Plan Your Deployment

Planning a Graylog deployment requires a structured approach to ensure scalability, efficiency, and security. This section of the documentation is designed to introduce important Graylog concepts and considerations so that you can make informed decisions when implementing Graylog. It covers essential topics such as the Graylog stack, architecture models and deployment options, log processing workflows, network requirements, backup and restore procedures, and security best practices.

The Graylog Stack

The Graylog Stack reviews the key components of a Graylog deployment:

  • Graylog: The central element responsible for log collection, processing, and search.

  • Data Node: Stores log data and ensures efficient indexing and restore.

  • MongoDB: Manages metadata, configuration settings, and user data.

Together, these components create a scalable and efficient system that enables organizations to collect, store, analyze, and visualize log data for troubleshooting, security monitoring, and operational insights.

Graylog Architecture

A well-designed architecture is key to achieving a reliable and scalable deployment, as noted in Graylog Architecture. Each deployment type has distinct characteristics, scalability considerations, and infrastructure requirements. This documentation will invite you to consider the following standardized architecture models to determine which best suits your environment: 

  • Core: A single Graylog node deployment suited for small-scale implementations or test environments.

  • Conventional: A multi-node model with three Data Nodes and three Graylog/MongoDB nodes generally designed for most medium to large-scale deployments.

It is also possible to build custom deployments that are flexible and tailored to your unique requirements or large log volume.

The Log Lifecycle

Understanding how log messages flow through Graylog is essential for efficient log management. The Log Lifecycle introduces these key processes as part of the lifecycle:

  • Ingestion: Collecting logs from various sources.

  • Storage: Indexing and retaining log data for analysis.

  • Normalization and Parsing: Structuring log messages for easier processing.

  • Analysis and Visualization: Gaining insights through dashboards, alerts, and queries.

By optimizing each stage of the log lifecycle, organizations can enhance performance and maximize the value of their log data.

Backup and Restore

To maintain operational continuity and protect against data loss, implementing a reliable backup and restore strategy is critical. Backup and Restore outlines best practices for backing up key Graylog components:

  • MongoDB: Stores configurations and user data.

  • Data Node: Retains log indices for long-term storage and retrieval.

  • Graylog Configuration Files: Essential for restoring system settings and custom configurations.

Proper backup planning ensures quick recovery in case of failures, migrations, or disaster recovery scenarios.

Secure Graylog

Protecting log data throughout its lifecycle in Graylog is essential for maintaining security, compliance, and operational integrity. In Secure Graylog, we provide general guidance on strategies to ensure your Graylog deployment remains secure and resilient.

Key security measures may include TLS encryption to secure communication between Graylog components, role-based access control (RBAC) to enforce user permissions, and secure log ingestion methods to prevent unauthorized data access. Additionally, audit logging helps track system activity for compliance and security monitoring.