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Configuring Sematext Agent to Ship Windows Events

The Sematext Agent for Windows collects logs from your Windows system and sends them to your Windows Logs App for monitoring and analysis. After installing the agent, you can make additional configurations to tailor it to your preferences.

Configuring Event Names

Windows logs are identified by an Event ID and a Source. For instance, Event ID 4625 with Source: Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing signifies an unsuccessful logon attempt. You don’t need to memorize each Event ID and Source because the agent includes a built-in dictionary that translates these IDs and sources into more meaningful names. For example, when the agent encounters a log with Event ID 4625 and Source: Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing, it assigns the name ACCOUNT_LOGON_FAILED. Although the agent provides a default dictionary, you can add or customize event names as needed by following these steps:

  1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\SematextAgent\properties\ and open the st-agent.yml file.
  2. Locate the section labeled #Define custom names for specific event IDs and sources.
  3. Uncomment the names: line if it is commented out, and then add your custom event names. For example:

names:
  "1033:MsiInstaller": "MSI_INSTALLATION_STARTED"
  "6005:EventLog": "EVENT_LOG_SERVICE_STARTED"

  1. Save changes and restart the Sematext Agent Service

Customizing Log Channels

By default, the agent collects logs from the following Windows Event Viewer channels:

  • Security
  • Application
  • System
  • Setup

You can customize which channels the agent collects logs from by following these steps:

  1. Navigate to C:\Program Files\SematextAgent\properties\ and open the st-agent.yml file.
  2. Locate the section labeled paths and add or remove channels according to your needs.

paths: ["Security", "Application", "System", "Setup"]

  1. Save changes and restart the Sematext Agent Service