:vista_and_newer: This option is only available on operating systems +
  supporting the Windows Event Log API (Microsoft Windows Vista and newer).

[[configuration-winlogbeat-options]]
== Configure {beatname_uc}

++++
<titleabbrev>{beatname_uc}</titleabbrev>
++++

The `winlogbeat` section of the +{beatname_lc}.yml+ config file specifies all options that are specific to {beatname_uc}.
Most importantly, it contains the list of event logs to monitor.

Here is a sample configuration:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Application
    ignore_older: 72h
  - name: Security
  - name: System
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
=== Configuration options

You can specify the following options in the `winlogbeat` section of the +{beatname_lc}.yml+ config file:

[float]
==== `registry_file`

The name of the file where {beatname_uc} stores information that it uses to resume
monitoring after a restart. By default the file is stored as `.winlogbeat.yml`
in the directory where the Beat was started. When you run the process as a
Windows service, it's recommended that you set the value to
`C:/ProgramData/winlogbeat/.winlogbeat.yml`.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.registry_file: C:/ProgramData/winlogbeat/.winlogbeat.yml
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: The forward slashes (/) in the path are automatically changed to
backslashes (\) for Windows compatibility. You can use either forward or
backslashes. Forward slashes are easier to work with in YAML because there is no
need to escape them.

[float]
==== `registry_flush`

The timeout value that controls when registry entries are written to disk
(flushed). When an unwritten update exceeds this value, it triggers a write
to disk. When flush is set to 0s, the registry is written to disk after each
batch of events has been published successfully.

The default value is 5s.

Valid time units are `ns`, `us`, `ms`, `s`, `m`, `h`.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.registry_flush: 5s
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `shutdown_timeout`

The amount of time to wait for all events to be published when shutting down.
By default there is no shutdown timeout so {beatname_uc} will stop without waiting.
When you restart it will resume from the last successfully published event in
each event log.

In some use cases you do want to wait for the publishing queue to drain before
exiting and that's when you would use this option.

Valid time units are `ns`, `us`, `ms`, `s`, `m`, `h`.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.shutdown_timeout: 30s
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs`

A list of entries (called 'dictionaries' in YAML) that specify which event logs
to monitor. Each entry in the list defines an event log to monitor as well as
any information to be associated with the event log (filter, tags, and so on).

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Application
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.batch_read_size`

The maximum number of event log records to read from the Windows API in a single
batch. The default batch size is 100. Most Windows versions return an error if
the value is larger than 1024. *{vista_and_newer}*

{beatname_uc} starts a goroutine (a lightweight thread) to read from each
individual event log. The goroutine reads a batch of event log records using the
Windows API, applies any processors to the events, publishes them to the
configured outputs, and waits for an acknowledgement from the outputs before
reading additional event log records.

[float]
[[configuration-winlogbeat-options-event_logs-name]]
==== `event_logs.name`

The name of the event log to monitor. Each dictionary under `event_logs` must
have a `name` field, except for those which use a custom XML query.
A channel is a named stream of events that transports events from an event
source to an event log. Most channels are tied to specific event publishers.
You can get a list of available event logs by using the PowerShell
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.diagnostics/get-winevent[`Get-WinEvent`] cmdlet
on Windows Vista or newer. Here is a sample of the output from the command:

[source,sh]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS C:\> Get-WinEvent -ListLog * | Format-List -Property LogName
LogName : Application
LogName : HardwareEvents
LogName : Internet Explorer
LogName : Key Management Service
LogName : Security
LogName : System
LogName : Windows PowerShell
LogName : ForwardedEvents
LogName : Microsoft-Management-UI/Admin
LogName : Microsoft-Rdms-UI/Admin
LogName : Microsoft-Rdms-UI/Operational
LogName : Microsoft-Windows-Windows Firewall With Advanced Security/Firewall
...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If `Get-WinEvent` is not available, the https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.management/get-eventlog[`Get-EventLog`] cmdlet can be used in its
place.

