Collecting logs from Siemens SICAM PAS/PQS and sending them to Splunk could be a complex task due to this rather unique combination of the log source and the destination SIEM. In this post we will take a look at how you can forward log data from Siemens SICAM PAS/PQS to Splunk using the NXLog log collection agent.
Siemens SICAM PAS/PQS
Siemens SICAM PAS is an adaptive power automation system that supports the implementation of project-specific tasks in the industrialization field SICAM PAS uses an intuitive, user-friendly interface that simplifies and optimizes process monitoring. With its distributed architecture SICAM PAS is a scalable solution well-suited to weightier networks where it can leverage your existing network infrastructure to communicate efficiently and securely.
SICAM PAS is a modular system. The UI - Configuration component is responsible for the configuration and parameterization of your plant, as well as exchanging configuration data. UI - Operation can activate or deactivate individual components. UI - Operation Client provides access to UI - Operation on any connected remote computer via a web browser. Value Viewer displays information about any connected device or substation and can verify if the system transfers the correct values.
Siemens SICAM PQS lets you analyze all fault records and power quality data within a single system. With it, you get a quick, uncomplicated overview of the quality of your system. SICAM PAS can identify potential fault sources early on so that they can be systematically eliminated. It also provides automatic reporting and notifications when power quality standards are unmet.
Some of the main components of SICAM PQS include the PQ Analyzer, the Incident Explorer, the Fault Event Viewer, which displays fault events and their records, the Event Viewer, and the Report Browser.
SICAM PAS/PQS is used mainly in electric utility companies and industrial plants worldwide.
Collecting SICAM PAS/PQS logs
SICAM PAS/PQS produces a wide variety of logs concerning its operations. Some of those logs are available through Windows Event Log and network monitoring, but most of them exist as flat files.
Because of the complex nature and scope of the systems SICAM PAS/PQS controls, there is no room for error. Its stable and consistent operation is crucial for plant safety. SICAM PAS/PQS logs often contain valuable information about the systems it controls. However, due to excessive log noise, this valuable information can sometimes remain hidden in the logs it collects. Another challenge is the lack of consistent log formats. The ability to parse data from a wide variety of log formats is an absolute necessity.
NXLog Enterprise Edition is a lightweight, modular log collection tool, capable of tackling the most complex cases log collection may pose. Due to its rich set of features, it can read almost any log format and parse fields to produce structured data for further processing. For these reasons, it is the perfect tool for monitoring and collecting SICAM PAS/PQS logs.
- Collecting SICAM PAS/PQS logs from Windows Event Log
-
Windows Event Log is the main logging subsystem for Microsoft Windows. The logs that SICAM PAS/PQS generates contain diagnostic and security-related events, such as user authentication, the state of system components, and record modifications. These events are stored in the PASSecurity and PQ Analyzer Security folders under Applications and Services Logs. NXLog can easily read and collect these events using the appropriate SICAM PAS/PQS source names.
- Collecting SICAM PAS/PQS logs from file
-
File-based SICAM PAS/PQS logs include installation logs, watchdog logs, system logs, and fault event agent logs. With NXLog’s rich set of features, it can efficiently read and parse such file-based logs, and then reliably forward them to your preferred SIEM solution.
- SICAM PAS/PQS passive network monitoring
-
NXLog can passively monitor network traffic and generate logs for most network protocols. With this feature it can provide yet another valuable log source by monitoring communications between control centers, bay devices, and substations.
NXLog’s data normalization and log aggregation capabilities can extend the functionality of SICAM PAS/PQS. Because NXLog can collect logs from literally any file, in any format, it is ideally suited for integrating with the wide variety of log types and formats that SICAM PAS/PQS systems generate.
For more information on how to integrate NXLog with SICAM PAS/PQS, you can find detailed documentation here.
The above mentioned log sources, and the features NXLog provides all play an important role when normalizing logs in order to be accepted by Splunk.
Sending logs to Splunk
Splunk is a platform for data collection, searching, indexing, and data visualization. It accepts logs forwarded via TLS, TCP, UDP or HTTP and can ingest both structured or unstructured data from a multitude of sources.
- Generic structured logs
-
To send logs via HTTP, Splunk’s HTTP event collector handles HTTP requests with either raw data payloads or formatted as JSON objects. To send logs via TCP or UDP you will need to set up the appropriate data input and specify the transmission protocol. To do this, use the Splunk dashboard to set up a new data input following their configuration guidelines. Alternatively, to send logs via TLS, you will need to edit your configuration files to generate the required security certificates.
- Specific structured logs
-
Windows Event Log data can be forwarded to Splunk in XML format by installing the Splunk Add-on for Windows version 6.0.0. To reliably forward SICAM PAS/PQS logs to Splunk, all you need to do is specify Splunk’s network socket address along with the path and file names of the log files in your NXLog configuration file.
For more information on how to configure NXLog and send logs to Splunk, please visit the Splunk section in the NXLog User Guide.
