Configure Journalbeat to use X-Pack securityedit

If you want Journalbeat to connect to a cluster that has X-Pack security enabled, there are extra configuration steps:

  1. Configure authentication credentials.

    To send data to a secured cluster through the elasticsearch output, Journalbeat needs to authenticate as a user who can manage index templates, monitor the cluster, create indices, and read and write to the indices it creates.

  2. Grant users access to Journalbeat indices.

    To search the indexed Journalbeat data and visualize it in Kibana, users need access to the indices Journalbeat creates.

  3. Configure Journalbeat to use encrypted connections.

    If encryption is enabled on the cluster, you need to enable HTTPS in the Journalbeat configuration.

  4. Set the password for the built-in monitoring user.

    Journalbeat uses the beats_system user to send monitoring data to Elasticsearch. If you plan to monitor Journalbeat in Kibana and have not yet set up the password, set it up now.

For more information about X-Pack security, see Securing the Elastic Stack.

Journalbeat features that require authorizationedit

After securing Journalbeat, make sure your users have the roles (or associated privileges) required to use these Journalbeat features. You must create the journalbeat_writer and journalbeat_reader roles (see Configure authentication credentials and Grant users access to Journalbeat indices). The other roles are built-in.

Feature Role

Send data to a secured cluster

journalbeat_writer

Load index templates

journalbeat_writer and kibana_user

Read indices created by Journalbeat

journalbeat_reader