9.1.0.0 | Filters | Highly Efficient Record Processor (HERP) Filter

This filter is considered deprecated and will be removed in a future version. Consider using the HTTP Logging Service instead.

The Highly Efficient Record Processor (HERP) filter logs an event for each API request. These logs provide information regarding the processing of each request. The logs can be inspected to view the usage of a service and to perform auditing. Events are recorded even if the API request is rejected by Repose before reaching the origin service.

General Filter Information

Name: herp
Released: v7.0.0.1
Bundle: repose-filter-bundle
Default Configuration: highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml
Configuration Schema: highly-efficient-record-processor.xsd

Prerequisites & Postconditions

Required Request Headers

Table 1. Response
Response Headers	Value	Conditions of Requirement
`X-User-Name`	Username of the requestor	Required when the username was not provided in the request (e.g., for change password requests to Identity using a temporary token)

Required Preceding Filters

This filter has no dependencies on other filters and can be placed wherever it is needed in the filter chain.

In order for the HERP filter to process and record every request, no preceding filter in the filter chain may write a response. To prevent short-circuiting without changing behavior, delegation has been added to many Repose filters. See Delegation in Repose for more details.

Request Headers Created

This filter does not create/modify any request headers.

Request Body Changes

This filter does not modify the request body.

Recommended Follow-On (Succeeding) Filters

This filter is not strictly required by any other filters. However, the DeRP filter commonly follows the HERP filter.

The HERP filter will not process responses sent from preceding filters. The DeRP filter can be used to perform delegation. Place the DeRP filter after the HERP filter so that responses sent by any preceding filters are delegated.

Response Body Changes

This filter does not modify the response body.

Response Headers Created

This filter does not create/modify any response headers.

Response Status Codes

This filter does not modify the response code.

Examples

To use the HERP filter, you need to:

Edit the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file.
Add the HERP filter to your system model.
Configure the logger-name attribute to note the SLF4j logger
Configure the service-code attribute to note the service being accessed.
Configure the region attribute to note the region of the service.
Configure the data-center attribute to note the data center of the service.
Configure the template element to define the format of the messages to be logged by the HERP filter.

Optional User-Configurable Filtering

The HERP filter allows user-configurable filtering along with optional pre and post log identifiers.

Each filterOut block contains all of the criteria required for a single filter. If any of the individual criterion in the match elements contained within a filterOut element fail, then that filter fails and it goes on to evaluate the next one. If any of the filterOut blocks fully match, then the event is filtered and not logged to the post-filter log. In other words, the match elements are logically AND’d and the filterOut blocks are logically OR’d.

Within the match element:
- Set the field attribute to name the event field to be matched. If the field is a map (e.g., parameters), then a dot separates the field from the map key and both are placed in the field attribute.
- Set the regex attribute to determine if the regular expressions match the fields' values. The regex is currently considered to match if any part of a field’s value matches. For example, a regex of "racker" would match a value of "rackerTwo". To strictly match, use a more explicit regex such as "^racker$".
Optionally, you can:
- Specify a pre-filter-logger-name that logs all events to it prior to performing any filter logic.
- Specify a post-filter-logger-name that logs all events to it that are not filtered out.

highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<highly-efficient-record-processor
    xmlns="http://docs.openrepose.org/repose/highly-efficient-record-processor/v1.0"
    pre-filter-logger-name="org.openrepose.herp.pre.filter"
    post-filter-logger-name="org.openrepose.herp.post.filter"
    service-code="repose" region="USA" data-center="DFW">

