Beats (Filebeat, Metricbeat) in Elasticsearch - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Beats Data Collection Setup with Filebeat and Metricbeat

📖 Scenario: You are setting up data collection for your servers using Elastic Beats. Filebeat will collect log files, and Metricbeat will collect system metrics. This helps you monitor your infrastructure in real-time.

🎯 Goal: Configure Filebeat and Metricbeat with basic settings, enable modules, and output data to Elasticsearch. You will write configuration snippets step-by-step to build a working Beats setup.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a basic Filebeat configuration with input paths

Create a basic Metricbeat configuration with system module enabled

Configure Elasticsearch output for both Filebeat and Metricbeat

Print the final combined configuration snippets

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Elastic Beats are used in real companies to collect logs and metrics from servers and applications, helping teams monitor system health and troubleshoot issues.

💼 Career

Knowing how to configure Beats is important for roles in DevOps, Site Reliability Engineering, and IT monitoring, where managing infrastructure data is key.

1

Create Filebeat input configuration

Create a variable called filebeat_config that contains a YAML string with a filebeat.inputs section. It should have one input of type log with paths set to ["/var/log/syslog", "/var/log/auth.log"].

Elasticsearch

# Your code here

Hint

Use triple quotes to create a multi-line string. Follow YAML indentation carefully.

2

Create Metricbeat system module configuration

Create a variable called metricbeat_config that contains a YAML string with metricbeat.modules section. It should enable the system module with metricsets cpu and memory.

Elasticsearch

filebeat_config = """
filebeat.inputs:
  - type: log
    enabled: true
    paths:
      - /var/log/syslog
      - /var/log/auth.log
"""
# Your code here

Hint

Remember to keep the YAML indentation consistent and use triple quotes for multi-line strings.

3

Add Elasticsearch output configuration

Add a variable called output_config containing a YAML string that configures output.elasticsearch with hosts set to ["http://localhost:9200"]. Then combine filebeat_config, metricbeat_config, and output_config into a new variable called combined_config by joining them with two newlines.

Elasticsearch

filebeat_config = """
filebeat.inputs:
  - type: log
    enabled: true
    paths:
      - /var/log/syslog
      - /var/log/auth.log
"""

metricbeat_config = """
metricbeat.modules:
  - module: system
    metricsets:
      - cpu
      - memory
    enabled: true
"""

# Your code here

Hint

Use string concatenation with newlines to combine the configurations.

4

Print the combined Beats configuration

Write a print statement to display the combined_config variable.

Elasticsearch

filebeat_config = """
filebeat.inputs:
  - type: log
    enabled: true
    paths:
      - /var/log/syslog
      - /var/log/auth.log
"""

metricbeat_config = """
metricbeat.modules:
  - module: system
    metricsets:
      - cpu
      - memory
    enabled: true
"""

output_config = """
output.elasticsearch:
  hosts: ["http://localhost:9200"]
"""

combined_config = filebeat_config + "\n\n" + metricbeat_config + "\n\n" + output_config

# Your code here

Hint

Use print(combined_config) to show the full configuration.

Practice

1. What is the primary purpose of Filebeat in the Elastic Stack?

easy

A. To visualize data in dashboards

B. To collect system metrics like CPU and memory usage

C. To collect and ship log files from servers

D. To store data in Elasticsearch

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Filebeat's role

   Filebeat is designed to collect log files from servers and forward them.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from Metricbeat

   Metricbeat collects system metrics, not logs.

3. Final Answer:

   To collect and ship log files from servers -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Filebeat = log collection [OK]

Hint: Filebeat = logs, Metricbeat = metrics [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Filebeat with Metricbeat
• Thinking Filebeat visualizes data
• Assuming Filebeat stores data

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to start Filebeat on a Linux system?

easy

A. sudo systemctl start filebeat

B. filebeat run start

C. start filebeat service

D. service filebeat enable

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify standard Linux service start command

   On modern Linux systems, services are started with 'sudo systemctl start servicename'.

2. Step 2: Match with Filebeat service

   Filebeat service is named 'filebeat', so the command is 'sudo systemctl start filebeat'.

3. Final Answer:

   sudo systemctl start filebeat -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   systemctl start filebeat = correct syntax [OK]

Hint: Use systemctl to manage services on Linux [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using incorrect command order
• Confusing 'start' with 'enable'
• Using non-standard service commands

3. Given this Filebeat configuration snippet:

filebeat.inputs:
- type: log
  paths:
    - /var/log/syslog
output.elasticsearch:
  hosts: ["localhost:9200"]

What will Filebeat do when started?

medium

A. Store logs locally without sending

B. Collect system metrics and send to Elasticsearch

C. Send logs to a remote Logstash server

D. Collect logs from /var/log/syslog and send to Elasticsearch at localhost:9200

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze input configuration

   The input type is 'log' and path is '/var/log/syslog', so Filebeat collects logs from this file.

2. Step 2: Analyze output configuration

   Output is set to Elasticsearch at 'localhost:9200', so logs are sent there.

3. Final Answer:

   Collect logs from /var/log/syslog and send to Elasticsearch at localhost:9200 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Input logs + output Elasticsearch = Collect logs from /var/log/syslog and send to Elasticsearch at localhost:9200 [OK]

Hint: Check input type and output host to predict behavior [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing logs with metrics
• Assuming output is Logstash
• Ignoring the paths setting

4. You configured Metricbeat to collect CPU metrics but see no data in Elasticsearch. Which of these is a likely cause?

medium

A. Metricbeat service is not running

B. Filebeat is collecting logs instead of metrics

C. Elasticsearch is not installed

D. Metricbeat configuration file is empty

Solution

1. Step 1: Check Metricbeat service status

   If Metricbeat is not running, it cannot collect or send metrics.

2. Step 2: Consider other options

   Filebeat collecting logs is unrelated; Elasticsearch not installed would cause errors; empty config would cause no collection.

3. Final Answer:

   Metricbeat service is not running -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Service running = data sent [OK]

Hint: Always verify Metricbeat service is active [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing Filebeat and Metricbeat roles
• Ignoring service status
• Assuming Elasticsearch absence without error

5. You want to monitor both system logs and CPU metrics on a server using Beats. Which setup is best?

hard

A. Run Filebeat and Metricbeat but send data to different Elasticsearch clusters

B. Run Filebeat for logs and Metricbeat for CPU metrics, both sending to Elasticsearch

C. Run Metricbeat for logs and Filebeat for metrics

D. Run only Filebeat configured for logs and metrics

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Beats roles

   Filebeat collects logs; Metricbeat collects system metrics like CPU.

2. Step 2: Choose correct combination

   Running both Beats with their proper roles and sending data to the same Elasticsearch cluster is best for unified monitoring.

3. Final Answer:

   Run Filebeat for logs and Metricbeat for CPU metrics, both sending to Elasticsearch -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Filebeat = logs + Metricbeat = metrics [OK]

Hint: Use Filebeat for logs and Metricbeat for metrics together [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing roles of Filebeat and Metricbeat
• Sending data to separate clusters unnecessarily
• Assuming one Beat can do both well