Multiline

Concatenate Multiline or Stack trace log messages. Available on Fluent Bit >= v1.8.2.

The Multiline Filter helps to concatenate messages that originally belong to one context but were split across multiple records or log lines. Common examples are stack traces or applications that print logs in multiple lines.

As part of the built-in functionality, without major configuration effort, you can enable one of ours built-in parsers with auto detection and multi format support:

• go

• python

• ruby

• java (Google Cloud Platform Java stacktrace format)

Some comments about this filter:

• The usage of this filter depends on a previous configuration of a Multiline Parser definition.

• If you aim to concatenate messages split originally by Docker or CRI container engines, we recommend doing the concatenation on Tail plugin, this same functionality exists there.

This filter does not perform buffering that persists across different Chunks. This filter process one Chunk at a time and is not suitable for sources that might send multiline messages in separated chunks.

For cases where Multiline mode is required and the source plugin does not support it, please file a Github Enhancement with such requirement and specific details of the use case.

Configuration Parameters

The plugin supports the following configuration parameters:

Property	Description
multiline.parser	Specify one or multiple Multiline Parser definitions to apply to the content. You can specify multiple multiline parsers to detect different formats by separating them with a comma.
multiline.key_content	Key name that holds the content to process. Note that a Multiline Parser definition can already specify the key_content to use, but this option allows to overwrite that value for the purpose of the filter.

Configuration Example

The following example aims to parse a log file called test.log that contains some full lines, a custom Java stacktrace and a Go stacktrace.

The following example files can be located at: https://github.com/fluent/fluent-bit/tree/master/documentation/examples/multiline/filter_multiline

Example files content:

fluent-bit.conf

This is the primary Fluent Bit configuration file. It includes the parsers_multiline.conf and tails the file test.log by applying the multiline parsers multiline-regex-test and go. Then it sends the processing to the standard output.

[SERVICE]
    flush                 1
    log_level             info
    parsers_file          parsers_multiline.conf

[INPUT]
    name                  tail
    path                  test.log
    read_from_head        true

[FILTER]
    name                  multiline
    match                 *
    multiline.key_content log
    multiline.parser      go, multiline-regex-test

[OUTPUT]
    name                  stdout
    match                 *
    

parsers_multiline.conf

This second file defines a multiline parser for the example. Note that a second multiline parser called go is used in fluent-bit.conf, but this one is a built-in parser.

[MULTILINE_PARSER]
    name          multiline-regex-test
    type          regex
    flush_timeout 1000
    #
    # Regex rules for multiline parsing
    # ---------------------------------
    #
    # configuration hints:
    #
    #  - first state always has the name: start_state
    #  - every field in the rule must be inside double quotes
    #
    # rules |   state name  | regex pattern                  | next state
    # ------|---------------|--------------------------------------------
    rule      "start_state"   "/(Dec \d+ \d+\:\d+\:\d+)(.*)/"  "cont"
    rule      "cont"          "/^\s+at.*/"                     "cont"
    

test.log

An example file with multiline and multiformat content:

single line...
Dec 14 06:41:08 Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: Something has gone wrong, aborting!
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.badMethod(MyProject.java:22)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.oneMoreMethod(MyProject.java:18)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.anotherMethod(MyProject.java:14)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.someMethod(MyProject.java:10)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.main(MyProject.java:6)
another line...
panic: my panic

goroutine 4 [running]:
panic(0x45cb40, 0x47ad70)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/panic.go:542 +0x46c fp=0xc42003f7b8 sp=0xc42003f710 pc=0x422f7c
main.main.func1(0xc420024120)
  foo.go:6 +0x39 fp=0xc42003f7d8 sp=0xc42003f7b8 pc=0x451339
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003f7e0 sp=0xc42003f7d8 pc=0x44b4d1
created by main.main
  foo.go:5 +0x58

goroutine 1 [chan receive]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0xc420024178, 0x46fcd7, 0xc, 0xc420028e17, 0x3)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc420053e30 sp=0xc420053e00 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0xc420024178, 0x46fcd7, 0xc, 0x1000f010040c217, 0x3)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc420053e70 sp=0xc420053e30 pc=0x42512e
runtime.chanrecv(0xc420024120, 0x0, 0xc420053f01, 0x4512d8)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/chan.go:506 +0x304 fp=0xc420053f20 sp=0xc420053e70 pc=0x4046b4
runtime.chanrecv1(0xc420024120, 0x0)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/chan.go:388 +0x2b fp=0xc420053f50 sp=0xc420053f20 pc=0x40439b
main.main()
  foo.go:9 +0x6f fp=0xc420053f80 sp=0xc420053f50 pc=0x4512ef
runtime.main()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:185 +0x20d fp=0xc420053fe0 sp=0xc420053f80 pc=0x424bad
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc420053fe8 sp=0xc420053fe0 pc=0x44b4d1

