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Configure Splunk recommended fields in Splunk add-on for Tomcat

Splunk best practice is to utilize the tomcat:access:splunk:log source type in order for logs to be CIM-compliant.

In order to utilize this source type, you must follow these steps to deactivate Tomcat add-on inputs.

  • File monitor input for the tomcat:access:log sourcetype: Settings > Data Inputs > Files & directories > input for tomcat:access:log sourcetype > Disable

  • dumpAllThreads: Settings > Data Inputs > Splunk Add-on for Tomcat > dumpAllThreads > Disable

  1. Open the back-end access to your tomcat server.

  2. Stop the tomcat server.

  3. Navigate to $CATALINA_HOME/conf/ and open the server.xml in a text editor.

  4. Search for the line org.apache.catalina.valves.AccessLogValve in the file.

  5. Update the prefix and pattern keys as follows:

    prefix="localhost_access_log_splunk" suffix=".txt"

    pattern="%t, x_forwarded_for="%{X-Forwarded-For}i", remote_ip="%a", remote_host="%h", server="%v", server_port=%p, user="%u", http_method=%m, uri_path="%U", uri_query="%q", status=%s,  bytes_sent=%b, response_time=%F, http_content_type="%{Content-Type}o", http_user_agent="%{User-Agent}i", http_referrer="%{Referer}i", url="%{Host}i%U%q""

  6. Save the server.xml file.

  7. Start the tomcat server.

  8. Reconfigure the add-on and check the checkbox for “Enable data collection from Tomcat log files”.

  9. Activate the dumpAllThread input.

Optionally, you can configure the Tomcat server to authenticate the User, since the tomcat:access:log:splunk source type supports user field mapping. You can follow the steps mentioned in the documentation for Tomcat at https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-9.0-doc/manager-howto.html#Configuring_Manager_Application_Access.