Filter log data collection

You can filter vCenter Server log data and ESXi log data using nullqueue. nullQueue discards the data when TA-vmware receives it from the vCenter Server forwarder. Adjust the content of props.conf to filter data to reduce the volume of data you are indexing. The content in props.conf works with the content in transforms.conf to route sourcetypes to nullQueue; transforms.conf performs the actual routing.

Filter vCenter server log data example

1. To filter vCenter Server log data, locate the props.conf file for Splunk_TA_vcenter on the universal or heavy forwarder on the vCenter Server. You need to find the props.conf that exists on the forwarder or indexer that parses events.

   • If the forwarder on the vCenter Server is a heavyweight forwarder, open its props.conf for editing.

   • If the forwarder on the vCenter Server is a universal forwarder, find the heavyweight forwarder operating as an intermediate forwarder, or the indexer that parses events, then open its props.conf for editing.

2. In the props.conf file, verify the transforms-routing attributes which determine how to route the vpxd events are uncommented. For sourcetype = vmware:vclog:vpxd, verify the following stanzas are uncommented:

   #TRANSFORMS-null1 = vmware_vpxd_level_null
   #TRANSFORMS-null4 = vmware_vpxd_retrieveContents_null
   #TRANSFORMS-null5 = vmware_vpxd_null
   

   
   For sourcetype = vmware:vclog:vpxd-alert, verify the following stanzas are uncommented:

   #TRANSFORMS-null2 = vmware_vpxd_level_null,vmware_vpxd_level_null2
   

   
   For sourcetype = vmware:vclog:vpxd-profiler, verify the following stanzas are uncommented:

   #TRANSFORMS-null3 = vmware_vpxd_level_null,vmware_vpxd_level_null2
   

Filter ESXi logs example

This example filters ESXi logs to send events with sourcetype=vmware:esxlog:sfcb-vmware to nullqueue.

1. To filter ESXi logs, locate and open the props.conf file for Splunk_TA_esxilogs on the intermediate forwarder for syslog data. You need to find the props.conf that exists on the forwarder or indexer that parses events.

   • If the syslog forwarder is a heavyweight forwarder, open its props.conf for editing.

   • If the syslog forwarder is a universal forwarder operating as an intermediate forwarder, find the heavyweight forwarder or the indexer that parses events, then open its props.conf for editing.

2. In the props.conf file, create an entry as per the following:

   [vmw-syslog]
   TRANSFORMS-z_nullqueue = sfcb_to_null
   

3. Locate and open the transforms.conf for Splunk_TA_esxilogs.
4. Splunk Enterprise filters data based on sourcetype at index time. To filter the data by sourcetype, create an entry as per the following:

   [sfcb_to_null]
   SOURCE_KEY = MetaData:Sourcetype
   REGEX = vmware:esxlog:sfcb-vmware
   DEST_KEY = queue
   FORMAT = nullQueue
   

The transform routes the syslog events based on the string sfcb-vmware in a syslog event.

For more information on nullQueue, see Filter event data and send it to queues.