Rsyslog Conditional Repeatedmsgreduction

rsyslog's repeatedmsgreduction feature is designed to reduce the verbosity of logs by suppressing repeated messages that occur within a specified time interval. This is particularly useful for managing high-volume logs where the same message may be logged multiple times in quick succession.

Here's how you can configure rsyslog to conditionally apply repeated message reduction:

1. Understand the repeatedmsgreduction Feature

• Purpose: Reduces the frequency of repeated log messages to avoid log flooding.
• How It Works: When enabled, rsyslog will aggregate repeated messages and include only the first instance and a count of the repetitions.

2. Basic Configuration

To enable repeatedmsgreduction, you need to configure it in your rsyslog configuration file. This configuration can be applied globally or conditionally based on specific criteria.

2.1 Global Configuration

1. Open the rsyslog Configuration File

   Open /etc/rsyslog.conf or a file in /etc/rsyslog.d/:

    

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   sudo nano /etc/rsyslog.conf
   

2. Add or Modify the Configuration

   Add the following line to enable repeated message reduction globally:

    

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   $RepeatedMsgReduction on
   

3. Save and Exit

   Save your changes and exit the editor.

4. Restart rsyslog

   Apply the changes by restarting rsyslog:

    

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   sudo systemctl restart rsyslog
   

2.2 Conditional Configuration

To apply repeatedmsgreduction conditionally, you can use if conditions in your configuration. For example, you might want to enable it only for specific log sources or facilities.

1. Edit or Create a Custom Configuration File

   You can create or edit a configuration file in /etc/rsyslog.d/ for conditional settings:

    

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   sudo nano /etc/rsyslog.d/10-reduced-repeated-messages.conf
   

2. Add Conditional Configuration

   Example configuration to apply repeated message reduction conditionally:

    

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   if ($programname == 'myapp') then {
       $RepeatedMsgReduction on
       *.* /var/log/myapp.log
   }
   
   

   In this example:

- `if ($programname == 'myapp')` applies the configuration only to logs from `myapp`.
- `$RepeatedMsgReduction on` enables message reduction for these logs.
- `.* /var/log/myapp.log` specifies that all messages from `myapp` should be logged to `/var/log/myapp.log`.

1. Save and Exit

   Save your changes and exit the editor.

2. Restart rsyslog

   Restart rsyslog to apply the conditional configuration:

    

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   sudo systemctl restart rsyslog
   

3. Additional Configuration Options

• Setting Time Intervals: rsyslog uses a default time interval for message reduction. If needed, you can adjust the interval using additional configuration options.
• Message Reduction Limits: You may want to set limits on the number of messages or the time window for message reduction. However, rsyslog itself doesn’t directly support fine-grained time interval configuration for repeated message reduction beyond its default behavior.

4. Verify Configuration

After applying the configuration:

1. Check Log Files

   Verify that repeated messages are being reduced as expected. Look at your log files to ensure that repeated messages are aggregated correctly.

    

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   tail -f /var/log/myapp.log
   

2. Monitor rsyslog Logs

   Check the rsyslog logs for any errors or warnings related to configuration:

    

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   sudo tail -f /var/log/syslog
   

By configuring repeatedmsgreduction, you can manage high-volume logs more effectively and reduce the noise from repeated log messages.

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