    <template crush="true">
        <![CDATA[
            <cadf:event xmlns:cadf="http://schemas.dmtf.org/cloud/audit/1.0/event"
                    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
                    xsi:schemaLocation='http://schemas.dmtf.org/cloud/audit/1.0/event user-access-cadf.xsd'
                    xmlns:ua="http://feeds.api.rackspacecloud.com/cadf/user-access-event"
                    id="{{guid}}"
                    eventType="activity"
                    typeURI="http://schemas.dmtf.org/cloud/audit/1.0/event"
                    eventTime="{{cadfTimestamp timestamp}}"
                    action="{{cadfMethod requestMethod}}"
                    outcome="{{cadfOutcome responseCode}}">
            <cadf:initiator id="{{#if impersonatorName}}impersonatorName{{else}}{{userName}}{{/if}}"
                            typeURI="network/node" name="{{#if impersonatorName}}impersonatorName{{else}}{{userName}}{{/if}}">
                <cadf:host address="{{requestorIp}}" agent="{{userAgent}}"/>
            </cadf:initiator>
            <cadf:target id="{{targetHost}}" typeURI="service" name="{{serviceCode}}">
                <cadf:host address="{{targetHost}}"/>
            </cadf:target>
            <cadf:attachments>
                <cadf:attachment name="auditData" contentType="ua:auditData">
                    <cadf:content>
                        <ua:auditData version="1">
                            <ua:region>{{region}}</ua:region>
                            <ua:dataCenter>{{dataCenter}}</ua:dataCenter>
                            <ua:methodLabel>{{methodLabel}}</ua:methodLabel>
                            <ua:requestURL>{{requestURL}}</ua:requestURL>
                            <ua:queryString>{{requestQueryString}}</ua:queryString>
                            <ua:tenantId>{{defaultProjectId}}</ua:tenantId>
                            <ua:responseMessage>{{responseMessage}}</ua:responseMessage>
                            <ua:userName>{{userName}}</ua:userName>
                            <ua:roles>{{#each roles}}{{#if @index}} {{/if}}{{.}}{{/each}}</ua:roles>
                        </ua:auditData>
                    </cadf:content>
                </cadf:attachment>
            </cadf:attachments>
            <cadf:observer id="{{serviceCode}}-{{nodeId}}" name="repose" typeURI="service/security"/>
            <cadf:reason reasonCode="{{responseCode}}"
                         reasonType="http://www.iana.org/assignments/http-status-codes/http-status-codes.xml"/>
        </cadf:event>
        ]]>
    </template>
    <filterOut>
        <match field="userName" regex=".*[fF]oo.*"/> (1)
        <match field="dataCenter" regex="DFW"/>
    </filterOut> (2)
    <filterOut>
        <match field="userName" regex=".*[bB]ar.*"/> (1)
        <match field="parameters.abc" regex="123"/>
    </filterOut>
</highly-efficient-record-processor>

1	`match` elements are implicitly AND’d
2	`filterOut` elements are implicitly OR’d

The {{methodLabel}} variable value is provided by the api-validator filter. If you aren’t using that filter, {{methodLabel}} will return empty string.

Additional Information

Optional User-Configurable Filtering

The HERP filter allows user-configurable filtering along with optional pre and post log identifiers.

Within the match element:
- Set the field attribute to name the event field to be matched. If the field is a map (e.g., parameters), then a dot separates the field from the map key and both are placed in the field attribute.
- Set the regex attribute to determine if the regular expressions match the fields' values. The regex is currently considered to match if any part of a field’s value matches. For example, a regex of "racker" would match a value of "rackerTwo". To strictly match, use a more explicit regex such as "^racker$".
Optionally, you can:
- Specify a pre-filter-logger-name that logs all events to it prior to performing any filter logic.
- Specify a post-filter-logger-name that logs all events to it that are not filtered out.

User Access Event Recording With Flume

For information about using the Flume with the HERP filter for user access event recording, see CF Flume Sink for more details.

Configurable Parameters

In the template element, certain template keys may be used to add dynamic content to the text being logged. Any valid key enclosed in brackets (i.e., {{<key>}}) will be replaced, brackets included, by the value associated with that key at runtime. Note that key names are case sensitive. A list of supported keys follows:

Supported fields Description Prerequisite Filter(s)

