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Stackdriver Logging

  1. If you don’t already have them, create two Compute Engine instances in a GCP project.

    Create in Compute Engine.

  2. On one of the instances, assign a label of env:prod for the key-value pair.

    When creating the instance, expand the ‘Management, disks, network, SSH keys’ menu, and add a label.

  3. View your current logging data in Stackdriver logging.

    From the left menu, click Stackdriver - Logging

  4. In the logs view, use the basic filters to only view logs for one of your instances.

    Click the left dropdown menu, mouse over GCE VM Instance, and select your instance on the new menu that pops out.

  5. Go to the advanced filter view.

    On the left of the top search field, click the down arrow and select Convert to advanced filter.

  6. Enter the below string to find logs for instances with the label you created. This was not covered in the hands-on lesson, but it is the advanced filter string needed to search for your labels:

    `protoPayload.request.labels.key="env"
    protoPayload.request.labels.value="prod"

    `View the details of the entry, does it match the instance name that you created?

    Next, let’s export matching logs to a Cloud Storage bucket.

  7. Create a regional Cloud Storage bucket and give it a globally unique name.

    Create new bucket in the Storage browser.

  8. Export logs for resources with the label you created to an export sink. Only export records that match your label.

    In Stackdriver Logging, click Exports, CREATE EXPORT.

    In the Edit Export screen, switch to advanced filter mode, enter the string from above, and click Submit Filter.

    From the right panel, give the Sink the name ‘prod_export’.

    Select Cloud Storage for the destination.

    Select the bucket you created in the Sink Destination drop down.

    Click Create Sink.

    Once your export is set up, go back to Compute Engine and stop, then start your instance again.

    Make a new instance with the same env:prod label.

    Create in Compute Engine, same as at top.

    If you wish, in about an hour check your Cloud Storage bucket, you should see records from both instances in it.