one or more self-service enabled Monitor Views that include the selected Resources provided by the Nodinite Log File Parser Monitoring Agent according to business needs.

  4. Fine-tune specific settings directly on Resources using Remote Actions


Next Step

Add or manage a Monitoring Agent Configuration
Add or manage Monitor View
Update
How to monitor correlated events
How to monitor file content
How to monitor the IIS (W3SVC) log files

Install Log File Parser Monitoring Agent
Monitoring Agents
Applications

C:\Users\MichaelOlsson\Projects\Docs\Media\Documentation Pictures\MonitorAgent\LogFileParser\TimeOptionsTab.png