Collect Cisco UCS logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

This document explains how to ingest Cisco UCS logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

Cisco UCS generates syslog messages for system events, faults, and audit logs. The parser extracts fields using grok patterns and maps them to the Unified Data Model (UDM).

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

A Google SecOps instance
Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and the Cisco UCS system
If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
Privileged access to Cisco UCS Manager

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
Download the Ingestion Authentication File.
Save the file securely on the system where the Bindplane agent will be installed.

Note: This JSON file contains credentials for authenticating the Bindplane agent to Google SecOps.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.
Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Note: The customer ID is required for configuring the Bindplane agent exporter.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

Run the following command:

msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

Run the following command:

sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see Bindplane agent installation guide.

Configure the Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

Linux:

sudo nano /etc/bindplane-agent/config.yaml

Windows:

notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml"

Edit the configuration file

Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

receivers:
    udplog:
        listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"

exporters:
    chronicle/cisco_ucs:
        compression: gzip
        creds_file_path: '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json'
        customer_id: '<customer_id>'
        endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
        log_type: CISCO_UCS
        raw_log_field: body

service:
    pipelines:
        logs/cisco_ucs_to_chronicle:
            receivers:
                - udplog
            exporters:
                - chronicle/cisco_ucs

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

Receiver configuration:
- listen_address: IP address and port to listen on:
  - 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces (recommended)
  - Port 514 is the standard syslog port (requires root on Linux; use 1514 for non-root)
Exporter configuration:
- creds_file_path: Full path to ingestion authentication file:
  - Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
  - Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
- customer_id: Customer ID copied from the Google SecOps console
- endpoint: Regional endpoint URL:
  - US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
  - See Regional Endpoints for complete list

Save the configuration file

After editing, save the file:
- Linux: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X
- Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

sudo systemctl restart observiq-otel-collector

Verify the service is running:

```bash
sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
```

Check logs for errors:

```bash
sudo journalctl -u observiq-otel-collector -f
```

To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:
- Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:
```
net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector
```
- Services console:
  1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
  3. Right-click and select Restart.
  4. Verify the service is running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
  5. Check logs for errors:
```
type "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log"
```

Configure syslog on Cisco UCS

Sign in to the Cisco UCS Manager.
Select the Admin tab.
Expand Faults, Events, and Audit Log.
Select Syslog.
Locate the File category, and select Enabled for the Admin State.
Select the alarm level from the menu (for example, Warnings).
Click Save Changes.
Locate Remote Destinations category on the right.
Select Enabled for Server 1 Admin State.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Level: Select Informational.
- Hostname: Enter the Bindplane IP address. The default port in UCS is 514.
- Facility: Select Local7.
Click Save Changes.

UDM mapping table

Log field	UDM mapping	Logic
application	read_only_udm.principal.application	Value taken from the 'application' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
desc	read_only_udm.security_result.description	Value taken from the 'desc' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
desc	read_only_udm.security_result.severity	If 'desc' field contains `Warning`, set to `HIGH`.
filename	read_only_udm.principal.process.file.full_path	Value taken from the 'filename' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
file_size	read_only_udm.principal.process.file.size	Value taken from the 'file_size' field extracted by the Grok pattern and converted to an unsigned integer.
host	read_only_udm.principal.ip	Value taken from the 'host' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
hostname	read_only_udm.principal.hostname	Value taken from the 'hostname' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
prod_evt_type	read_only_udm.metadata.product_event_type	Value taken from the 'prod_evt_type' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
service	read_only_udm.target.application	Value taken from the 'service' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
severity	read_only_udm.security_result.severity	If 'severity' field contains `error` (case-insensitive), set to `ERROR`.
timestamp	read_only_udm.metadata.event_timestamp.seconds	Value taken from the 'timestamp' field extracted by the Grok pattern and parsed as a timestamp.
user	read_only_udm.principal.user.userid	Value taken from the 'user' field extracted by the Grok pattern.
	read_only_udm.extensions.auth.type	Set to `MACHINE` if the 'user' field is not empty.
	read_only_udm.metadata.event_type	Logic based on field presence: - `USER_LOGIN` if 'user' field is not empty. - `GENERIC_EVENT` if both 'hostname' and 'host' fields are empty. - `STATUS_UPDATE` otherwise.
	read_only_udm.metadata.log_type	Hardcoded to `CISCO_UCS`.
	read_only_udm.metadata.product_name	Hardcoded to `Cisco UCS`.
	read_only_udm.metadata.vendor_name	Hardcoded to `Cisco`.

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