[[log-driver-configuration]]
[role="xpack"]
== {log-driver} configuration options

++++
<titleabbrev>Configuration options</titleabbrev>
++++


Use the following options to configure the {log-driver-long}. You can
pass these options with the `--log-opt` flag when you start a container, or
you can set them in the `daemon.json` file for all containers. 

* <<cloud-options>>
* <<es-output-options>>

[float]
=== Usage examples

To set configuration options when you start a container:

include::install.asciidoc[tag=log-driver-run]

To set configuration options for all containers in the `daemon.json` file:

include::install.asciidoc[tag=log-driver-daemon]

For more examples, see <<log-driver-usage-examples>>.

[float]
[[cloud-options]]
=== {ecloud} options
 
[options="header"]
|=====
|Option  | Description

|`cloud_id`
|The Cloud ID found in the Elastic Cloud web console. This ID is
used to resolve the {stack} URLs when connecting to {ess} on {ecloud}.

|`cloud_auth`
|The username and password combination for connecting to {ess} on {ecloud}. The
format is `"username:password"`.
|=====

[float]
[[es-output-options]]
=== {es} output options


[options="header"]
|=====
|Option  |Default |Description

|`hosts`
|`"localhost:9200"`
|The list of {es} nodes to connect to. Specify each node as a `URL` or
`IP:PORT`. For example: `http://192.0.2.0`, `https://myhost:9230` or
`192.0.2.0:9300`. If no port is specified, the default is `9200`.

|`user`
|
|The basic authentication username for connecting to {es}. 

|`password`
|
|The basic authentication password for connecting to {es}.

|`index`
|
|A {beats-ref}/config-file-format-type.html#_format_string_sprintf[format string]
value that specifies the index to write events to when you're using daily
indices. For example: +"dockerlogs-%{+yyyy.MM.dd}"+. 

3+|*Advanced:*

|`name`
|`testbeat`
| A custom value that will be inserted into the document as `agent.name`.
If not set, it will be the hostname of Docker host.

|`backoff_init`
|`1s`
|The number of seconds to wait before trying to reconnect to {es} after
a network error. After waiting `backoff.init` seconds, the {log-driver}
tries to reconnect. If the attempt fails, the backoff timer is increased
exponentially up to `backoff.max`. After a successful connection, the backoff
timer is reset.

|`backoff_max`
|`60s`
|The maximum number of seconds to wait before attempting to connect to
{es} after a network error.

|`api_key`
|
|Instead of using usernames and passwords,
you can use API keys to secure communication with {es}.

|`pipeline`
|
|A format string value that specifies the {es} ingest pipeline to write events to.

|`timeout`
|`90`
|The http request timeout in seconds for the Elasticsearch request.

|`proxy_url`
|
|The URL of the proxy to use when connecting to the Elasticsearch servers. The
value may be either a complete URL or a `host[:port]`, in which case the `http`
scheme is assumed. If a value is not specified through the configuration file
then proxy environment variables are used. See the
https://golang.org/pkg/net/http/#ProxyFromEnvironment[Go documentation]
for more information about the environment variables.


|=====


[float]
[[local-log-opts]]
=== Configuring the local log
This plugin fully supports `docker logs`, and it maintains a local copy of logs that can be read without a connection to Elasticsearch. The plugin mounts the `/var/lib/docker` directory on the host to write logs to `/var/log/containers` on the host. If you want to change the log location on the host, you must change the mount inside the plugin:

1. Disable the plugin:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"] 
----
docker plugin disable elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version}
----

2. Set the bindmount directory:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker plugin set elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version} LOG_DIR.source=NEW_LOG_LOCATION
----
+

3. Enable the plugin:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker plugin enable elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version}
----


The local log also supports the `max-file`, `max-size` and `compress` options that are https://docs.docker.com/config/containers/logging/json-file/#options[a part of the Docker default file logger]. For example:

["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker run --log-driver=elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version} \
           --log-opt hosts="myhost:9200" \
           --log-opt user="myusername" \
           --log-opt password="mypassword" \
           --log-opt max-file=10 \
           --log-opt max-size=5M \
           --log-opt compress=true \
           -it debian:jessie /bin/bash
----


In situations where logs can't be easily managed, for example, you can also configure the plugin to remove log files when a container is stopped. This will prevent you from reading logs on a stopped container, but it will rotate logs without user intervention. To enable removal of logs for stopped containers, you must change the `DESTROY_LOGS_ON_STOP` environment variable: 

1. Disable the plugin:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker plugin disable elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version}
----

2. Enable log removal:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker plugin set elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version} DESTROY_LOGS_ON_STOP=true
----
+

3. Enable the plugin:
+
["source","sh",subs="attributes"]
----
docker plugin enable elastic/{log-driver-alias}:{version}
----

