Syslog and SigNoz Integration

Input and output integration overview

<p>The Syslog plugin enables the collection of syslog messages from various sources using standard networking protocols. This functionality is critical for environments where systems need to be monitored and logged efficiently.</p>

<p>This configuration turns any Telegraf agent into a Remote Write publisher for SigNoz, streaming rich metrics straight into the SigNoz backend with a single URL change.</p>

Integration details

Syslog

<p>The Syslog plugin for Telegraf captures syslog messages transmitted over various protocols such as TCP, UDP, and TLS. It supports both RFC 5424 (the newer syslog protocol) and the older RFC 3164 (BSD syslog protocol). This plugin operates as a service input, effectively starting a service that listens for incoming syslog messages. Unlike traditional plugins, service inputs may not function with standard interval settings or CLI options like <code>--once</code>. It includes options for setting network configurations, socket permissions, message handling, and connection handling. Furthermore, the integration with Rsyslog allows forwarding of logging messages, making it a powerful tool for collecting and relaying system logs in real-time, thus seamlessly integrating into monitoring and logging systems.</p>

SigNoz

<p>SigNoz is an open source observability platform that stores metrics, traces, and logs. When you deploy SigNoz, its <strong>signoz-otel-collector-metrics</strong> service exposes a Prometheus Remote Write receiver (default <strong>:13133/api/v1/write</strong>). By configuring Telegraf’s Prometheus plugin to point at this endpoint, you can push any Telegraf collected metrics, SNMP counters, cloud services, or business KPIs—directly into SigNoz. The plugin natively serializes metrics in the Remote Write protobuf format, supports external labels, metadata export, retries, and TLS or bearer-token auth, so it fits zero-trust and multi-tenant SigNoz clusters. Inside SigNoz, the data lands in ClickHouse tables that back Metrics Explorer, alert rules, and unified dashboards. This approach lets organizations unify Prometheus and OTLP pipelines, enables long-term retention powered by ClickHouse compression, and avoids vendor lock-in while retaining PromQL-style queries.</p>

Configuration

Syslog

SigNoz

Input and output integration examples

Syslog

<ol> <li> <p><strong>Centralized Log Management</strong>: Use the Syslog plugin to aggregate log messages from multiple servers into a central logging system. This setup can help in monitoring overall system health, troubleshooting issues effectively, and maintaining audit trails by collecting syslog data from different sources.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Real-Time Alerting</strong>: Integrate the Syslog plugin with alerting tools to trigger real-time notifications when specific log patterns or errors are detected. For example, if a critical system error appears in the logs, an alert can be sent to the operations team, minimizing downtime and performing proactive maintenance.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Security Monitoring</strong>: Leverage the Syslog plugin for security monitoring by capturing logs from firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security devices. This logging capability enhances security visibility and helps in investigating potentially malicious activities by analyzing the captured syslog data.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Application Performance Tracking</strong>: Utilize the Syslog plugin to monitor application performance by collecting logs from various applications. This integration helps in analyzing the application’s behavior and performance trends, thus aiding in optimizing application processes and ensuring smoother operation.</p> </li> </ol>

SigNoz

<ol> <li> <p><strong>Multi-Cluster Federated Monitoring</strong>: Drop a Telegraf DaemonSet into each Kubernetes cluster, tag metrics with <code>cluster=&lt;name&gt;</code>, and Remote Write them to a central SigNoz instance. Ops teams get a single PromQL window across prod, staging, and edge clusters without running Thanos sidecars.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Factory-Floor Edge Gateway</strong>: A rugged Intel NUC on the shop floor runs Telegraf to scrape Modbus PLCs and environmental sensors. It batches readings every 5 seconds and pushes them over an intermittent 4G link to SigNoz SaaS. ClickHouse compression keeps costs low while AI-based outlier detection in SigNoz flags overheating motors before failure.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>SaaS Usage Metering</strong>: Telegraf runs alongside each micro-service, exporting per-tenant counters (<code>api_calls</code>, <code>gigabytes_processed</code>). Remote Write streams the data to SigNoz where a scheduled ClickHouse materialized view aggregates usage for monthly billing—no separate metering stack required.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Autoscaling Feedback Loop</strong>: Combine Telegraf’s Kubernetes input with the Remote Write output to publish granular pod CPU and queue-length metrics into SigNoz. A custom SigNoz alert fires when P95 latency breaches 200 ms and a GitOps controller reads that alert to trigger a HorizontalPodAutoscaler tweak—closing the loop between observability and automation.</p> </li> </ol>

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