Syslog Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Install the Bundle

   composer require digipolisgent/syslog-bundle
   

2. Enable the Bundle Add to config/bundles.php:

   return [
       // ...
       Digipolis\SyslogBundle\DigipolisSyslogBundle::class => ['all' => true],
   ];
   

3. Configure Syslog Identity Add to config/packages/devmonolog.yaml (or your Monolog config):

   digipolis_syslog_identity:
       name: "your_app_name"
       facility: "local0"  # Default: "local0"
       host: "localhost"   # Default: "localhost"
       port: 514           # Default: 514
   

4. First Use Case: Logging to ELK Inject the logger in a service/controller:

   use Psr\Log\LoggerInterface;
   
   class SomeController
   {
       public function __construct(private LoggerInterface $logger)
       {
       }
   
       public function index()
       {
           $this->logger->info('Test message', ['context' => 'data']);
       }
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Structured Logging for Kibana Use JSON-formatted logs with context arrays for easy filtering in Kibana:

   $this->logger->error('Failed to process order', [
       'order_id' => 123,
       'user_id' => 456,
       'error' => 'Payment declined'
   ]);
   

2. Conditional Logging Leverage Monolog’s channel system to route logs differently:

   # config/packages/monolog.yaml
   monolog:
       handlers:
           syslog:
               type: syslog
               level: debug
               channels: ["app", "security"]
   

3. Custom Formatter Overrides Extend the default formatter (if needed) by creating a custom handler:

   # config/packages/monolog.yaml
   monolog:
       handlers:
           custom_syslog:
               type: custom_handler
               formatter: Digipolis\SyslogBundle\Formatter\ElkFormatter
               level: info
   

4. Environment-Specific Configs Use separate configs for dev/prod:

   # config/packages/prod/monolog.yaml
   digipolis_syslog_identity:
       facility: "local1"  # Different facility for production
       host: "syslog.prod.example.com"
   

5. Integration with Laravel (Symfony Bridge) If using Laravel, bridge the bundle via symfony/monolog-bundle:

   // config/app.php
   'providers' => [
       // ...
       Symfony\Bridge\Monolog\MonologServiceProvider::class,
   ],
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecated Bundle

   • Last release in 2018; test thoroughly in your environment.
   • May not support PHP 8.x or newer Symfony/Laravel versions.
   • Mitigation: Fork the repo and update dependencies if needed.

2. Syslog Facility Limits

   • Syslog facilities (local0-local7) are often restricted on shared hosts.
   • Tip: Use user or daemon if local* is blocked.

3. Kibana Parsing Issues

   • Ensure the formatter’s JSON output matches your Kibana index pattern.
   • Debug: Log raw output to a file first:

     handlers:
         file:
             type: stream
             path: "%kernel.logs_dir%/%kernel.environment%.log"
             level: debug
     

4. Port/Protocol Conflicts

   • Syslog over UDP (default) may drop logs under load.
   • Tip: Use TCP (port: 514, transport: "tcp" in config) for reliability.

5. Context Depth Limits

   • Syslog has a 1024-byte limit for messages.
   • Tip: Truncate large contexts or use a separate log for critical data.

Debugging

• Check Syslog Server Logs

  tail -f /var/log/syslog  # Linux
  journalctl -u rsyslog   # Systemd
  

• Test Locally with logger Command

  logger -p local0.info "Test message"
  

• Enable Monolog Debug Handler

  handlers:
      debug:
          type: stream
          path: "php://stderr"
          level: debug
  

Extension Points

1. Custom Handlers Extend Digipolis\SyslogBundle\Handler\SyslogHandler to add pre-processing:

   class CustomSyslogHandler extends SyslogHandler
   {
       protected function write(array $record): void
       {
           $record['extra']['custom_field'] = 'value';
           parent::write($record);
       }
   }
   

2. Dynamic Facility/Host Override config via dependency injection:

   $container->setParameter('digipolis_syslog_identity.facility', 'local1');
   

3. Add Metadata Inject request/user data automatically:

   $handler = new SyslogHandler($level, $bubble, [
       'extra' => [
           'request_id' => $this->getRequestId(),
           'user_id' => $this->getUserId(),
       ],
   ]);