Forwarding syslog messages to a remote server

Google Cloud VMware Engine provides the option to send syslog messages to your remote syslog server. This configuration lets you collate and process syslog messages using remote logging and monitoring systems.

Caution: Don't update your syslog server configuration using the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface (VAMI). VMware Engine automatically reverts any changes made this way. To configure ESXi syslog forwarding, please contact support.

Before you begin

The steps in this document assume that you have done the following:

• Set up private services access to your on-premises network with the private cloud that you want to forward syslog messages from.

If you want to reference your remote syslog host by name, you must also apply a DNS profile to your private cloud for DNS forwarding.

Configuring a syslog host

You can configure a syslog host to forward messages from vCenter or NSX-T.

Forward vCenter syslog messages

To configure vCenter in your VMware Engine private cloud to forward logs to your remote syslog server, do the following:

1. Access the Google Cloud VMware Engine portal.
2. Go to Resources and select the private cloud that you want to forward syslog messages from.
3. Select the Advanced vCenter settings tab.
4. Click Add remote syslog host.
5. In the Server field, enter the name or IP address of your remote syslog host.
6. Select a communication protocol.
7. In the Port field, enter the port number on which the remote syslog server listens.
8. Click Submit.

Once you submit the remote server configuration, the syslog service restarts and you can view syslog messages that enter your remote server.

Forward NSX-T syslog messages

To configure NSX-T in your VMware Engine private cloud to forward logs to your remote syslog server, do the following:

1. Sign in to the NSX-T appliance in your private cloud.
2. Go to System > Fabric > Profiles > Node Profiles.
3. To forward logs from all NSX nodes, select All NSX Nodes. Otherwise, select only the nodes you want to send the logs from.
4. In the Syslog Servers section, click Add.
5. In the FQDN or IP Address field, enter the IP address of your remote syslog host.
6. In the Port field, enter the port number on which the remote syslog server listens.
7. In the Protocol field, select a communication protocol.
8. In the Log Level field, select the level of log you want to forward.
9. Click Add.