[source,sh]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS C:\Users\vagrant> Get-EventLog *

  Max(K) Retain OverflowAction        Entries Log
  ------ ------ --------------        ------- ---
  20,480      0 OverwriteAsNeeded          75 Application
  20,480      0 OverwriteAsNeeded           0 HardwareEvents
     512      7 OverwriteOlder              0 Internet Explorer
  20,480      0 OverwriteAsNeeded           0 Key Management Service
  20,480      0 OverwriteAsNeeded       1,609 Security
  20,480      0 OverwriteAsNeeded       1,184 System
  15,360      0 OverwriteAsNeeded         464 Windows PowerShell
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You must specify the full name of the channel in the configuration file.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Microsoft-Windows-Windows Firewall With Advanced Security/Firewall
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To read events from an archived `.evtx` file you can specify the `name` as the
absolute path (it cannot be relative) to the file. There's a complete example
of how to read from an .evtx file in the <<reading-from-evtx,FAQ>>.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: 'C:\backup\sysmon-2019.08.evtx'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The name key must not be used with custom XML queries.

[float]
==== `event_logs.id`

A unique identifier for the event log. This key is required when using a custom
XML query.

It is used to uniquely identify the event log reader in the registry file. This is
useful if multiple event logs are being set up to watch the same channel or file. If an
ID is not given, the `event_logs.name` value will be used.

This value must be unique.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Application
    id: application-logs
    ignore_older: 168h
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.ignore_older`

If this option is specified, {beatname_uc} filters events that are older than the
specified amount of time. Valid time units are "ns", "us" (or "µs"), "ms", "s",
"m", "h". This option is useful when you are beginning to monitor an event log
that contains older records that you would like to ignore. This field is
optional.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Application
    ignore_older: 168h
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.forwarded`

A boolean flag to indicate that the log contains only events collected from
remote hosts using the Windows Event Collector. The value defaults to true for
the ForwardedEvents log and false for any other log. *{vista_and_newer}*

This settings allows {beatname_uc} to optimize reads for forwarded events that are
already rendered. When the value is true {beatname_uc} does not attempt to render
the event using message files from the host computer. The Windows Event
Collector subscription should be configured to use the "RenderedText" format
(this is the default) to ensure that the events are distributed with messages
and descriptions.

[float]
==== `event_logs.event_id`

A list of included and excluded (blocked) event IDs. The value is a
comma-separated list. The accepted values are single event IDs to include (e.g.
4624), a range of event IDs to include (e.g. 4700-4800), and single event IDs to
exclude (e.g. -4735). *{vista_and_newer}*

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Security
    event_id: 4624, 4625, 4700-4800, -4735
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[WARNING]
=======================================
If you specify more than 22 query conditions (event IDs or event ID ranges), some
versions of Windows will prevent {beatname_uc} from reading the event log due to
limits in the query system. If this occurs a similar warning as shown below will
be logged by {beatname_uc}, and it will continue processing data from other event
logs.

`WARN EventLog[Application] Open() error. No events will be read from this
source. The specified query is invalid.`

In some cases, the limit may be lower than 22 conditions. For instance, using a
mixture of ranges and single event IDs, along with an additional parameter such
as `ignore older`, results in a limit of 21 conditions.

If you have more than 22 conditions, you can workaround this Windows limitation
by using a drop_event[drop-event] processor to do the filtering after
{beatname_uc} has received the events from Windows. The filter shown below is
equivalent to `event_id: 903, 1024, 4624` but can be expanded beyond 22
event IDs.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Security
    processors:
      - drop_event.when.not.or:
        - equals.winlog.event_id: 903
        - equals.winlog.event_id: 1024
        - equals.winlog.event_id: 4624
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

=======================================

[float]
==== `event_logs.language`

The language ID the events will be rendered in. The language will be forced regardless
of the system language. A complete list of language IDs can be found
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-lcid/a9eac961-e77d-41a6-90a5-ce1a8b0cdb9c[here].
It defaults to `0`, which indicates to use the system language.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Security
    event_id: 4624, 4625, 4700-4800, -4735
    language: 0x0409 # en-US
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.level`

A list of event levels to include. The value is a comma-separated list of
levels. *{vista_and_newer}*

[cols="2*", options="header"]
|===
|Level
|Value

|critical, crit
|1

|error, err
|2

|warning, warn
|3

|information, info
|0 or 4

|verbose
|5
|===

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Security
    level: critical, error, warning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.provider`

A list of providers (source names) to include. The value is a YAML list.
*{vista_and_newer}*

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Application
    provider:
      - Application Error
      - Application Hang
      - Windows Error Reporting
      - EMET
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can obtain a list of providers associated with a log by using PowerShell.
Here is an example showing the providers associated with the Security log.

