Create a Data Lake Backend on Local Network Storage

The following article exclusively pertains to a Graylog Enterprise feature or functionality. To learn more about obtaining an Enterprise license, please contact the Graylog Sales team.

Before you can start routing Graylog data to a Data Lake, you must first set up your backend storage. This article shows you how to set up a Data Lake storage backend in Graylog using local network storage.

You can also use Amazon Web Services (AWS) or a Google Cloud Storage (GCS) to set up your backend.

Warning: We strongly recommend that you utilize either an Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Services (GCS) bucket as your method of backend storage for logs routed to a Data Lake. If you store logs on a local file store and reach your storage capacity, you need to switch your backend to gain more capacity. Changing your storage backend requires that you delete all of the data housed in your current backend storage solution!

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

  • You must be a Graylog administrator to set up and manage a Data Lake.

Create a Local Network Storage Backend

To create a local network storage backend for your Data Lake:

  1. Navigate to Data Lake > Setup. If you have existing backends, select the Backend tab. Any existing storage backends are displayed here.

  2. Select Create Data Lake Backend.

  3. Select File system from the dropdown as the Backend Type.

  4. Enter configuration details for your network storage backend:

    Title

    Enter a unique and descriptive name for the backend.

    Description

    Enter a description of the backend.

    Disk Usage Threshold

    Enter the percentage of disk utilization that should trigger a notification.

    Output Base Path

    Enter the base path where the archives should be stored.

    Warning: This value can only be set on backend creation and cannot be changed at a later date!

  5. Click Create to complete configuration of the storage backend.

  6. Click Activate to make this the active storage backend. You must activate the backend before it can be used for storage. You can have multiple backends defined, but only one can be active. See the warning below about data loss if you are switching from an existing storage backend.

If you need to update settings for the Data Lake, such as changing access credentials, click Edit. You are presented with the same options as on initial creation. As noted, you cannot change the output base path after your initial save, but you can update the other settings.

Change Your Storage Backend

Warning: When you change your storage backend, you are required to delete all the data stored in your current backend. At this time, we recommend that you do NOT change your storage backend unless absolutely necessary because this data will be lost!

To change your active storage backend:

  1. Create a new storage backend or select one you have previously created.

  2. Click Activate.

    Graylog prompts you to confirm you want to change your storage backend. Graylog recommends you do not change your storage backend! All the data written to the previous storage backend must be deleted before you can switch.

    Warning: Deleting Data Lake data requires you to first stop routing data to the Data Lake. Note that if the affected streams are routing only to the Data Lake, you risk losing new data until you complete the process and start routing again with the new storage backend.

  3. Click Confirm to proceed.

The storage backend has now been switched. As new logs arrive, they are routed to the newly activated Data Lake storage backend.

Delete Backend Data

Before you can switch a storage backend, you must delete any data in the old storage backend. It is recommended that you delete this data with the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the Overview tab of Data Lake > Setup.

  2. Disable the Data Lake for each stream that is routing data to this backend. Click Data Routing, then toggle the Data Lake to Disabled.

  3. Delete the data from each stream.

    1. Select More > Delete.

    2. Select the Full Delete check box.

    3. Click Delete.

  4. Verify that the message count for all streams hits 0.

Further Reading

Explore the following additional resources and recommended readings to expand your knowledge on related topics: