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Web Server Log Delivery Setup

RTLD may automatically deliver compressed log data to a web server by submitting HTTPS POST requests to it. The body for each of these requests will be a JSON or CSV document that uniquely identifies a set of log data and describes one or more log entries.

Key information:

  • RTLD applies gzip compression to log data. Each HTTPS POST request includes a Content-Encoding header set to gzip.
  • Log fields vary by RTLD module: RTLD CDN | RTLD Rate Limiting | RTLD WAF

To prepare your web servers for log delivery

  1. Configure your web server(s) to:

    • Support the HTTPS protocol.

      Log delivery requires a certificate whose trust anchor is a publicly trusted certificate authority (CA). Additionally, the certificate must include a chain of trust for all intermediate certificate(s) and a leaf certificate.

    • Allow HTTPS POST requests.

    • Return a 2xx response (e.g., 200 OK) whenever data is successfully received.

      If your web server responds with any other status code, then our service will retransmit the same log data at regular intervals. This may result in the delivery of duplicate log data.

  2. Configure your firewall to allow POST requests from the following IP blocks:

  3. Set up a workflow for handling or processing the log data that will be posted to your web server(s).

    Example: Create a listener for HTTPS POST requests that mines specific data from log entries.

  4. Upon completing the above steps, you should create a log delivery profile for HTTP POST.

To set up a log delivery profile

  1. From the Real-Time Log Delivery CDN page, click + New Log Delivery Profile.

    1. Open the desired property.

      1. Select either your private space or a team space.
      2. Click on the desired property.

    2. From the left pane, click on the desired environment.

    3. From the left pane, click Realtime Log Delivery.

  2. From the Profile Name option, assign a name to this log delivery profile.

  3. From the Log Delivery Method option, select HTTP POST.

  4. Define how RTLD will communicate with your web server(s).

    1. Set the Request URL option to a URL that may leverage the workflow defined in the To prepare your web servers for log delivery procedure. This URL must use the HTTPS protocol.

      Specify a custom port to deliver log data over that port instead of 443.

      Sample URL: https://logs.mydomain.com/cdn/logs.aspx

    2. From the Authentication Type option, select one of the following modes:

      • Custom Authentication: Select this mode when your web server(s) expects the Authorization request header to be set to a custom token value. Set the Token option to a value that will authorize requests to your web server(s).

        Log data will be posted to your web server(s) via HTTPS POST requests with an Authorization request header set to the specified value.

        Authorization header syntax: Authorization: <TOKEN>

      • HTTP Basic: Select this mode if your web server(s) allow content to be uploaded via standard HTTP basic authentication. Set the desired credentials via the Username and Password options.

        Base-64 encoding will applied to the specified credentials. After which, the encoded value will be passed via the Authorization header.

        Authorization header syntax: Authorization: Basic <BASE64-ENCODED CREDENTIALS>

      • None: Select this mode if your web server(s) allow content to be posted without authorization.

  5. From the Log Format option, select whether to format log data using our standard JSON format, as a JSON array, as JSON lines, or as a CSV (RTLD CDN only).

    Learn more: RTLD CDN | RTLD Rate Limiting | RTLD WAF

  6. From the Downsample the Logs option, determine whether to reduce the amount of log data that will be delivered. For example, you may choose to only deliver 1% of your log data.

    • All Log Data: Verify that the Downsample the Logs option is cleared.

    • Downsampled Log Data: Downsample logs to 0.1%, 1%, 25%, 50%, or 75% of total log data by enabling the Downsample the Logs option and then selecting the desired rate from the Downsampling Rate option.

      Use this capability to reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed or stored within your web server(s).

      RTLD CDN Only: Downsampling log data also reduces usage charges for this service.

  7. Determine whether log data will be filtered.

  8. By default, all log fields are enabled on a new log delivery profile. Clear each field for which log data should not be reported. Adjust the set of log fields that will be included within this log delivery profile from within the Fields section.

    Log fields are categorized. You may add or remove individual fields by expanding a category and then marking or clearing specific log fields. Alternatively, add or remove all of the log fields associated with a category by marking or clearing the desired category.

    RTLD CDN Only: You may also log request headers, response headers, and cookies by adding them through the Custom Request Headers, Custom Response Headers, and Custom Cookies options.i

    You may either select the name of the desired header or cookie, or type its name and then press ENTER. Click on the list to add additional headers or cookies. Remove a header or cookie by clicking on its x.

    Although other settings take effect quickly, it may take up to 90 minutes before data for custom request/response headers and cookies is logged.

    TODO: Verify

  9. Click Create Log Delivery Profile.

Filtering Log Data

Filter log data to only include relevant information and to reduce the amount of data being ingested. Filtering options vary by RTLD module.

An alternative method for reducing the amount of log data sent to your destination is downsampling. However, downsampling log data is indiscriminate, while filtering allows you to target the set of traffic that is most relevant to your business needs.

Filtering RTLD CDN Log Data

You may filter by:

  • Hostname: Filter log data to only include traffic directed to the desired hostname(s). Set up hostname filtering within the Filter by Hostname section.

    • Filter log data by one or more hostname(s) by:

      1. Determine whether log data will be filtered to include or exclude requests to the selected hostname(s) by selecting either Matches or Does Not Match, respectively.
      2. Click within the Hostnames option and select the desired hostname(s).

      Filter the list by typing the entire or partial hostname. For example, typing co will filter the list to include all hostnames that contain co (e.g., cdn.example.com and corp.example.org).

    • Upload all log data regardless of hostname: Verify that a hostname has not been defined within the Hostnames option.

      Remove a hostname by clicking on its x.

  • User Agent: Filter log data to only include traffic that was requested by a client whose user agent matches a RE2-compatible regular expression pattern. Set up user agent filtering within the Filter by User Agent option.

    • Filter log data by user agent: Type a RE2-compatible regular expression pattern that identifies the set of user agents by which log data will be filtered.

    • Upload all log data regardless of user agent: Set it to a blank value.

  • Status Code: Filter log data to only include traffic for specific status code(s). Set up status code filtering within the Filter by Status Code section.

    • Filter log data by status code: Select each status code class (e.g., 2xx or 3xx) for which log data will be delivered.

    • Upload all log data regardless of status code: Verify that a status code class (e.g., 2xx and 3xx) has not been defined within this option.

      Remove a status code class by clicking on its x.