[source,sh]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PS C:\> (Get-WinEvent -ListLog Security).ProviderNames
DS
LSA
SC Manager
Security
Security Account Manager
ServiceModel 4.0.0.0
Spooler
TCP/IP
VSSAudit
Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing
Microsoft-Windows-Eventlog
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.xml_query`

Provide a custom XML query. This option is mutually exclusive with the `name`, `event_id`,
`ignore_older`, `level`, and `provider` options. These options should be included in
the XML query directly. Furthermore, an `id` must be provided. Custom XML queries
provide more flexibility and advanced options than the simpler query options in {beatname_uc}.
*{vista_and_newer}*

Here is a configuration which will collect DHCP server events from multiple channels:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - id: dhcp-server-logs
    xml_query: >
      <QueryList>
        <Query Id="0" Path="DhcpAdminEvents">
          <Select Path="DhcpAdminEvents">*</Select>
          <Select Path="Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Server/FilterNotifications">*</Select>
          <Select Path="Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Server/Operational">*</Select>
        </Query>
      </QueryList>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

XML queries may also be created in Windows Event Viewer using custom views. The query
can be created using a graphical interface and the corresponding XML can be
retrieved from the XML tab.

[float]
==== `event_logs.include_xml`

Boolean option that controls if the raw XML representation of an event is
included in the data sent by {beatname_uc}. The default is false.
*{vista_and_newer}*

The XML representation of the event is useful for troubleshooting purposes. The
data in the fields reported by {beatname_uc} can be compared to the data in the XML
to diagnose problems.

Example:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender/Operational
    include_xml: true
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.tags`

A list of tags that the Beat includes in the `tags` field of each published
event. Tags make it easy to select specific events in Kibana or apply
conditional filtering in Logstash. These tags will be appended to the list of
tags specified in the general configuration.

Example:

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: CustomLog
    tags: ["web"]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
[[winlogbeat-configuration-fields]]
==== `event_logs.fields`

Optional fields that you can specify to add additional information to the
output. For example, you might add fields that you can use for filtering event
data. Fields can be scalar values, arrays, dictionaries, or any nested
combination of these. By default, the fields that you specify here will be
grouped under a `fields` sub-dictionary in the output document. To store the
custom fields as top-level fields, set the `fields_under_root` option to true.
If a duplicate field is declared in the general configuration, then its value
will be overwritten by the value declared here.

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: CustomLog
    fields:
      customer_id: 51415432
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[float]
==== `event_logs.fields_under_root`

If this option is set to true, the custom <<winlogbeat-configuration-fields,fields>>
are stored as top-level fields in the output document instead of being grouped
under a `fields` sub-dictionary. If the custom field names conflict with other
field names added by {beatname_uc}, then the custom fields overwrite the other
fields.

[float]
==== `event_logs.processors`

A list of processors to apply to the data generated by the event log.

See <<filtering-and-enhancing-data>> for information about specifying
processors in your config.

[float]
==== `event_logs.index`

If present, this formatted string overrides the index for events from this
event log (for elasticsearch outputs), or sets the `raw_index` field of the event's
metadata (for other outputs). This string can only refer to the agent name and
version and the event timestamp; for access to dynamic fields, use
`output.elasticsearch.index` or a processor.

Example value: `"%{[agent.name]}-myindex-%{+yyyy.MM.dd}"` might
expand to `"winlogbeat-myindex-2019.12.13"`.

[float]
==== `event_logs.keep_null`

If this option is set to true, fields with `null` values will be published in
the output document. By default, `keep_null` is set to `false`.

[float]
==== `event_logs.no_more_events`

The action that the event log reader should take when it receives a signal from
Windows that there are no more events to read. It can either `wait` for more
events to be written (the default behavior) or it can `stop`. The overall
{beatname_uc} process will stop when all of the individual event log readers have
stopped. *{vista_and_newer}*

Setting `no_more_events` to `stop` is useful when reading from archived event
log files where you want to read the whole file then exit. There's a complete
example of how to read from an `.evtx` file in the <<reading-from-evtx,FAQ>>.

[float]
==== `event_logs.api`

This selects the event log reader implementation that is used to read events
from the Windows APIs. You should only set this option when testing experimental
features. When the value is set to `wineventlog-experimental` Winlogbeat will
replace the default event log reader with the **experimental** implementation.
We are evaluating this implementation to see if it can provide increased
performance and reduce CPU usage. *{vista_and_newer}*

[source,yaml]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
winlogbeat.event_logs:
  - name: ForwardedEvents
    api: wineventlog-experimental
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are a few notable differences in the events:

* Events that contained data under `winlog.user_data` will now have it under
  `winlog.event_data`.
* Setting `include_xml: true` has no effect.

