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Syslog
Syslog operates primarily over UDP port 514 to facilitate the centralization of log messages from network devices and Unix systems. It allows administrators to collect, store, and analyze log data centrally, streamlining monitoring, troubleshooting, and security event analysis across distributed systems..
Syslog is a widely adopted standard for forwarding log messages across an IP network. Mainly used within Unix-like systems, routers, switches, and security appliances, it enables these devices to transmit their software-generated logging and diagnostic information to a central server, known as the Syslog server or collector. The primary benefit is to unify logs generated from various devices into a single accessible location.
Syslog traditionally employs UDP port 514 for communication. UDP is chosen due to its low-overhead and speed, favoring rapid delivery of messages without establishing a reliable connection. However, due to the connectionless nature of UDP, message delivery is unacknowledged, and packets may be lost or received out of order, which is acceptable for many non-critical system logs. Some implementations can also support TCP or secure transport to increase reliability and security.
The protocol itself defines a simple message format containing a priority value (which encodes facility and severity), timestamp, hostname, tag, and content. Beyond the basic syslog protocol described in RFC 3164, standardized enhancements such as RFC 5424 add structured data, improve message timestamps, and support for additional transports, enhancing interoperability, extensibility, and security capabilities.