GELFJ - A GELF Appender for Log4j and a GELF Handler for JDK Logging

WARNING: Latest version of this library is nöt compatible with graylog2-server < 0.9.6.

What is GELFJ

It's very simple GELF implementation in pure Java with the Log4j appender and JDK Logging Handler. It supports chunked messages which allows you to send large log messages (stacktraces, environment variables, additional fields, etc.) to a Graylog2 server.

How to use GELFJ

Drop the latest JAR into your classpath and configure Log4j to use it.

Log4j appender

GelfAppender will use the log message as a short message and a stacktrace (if exception available) as a long message if "extractStacktrace" is true.

To use GELF Facility as appender in Log4j (XML configuration format):

<appender name="graylog2" class="org.graylog2.log.GelfAppender">
    <param name="graylogHost" value="192.168.0.201"/>
    <param name="originHost" value="my.machine.example.com"/>
    <param name="extractStacktrace" value="true"/>
    <param name="addExtendedInformation" value="true"/>
    <param name="facility" value="gelf-java"/>
    <param name="Threshold" value="INFO"/>
    <param name="additionalFields" value="{'environment': 'DEV', 'application': 'MyAPP'}"/>
</appender>

and then add it as a one of appenders:

<root>
    <priority value="INFO"/>
    <appender-ref ref="graylog2"/>
</root>

Or, in the log4j.properties format:

# Define the graylog2 destination
log4j.appender.graylog2=org.graylog2.log.GelfAppender
log4j.appender.graylog2.graylogHost=graylog2.example.com
log4j.appender.graylog2.originHost=my.machine.example.com
log4j.appender.graylog2.facility=gelf-java
log4j.appender.graylog2.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
log4j.appender.graylog2.extractStacktrace=true
log4j.appender.graylog2.addExtendedInformation=true
log4j.appender.graylog2.additionalFields={'environment': 'DEV', 'application': 'MyAPP'}

# Send all INFO logs to graylog2
log4j.rootLogger=INFO, graylog2

Options

GelfAppender supports the following options:

• graylogHost: Graylog2 server where it will send the GELF messages
• graylogPort: Port on which the Graylog2 server is listening; default 12201 (optional)
• originHost: Name of the originating host; defaults to the local hostname (optional)
• extractStacktrace (true/false): Add stacktraces to the GELF message; default false (optional)
• addExtendedInformation (true/false): Add extended information like Log4j's NDC/MDC; default false (optional)
• facility: Facility which to use in the GELF message; default "gelf-java"

Logging Handler

Configured via properties as a standard Handler like

handlers = org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler

.level = ALL

org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.level = ALL org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.graylogHost = syslog.example.com #org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.graylogPort = 12201 #org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.extractStacktrace = true #org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.additionalField.0 = foo=bah #org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.additionalField.1 = foo2=bah2 #org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler.facility = local0

.handlers=org.graylog2.logging.GelfHandler

What is GELF

The Graylog Extended Log Format (GELF) avoids the shortcomings of classic plain syslog:

• Limited to length of 1024 byte
• Not much space for payloads like stacktraces
• Unstructured. You can only build a long message string and define priority, severity etc.

You can get more information here: http://www.graylog2.org/about/gelf