September 2021 Summaries

Logz.io has introduced direct dashboard uploads, providing pre-built metrics dashboard templates for 25 different tools, which are designed to enhance infrastructure monitoring for DevOps teams. These templates cover popular monitoring tools such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other technologies like MongoDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Kubernetes. Users can easily access these dashboards by navigating to the Logz.io app, selecting their metrics account, and choosing from available templates under the Pre-Built Dashboards section. The installation process is straightforward, involving selecting the desired tool and following the on-screen instructions to install and view the dashboard. Examples include dashboards for Telegraf, AWS Cloudwatch/EC2, and other AWS tools, offering insights into system metrics, CPU load, network activity, and more. Logz.io offers a free 14-day trial for users to explore these monitoring capabilities without any commitment.

Logz.io has announced new integrations via Telegraf, enhancing its compatibility with various DevOps tools and expanding its support to include approximately 70 new integrations. While Logz.io primarily utilizes Prometheus, these developments aim to accommodate users of Telegraf and other components of the TICK Stack. Telegraf, a versatile tool written in Golang, offers a wide array of API integrations and can export metrics to numerous tools from which it collects data. The new integrations will be initially available in regions such as US East, EU Central, and EU West. The process of setting up these integrations involves installing Telegraf on a chosen platform, configuring input and output plugins through a telegraf.config file, and using prefabricated dashboards in Logz.io to visualize the data. Users are encouraged to stay informed about further enhancements and updates by subscribing to the Logz.io blog.

This tutorial by Gedalyah Reback offers a detailed introduction to setting up OpenSearch clusters, expanding on previous guides about OpenSearch installation and configuration. It provides step-by-step instructions for deploying a four-node cluster using a docker-compose.yml file, highlighting the flexibility of OpenSearch to create more complex, multi-node setups compared to simpler, two-node deployments. The tutorial explains the different types of nodes available in OpenSearch, such as master, data, and ingest nodes, and how to configure them explicitly for specific roles. Additionally, it touches on advanced features like cross-cluster search, which allows executing searches across multiple clusters, a capability inherited from Elasticsearch. The tutorial emphasizes practical application with straightforward examples and encourages further exploration through additional tutorials and resources available on the Logz.io blog.

Logz.io has transitioned its user interface to a new design called "New Lookz," which is now generally available to all users after a successful Public Beta phase where the majority preferred the new UI over the old one. The revamped interface offers a more logical, lean, and intuitive navigation experience with all products moved to a left menu and features organized into sub-menus accessible via hovering or clicking. An arrow button was introduced to pin sub-menus, addressing feedback about accidental menu openings. This change aligns with Logz.io's expansion beyond logging to a full observability platform and Cloud SIEM, ensuring users can seamlessly navigate and access various products and features.

The tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to auto-instrumenting a basic Ruby "Hello World" application using OpenTelemetry. It details the process of setting up the Ruby OpenTelemetry client library, creating a Sinatra server, and configuring the application to generate and export trace data through the OpenTelemetry Collector. The tutorial emphasizes the simplicity of using OpenTelemetry's auto-instrumentation features, requiring minimal code changes to the application. Once the setup is complete, the application can send trace data to a distributed tracing tool, such as Logz.io or Jaeger, for visualization and analysis. The guide also explains how to configure the OpenTelemetry Collector to export trace data to a chosen backend and provides resources for further information on both automatic and manual instrumentation options.

Logz.io has introduced an integration with Microsoft Teams, enhancing communication and alert management for DevOps practitioners within Microsoft-centric environments. This integration allows users to broadcast alerts and monitoring data directly into Teams, similar to prior integrations with platforms like ServiceNow and Slack. By inserting a webhook URL into a Teams channel, users can generate detailed messages and facilitate investigation steps related to specific alerts, helping teams remain informed and responsive. The move aligns with the growing trend of utilizing Teams, which saw its user base increase significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching 250 million monthly active users by July 2021. This integration supports the broader shift towards microservices and containerized applications, necessitating improved observability for agile and decentralized DevOps teams. Logz.io continues to focus on expanding its platform's capabilities to meet customer needs in observability practices, inviting feedback for further enhancements.

OpenSearch, a fork from the last open-source version of Elasticsearch, has rapidly evolved with a focus on removing proprietary elements and introducing new features. It primarily utilizes Query DSL for queries but supports SQL and the Piped Processing Language (PPL) via plugins, with PPL originating from AWS's Open Distro for Elasticsearch. The platform integrates these languages within its Query Workbench, enabling users to switch between them and export data in various formats like CSV and JSON. OpenSearch queries are categorized into full-text, term-level, and boolean queries, with options such as fuzziness for flexible searching. The PPL syntax, characterized by its use of pipes, offers commands like search, dedup, eval, and sort, facilitating complex data manipulations. Additionally, the OpenSearch SQL plugin supports advanced SQL queries, including JOINs and subqueries, providing a comprehensive toolset for data querying and analysis.

Logz.io has introduced a Read-Only access control feature to enhance its Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system, allowing administrators to grant specific users the ability to view and search data within the platform without editing or saving changes. This new capability is designed to ensure that sensitive data and critical monitoring dashboards remain secure and unaltered by unauthorized users, while still enabling them to contribute to monitoring and troubleshooting efforts. The feature supports data segregation by microservice or team, which is crucial for meeting security and compliance requirements, as well as providing convenience for managing access across different organizational roles. Users interested in this feature can easily assign the Read-Only role through the 'Manage users' tab in the settings, and Logz.io offers a free 14-day trial to explore these functionalities.

The integration of Logz.io's Cloud SIEM with Cynet's XDR Breach Protection Platform is enhancing the efficiency and precision of threat detection and response for organizations of all sizes and IT security maturity levels. This partnership enables users to leverage Cynet's advanced capabilities in endpoint detection and response (EDR), network analytics, and User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to provide comprehensive threat protection and streamline cybersecurity processes. By combining Cloud SIEM with XDR, organizations can benefit from improved alerting, investigation speed, and the ability to customize rule sets to unearth specific attacks, thus offering a more integrated and effective security monitoring solution. The collaboration aims to reduce complexity and tool sprawl while enhancing the overall threat prevention strategy, making it a significant advancement in the cybersecurity landscape.