How to Log to Elastic Search by NLog or SeriLog with authentications

Question

We are currently use azure scale set (many VMs on one source group with load balance and one availability set), we used to use NLog to log our web app action and errors, but now we asked/needs to use Elastic Search and also use centralized log for all azure vm instances instead of file per each instance.

I am new to ES and LogStash concepts, Do I need to replace NLog with something else? and How I move to use ES and unify all logs in one (I think to make nlog store in azure storage table as unify results or do I needs to use LogStash or you prefer something else)?

What is the most logging that give support for .net core app on azure multi VMs as described above?

Any help please?

Answer 1

Since you want to log into ElasticSearch, it's best if you use a Logging framework that supports Structured Logging which for [NLog] this feature is in beta RTM.

You can Serilog as your Logging Framework which supports Structured Logging.

And there's also Serilog sink for ElasticSearch https://github.com/serilog/serilog-sinks-elasticsearch

You should add these nuget packages to your project :

Serilog
Serilog.Sinks.ElasticSearch  

This is a sample code for config of Serilog to sink to ElasticSearch

var logger = new LoggerConfiguration()
    .WriteTo.Elasticsearch(new ElasticsearchSinkOptions(new Uri("http://localhost:9200"))
    {
        ModifyConnectionSettings = x => x.SetBasicAuthentication(username, password);
    })
    .CreateLogger();