Active Directory

• Download the Winlogbeat Windows zip file from the official downloads page.

• Extract the contents of the zip file into C:\Program Files.

• Rename the winlogbeat-<version> directory to Winlogbeat.

• Open a PowerShell prompt as an Administrator (right-click the PowerShell icon and select Run As Administrator). If you are running Windows XP, you may need to download and install PowerShell.

• Run the following commands to install Winlogbeat as a Windows service:

  PS C:\Users\Administrator> cd 'C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat'
  PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> .\install-service-winlogbeat.ps1
  
  Security warning
  Run only scripts that you trust. While scripts from the internet can be useful,
  this script can potentially harm your computer. If you trust this script, use
  the Unblock-File cmdlet to allow the script to run without this warning message.
  Do you want to run C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat\install-service-winlogbeat.ps1?
  [D] Do not run  [R] Run once  [S] Suspend  [?] Help (default is "D"): R
  
  Status   Name               DisplayName
  ------   ----               -----------
  Stopped  winlogbeat         winlogbeat
  

  

  If script execution is disabled on your system, you need to set the execution policy for the current session to allow the script to run. For example: PowerShell.exe -ExecutionPolicy UnRestricted -File .\install-service-winlogbeat.ps1

The configuration file below is pre-configured to send data to your Logit.io Stack.

Copy the configuration file below and overwrite the contents of the Winlogbeat configuration file typically located at C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat\winlogbeat.yml

winlogbeat.event_logs:
- name: Application
ignore_older: 72h
- name: System
- name: Security

fields:
  type: wineventlog

fields_under_root: true

# ================================== Outputs ===================================
output.logstash:
    hosts: ["your-logstash-host:your-ssl-port"]
    loadbalance: true
    ssl.enabled: true

It’s a good idea to run the configuration file through a YAML validator to rule out indentation errors, clean up extra characters, and check if your YAML file is valid. Yamllint.com is a great choice.

Let's check the configuration file is syntactically correct.

PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> .\winlogbeat.exe test config -c .\winlogbeat.yml -e

Ok, time to start ingesting data!

PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> Start-Service winlogbeat

Winlogbeat should now be running. If you used the configuration described here, then you can view the log file at C:\ProgramData\winlogbeat\Logs\winlogbeat.

You can view the status of the service and control it from the Services management console in Windows. To launch the management console, run this command:

PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> services.msc

Now you should view your data:

Launch Dashboard

If you don't see logs take a look at How to diagnose no data in Stack below for how to diagnose common issues.

If you don't see data appearing in your Stack after following the steps, visit the Help Centre guide for steps to diagnose no data appearing in your Stack or Chat to support now.

Stop the Winlogbeat service with the following command:

PS C:\Program Files\Winlogbeat> Stop-Service winlogbeat

Active Directory is a Microsoft technology that provides a centralized database for storing information about users, computers, and other resources on a network. It is widely used in enterprise environments to manage user accounts, permissions, and access to resources.

To effectively monitor and analyze security events in an Active Directory environment, it is essential to have a reliable and efficient log management solution. One way to achieve this is by using winlogbeat, an open-source log shipper that can be installed on a Windows server to collect and ship event logs to Logstash.

Winlogbeat is designed to work with the Elastic Stack, which includes Elasticsearch, Logstash, and OpenSearch. By sending event logs from Active Directory to Logstash, organizations can centralize their log data and analyze it in real-time for threat detection and response.

In summary, using winlogbeat to ship logs from a Windows server to Logstash can provide organizations with a reliable and efficient way to monitor and analyze security events in their Active Directory environment. By centralizing log data and analyzing it in real-time, organizations can detect and respond to security threats quickly and effectively.

If you need any further assistance with migrating your Active Directory logs to Logit.io we're here to help you get started. Feel free to reach out by contacting our support team by visiting our dedicated Help Centre or via live chat & we'll be happy to assist.