Supported fields	Description	Prerequisite Filter(s)
dataCenter	The data center, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to note the data center of the service.	-
guid	A globally unique identifier generated for a particular request. This will begin with the value provided in the Tracing header (X-Trans-Id) if present and be followed by a colon (`:`) and a GUID.	-
impersonatorName	The impersonator making the request on behalf of a user.	client-auth or openstack-identity-v3
methodLabel	A label which describes the API call. This is pulled from the WADL used by the api-validator filter.	api-validator
nodeId	The node ID of the Repose node on which the filter is running, configured in the Repose system model.	-
parameters	The query parameters for a request. Note that this field is a map, and specific parameters can be inserted using the following form: `{{parameters.<parameter-key>}}`.	-
projectID	The tenant ID or project ID of the user making the request authenticated through an OpenStack Identity service. Note that, if the client-auth filter is used, the `tenantId` from that filter will be inserted into this field. IF the origin service will add this header to the response, THEN that will be used if not available on the request.	client-auth or openstack-identity-v3 (`X-Tenant-ID` or `X-Project-ID`)
region	The region, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to note the region of the service.	-
requestMethod	The HTTP method of the request.	-
requestQueryString	The full query string of the request. For example, a request to /path?a=1&b=1 would have a query string of a=1&b=2.	-
requestURL	The URL of the request.	-
requestorIp	The IP of the user making the request.	-
responseCode	The response code to be returned to the user.	-
responseMessage	The response message to be returned to the user. This is not the body of the response.	-
roles	The roles of the user making the request authenticated through an OpenStack Identity service.	client-auth or openstack-identity-v3
serviceCode	The service code, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to describe the service being accessed.	-
targetHost	The host portion of the request.	-
timestamp	A timestamp indicating when the HERP filter processed the request.	-
userAgent	The user agent of the request.	-
userName	The username of the user making the request.	client-auth or openstack-identity-v3

dataCenter

The data center, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to note the data center of the service.

guid

A globally unique identifier generated for a particular request. This will begin with the value provided in the Tracing header (X-Trans-Id) if present and be followed by a colon (:) and a GUID.

impersonatorName

The impersonator making the request on behalf of a user.

client-auth or openstack-identity-v3

methodLabel

A label which describes the API call. This is pulled from the WADL used by the api-validator filter.

api-validator

nodeId

The node ID of the Repose node on which the filter is running, configured in the Repose system model.

parameters

The query parameters for a request. Note that this field is a map, and specific parameters can be inserted using the following form: {{parameters.<parameter-key>}}.

projectID

The tenant ID or project ID of the user making the request authenticated through an OpenStack Identity service. Note that, if the client-auth filter is used, the tenantId from that filter will be inserted into this field. IF the origin service will add this header to the response, THEN that will be used if not available on the request.

client-auth or openstack-identity-v3 (X-Tenant-ID or X-Project-ID)

region

The region, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to note the region of the service.

requestMethod

The HTTP method of the request.

requestQueryString

The full query string of the request. For example, a request to /path?a=1&b=1 would have a query string of a=1&b=2.

requestURL

The URL of the request.

requestorIp

The IP of the user making the request.

responseCode

The response code to be returned to the user.

responseMessage

The response message to be returned to the user. This is not the body of the response.

roles

The roles of the user making the request authenticated through an OpenStack Identity service.

client-auth or openstack-identity-v3

serviceCode

The service code, configured in the highly-efficient-record-processor.cfg.xml file. This string will be used in logging to describe the service being accessed.

targetHost

The host portion of the request.

timestamp

A timestamp indicating when the HERP filter processed the request.

userAgent

The user agent of the request.

userName

The username of the user making the request.

client-auth or openstack-identity-v3

The HERP filter also provides helper functions to the templating engine. These helpers work like the keys above, but take some input. For example, assuming the HTTP request method is a GET, {{cadfMethod requestMethod}} would be replace by "read/get". The following helpers are available:

Supported helpers	Description
cadfOutcome <responseCode>	Converts a HTTP response code into either "success" or "failure".
cadfTimestamp <timestamp>	Converts a timestamp into the CADF format.
cadfMethod <requestMethod>	Converts a HTTP method into the CADF format.

Supported helpers

Description

cadfOutcome <responseCode>

Converts a HTTP response code into either "success" or "failure".

cadfTimestamp <timestamp>

Converts a timestamp into the CADF format.

cadfMethod <requestMethod>

Converts a HTTP method into the CADF format.

Recommendation For Managing Disk Space

If you expect heavy usage, you should use a logging tool, such as Logstash, for managing events and logs and should not write events to files. Even if you rely on auditing, it is not recommended that you use the file system with the audit logs. Repose has developed CF Flume Sink to eliminate disk space and log file issues.