docs/reference/winlogbeat/monitoring-metricbeat-collection.md
In 7.3 and later, you can use {{metricbeat}} to collect data about Winlogbeat and ship it to the monitoring cluster. The benefit of using {{metricbeat}} instead of internal collection is that the monitoring agent remains active even if the Winlogbeat instance dies.
To collect and ship monitoring data:
Enable the HTTP endpoint to allow external collection of monitoring data:
Add the following setting in the Winlogbeat configuration file (winlogbeat.yml):
http.enabled: true
By default, metrics are exposed on port 5066. If you need to monitor multiple {{beats}} shippers running on the same server, set http.port to expose metrics for each shipper on a different port number:
http.port: 5067
Disable the default collection of Winlogbeat monitoring metrics.
Add the following setting in the Winlogbeat configuration file (winlogbeat.yml):
monitoring.enabled: false
For more information, see Monitoring configuration options.
Configure host (optional).
If you intend to get metrics using {{metricbeat}} installed on another server, you need to bind the Winlogbeat to host’s IP:
http.host: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
Configure cluster UUID.
The cluster UUID is necessary if you want to see {{beats}} monitoring in the {{kib}} stack monitoring view. The monitoring data will be grouped under the cluster for that UUID. To associate Winlogbeat with the cluster UUID, set:
monitoring.cluster_uuid: "cluster-uuid"
Start Winlogbeat.
Install {{metricbeat}} on the same server as Winlogbeat. To learn how, see Get started with {{metricbeat}}. If you already have {{metricbeat}} installed on the server, skip this step.
Enable the beat-xpack module in {{metricbeat}}.
For example, to enable the default configuration in the modules.d directory, run the following command, using the correct command syntax for your OS:
metricbeat modules enable beat-xpack
For more information, see Configure modules and beat module.
Configure the beat-xpack module in {{metricbeat}}.
The modules.d/beat-xpack.yml file contains the following settings:
- module: beat
metricsets:
- stats
- state
period: 10s
hosts: ["http://localhost:5066"]
#username: "user"
#password: "secret"
xpack.enabled: true
Set the hosts, username, and password settings as required by your environment. For other module settings, it’s recommended that you accept the defaults.
By default, the module collects Winlogbeat monitoring data from localhost:5066. If you exposed the metrics on a different host or port when you enabled the HTTP endpoint, update the hosts setting.
To monitor multiple {{beats}} agents, specify a list of hosts, for example:
hosts: ["http://localhost:5066","http://localhost:5067","http://localhost:5068"]
If you configured Winlogbeat to use encrypted communications, you must access it via HTTPS. For example, use a hosts setting like https://localhost:5066.
If the Elastic {{security-features}} are enabled, you must also provide a user ID and password so that {{metricbeat}} can collect metrics successfully:
remote_monitoring_collector built-in role. Alternatively, if it’s available in your environment, use the remote_monitoring_user built-in user.username and password settings to the beat module configuration file.Optional: Disable the system module in the {{metricbeat}}.
By default, the system module is enabled. The information it collects, however, is not shown on the Stack Monitoring page in {{kib}}. Unless you want to use that information for other purposes, run the following command:
metricbeat modules disable system
Identify where to send the monitoring data.
::::{tip} In production environments, we strongly recommend using a separate cluster (referred to as the monitoring cluster) to store the data. Using a separate monitoring cluster prevents production cluster outages from impacting your ability to access your monitoring data. It also prevents monitoring activities from impacting the performance of your production cluster. ::::
For example, specify the {{es}} output information in the {{metricbeat}} configuration file (metricbeat.yml):
output.elasticsearch:
# Array of hosts to connect to.
hosts: ["http://es-mon-1:9200", "http://es-mon2:9200"] <1>
# Optional protocol and basic auth credentials.
#protocol: "https"
#api_key: "id:api_key" <2>
#username: "elastic"
#password: "changeme"
es-mon-1 and es-mon-2.api_key or username/password.If you configured the monitoring cluster to use encrypted communications, you must access it via HTTPS. For example, use a hosts setting like https://es-mon-1:9200.
::::{important}
The {{es}} {{monitor-features}} use ingest pipelines. The cluster that stores the monitoring data must have at least one node with the ingest role.
::::
If the {{es}} {{security-features}} are enabled on the monitoring cluster, you must provide a valid user ID and password so that {{metricbeat}} can send metrics successfully:
Create a user on the monitoring cluster that has the remote_monitoring_agent built-in role. Alternatively, if it’s available in your environment, use the remote_monitoring_user built-in user.
::::{tip} If you’re using index lifecycle management, the remote monitoring user requires additional privileges to create and read indices. For more information, see Grant users access to secured resources. ::::
Add the username and password settings to the {{es}} output information in the {{metricbeat}} configuration file.
For more information about these configuration options, see Configure the {{es}} output.
Start {{metricbeat}} to begin collecting monitoring data.