goroutine 2 [force gc (idle)]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0x4ad720, 0x47001e, 0xf, 0x14, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc42003e768 sp=0xc42003e738 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0x4ad720, 0x47001e, 0xf, 0xc420000114, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc42003e7a8 sp=0xc42003e768 pc=0x42512e
runtime.forcegchelper()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:238 +0xcc fp=0xc42003e7e0 sp=0xc42003e7a8 pc=0x424e5c
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003e7e8 sp=0xc42003e7e0 pc=0x44b4d1
created by runtime.init.4
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:227 +0x35

goroutine 3 [GC sweep wait]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0x4ad7e0, 0x46fdd2, 0xd, 0x419914, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc42003ef60 sp=0xc42003ef30 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0x4ad7e0, 0x46fdd2, 0xd, 0x14, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc42003efa0 sp=0xc42003ef60 pc=0x42512e
runtime.bgsweep(0xc42001e150)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/mgcsweep.go:52 +0xa3 fp=0xc42003efd8 sp=0xc42003efa0 pc=0x419973
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003efe0 sp=0xc42003efd8 pc=0x44b4d1
created by runtime.gcenable
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/mgc.go:216 +0x58
one more line, no multiline

By running Fluent Bit with the given configuration file you will obtain:

$ fluent-bit -c fluent-bit.conf 

[0] tail.0: [1626736433.143567481, {"log"=>"single line..."}]
[1] tail.0: [1626736433.143570538, {"log"=>"Dec 14 06:41:08 Exception in thread "main" java.lang.RuntimeException: Something has gone wrong, aborting!
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.badMethod(MyProject.java:22)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.oneMoreMethod(MyProject.java:18)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.anotherMethod(MyProject.java:14)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.someMethod(MyProject.java:10)
    at com.myproject.module.MyProject.main(MyProject.java:6)"}]
[2] tail.0: [1626736433.143572538, {"log"=>"another line..."}]
[3] tail.0: [1626736433.143572894, {"log"=>"panic: my panic

goroutine 4 [running]:
panic(0x45cb40, 0x47ad70)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/panic.go:542 +0x46c fp=0xc42003f7b8 sp=0xc42003f710 pc=0x422f7c
main.main.func1(0xc420024120)
  foo.go:6 +0x39 fp=0xc42003f7d8 sp=0xc42003f7b8 pc=0x451339
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003f7e0 sp=0xc42003f7d8 pc=0x44b4d1
created by main.main
  foo.go:5 +0x58

goroutine 1 [chan receive]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0xc420024178, 0x46fcd7, 0xc, 0xc420028e17, 0x3)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc420053e30 sp=0xc420053e00 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0xc420024178, 0x46fcd7, 0xc, 0x1000f010040c217, 0x3)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc420053e70 sp=0xc420053e30 pc=0x42512e
runtime.chanrecv(0xc420024120, 0x0, 0xc420053f01, 0x4512d8)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/chan.go:506 +0x304 fp=0xc420053f20 sp=0xc420053e70 pc=0x4046b4
runtime.chanrecv1(0xc420024120, 0x0)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/chan.go:388 +0x2b fp=0xc420053f50 sp=0xc420053f20 pc=0x40439b
main.main()
  foo.go:9 +0x6f fp=0xc420053f80 sp=0xc420053f50 pc=0x4512ef
runtime.main()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:185 +0x20d fp=0xc420053fe0 sp=0xc420053f80 pc=0x424bad
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc420053fe8 sp=0xc420053fe0 pc=0x44b4d1

goroutine 2 [force gc (idle)]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0x4ad720, 0x47001e, 0xf, 0x14, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc42003e768 sp=0xc42003e738 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0x4ad720, 0x47001e, 0xf, 0xc420000114, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc42003e7a8 sp=0xc42003e768 pc=0x42512e
runtime.forcegchelper()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:238 +0xcc fp=0xc42003e7e0 sp=0xc42003e7a8 pc=0x424e5c
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003e7e8 sp=0xc42003e7e0 pc=0x44b4d1
created by runtime.init.4
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:227 +0x35

goroutine 3 [GC sweep wait]:
runtime.gopark(0x4739b8, 0x4ad7e0, 0x46fdd2, 0xd, 0x419914, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:280 +0x12c fp=0xc42003ef60 sp=0xc42003ef30 pc=0x42503c
runtime.goparkunlock(0x4ad7e0, 0x46fdd2, 0xd, 0x14, 0x1)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/proc.go:286 +0x5e fp=0xc42003efa0 sp=0xc42003ef60 pc=0x42512e
runtime.bgsweep(0xc42001e150)
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/mgcsweep.go:52 +0xa3 fp=0xc42003efd8 sp=0xc42003efa0 pc=0x419973
runtime.goexit()
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/asm_amd64.s:2337 +0x1 fp=0xc42003efe0 sp=0xc42003efd8 pc=0x44b4d1
created by runtime.gcenable
  /usr/local/go/src/runtime/mgc.go:216 +0x58"}]
[4] tail.0: [1626736433.143585473, {"log"=>"one more line, no multiline"}]

The lines that did not match a pattern are not considered as part of the multiline message, while the ones that matched the rules were concatenated properly.