Collecting logs from Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 and sending them to LogPoint can be a complex task because of the unique combination of the log source and the desired destination. This post will show you how to forward log data from SIMATIC PCS 7 to LogPoint using the NXLog log collection agent.
Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7
Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 is a distributed control system (DCS) solution that uses many Siemens hardware components supported and configured by PCS 7 software tools. Deployments usually consist of Engineering stations (ES), Operating stations (OS), and Automation stations (AS). The PCS 7 AS features the Siemens SIMATIC S7-400 series central processing unit, designed to automate plants requiring many I/O signals and control loops. SIMATIC PCS 7 is commonly used for automation tasks in various industrial sectors such as chemicals, petrochemicals, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, and power generation.
SCADA systems and Siemens have a couple of things in common: they employ a variety of network protocols to facilitate communication between various types of nodes (physical computers, CPUs, distributed I/Os, and field devices) and SCADA for storing data. Consequently, both solutions are firmly integrated within corporate networks where such nodes are typically deployed.
Collecting SIMATIC PCS 7 logs
SIMATIC PCS 7 produces a wide variety of operational logs. Some are sent to Windows Event Log, but most are stored as flat files.
SIMATIC PCS 7 controls systems that are of significant financial and security importance. In mission-critical settings, the timely collection and processing of SIMATIC PCS 7 logs is crucial to the reliability and security of the systems it controls. However, the sheer diversity of log formats and data structures and the noise that some of these logs contain pose severe challenges to most logging software. A brief interruption of normal operations could result in catastrophic consequences.
NXLog Enterprise Edition is a lightweight, modular log collection tool capable of tackling the most demanding cases log collection may pose. Its features enable it to parse, filter, process, aggregate, and output logs in any structured data format that a SIEM might require. Given its perfect balance of functionality and performance, it is the best choice for collecting and processing SIMATIC PCS 7 logs.
- Collecting SIMATIC PCS 7 logs from Windows Event Log
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Many applications send their logs directly to Windows Event Log, the preferred logging facility on the Windows platform. SIMATIC PCS 7 sends its PC station, NET configuration, adapter operation-related information, and information about various other services to Windows Event Log.
- Collecting SIMATIC PCS 7 logs from file
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File-based PCS7 logs include WinCC system diagnostics logs, SQL Server logs of WinCC, OS project logs, AS project logs, Multi-project logs, and Batch logs coming from Automation, Engineering, and Operator stations.
The easiest way to collect and normalize Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 log data is by deploying NXLog. With its unique capabilities, logs can be collected from literally any file in any format. Given the wide variation in format and structure of such log files, its versatility is ideal for these systems.
For more information on integrating NXLog with SIMATIC PCS 7, see the Siemens SIMATIC PCS 7 integration guide.
The sources mentioned above and NXLog’s features play a vital role when normalizing logs accepted by LogPoint.
Sending logs to LogPoint
LogPoint is a SIEM solution that monitors and analyzes log data. It offers real-time threat detection and response and visualizes aggregate event data collected from different sources.
- Log sources
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For LogPoint to accept logs from a source, it must first be added to its device repository. NXLog can integrate directly with LogPoint by sending log data to it in syslog format over TCP or UDP. NXLog also supports receiving logs from the LogPoint Raw Syslog Forwarder (RSF).
- Forwarding logs
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LogPoint provides the LPA_Windows and JSONCompiledNormalizer compiled normalizers to parse events from Windows Event Log, requiring data to be in JSON format. NXLog can forward events compatible with the format required by these normalizers using the JSON (xm_json) extension module.
NXLog can forward logs to LogPoint over a secure channel using the om_ssl output module. By default, LogPoint’s Syslog Collectors listen for secure connections on port 6514 and use certificates located in the following path:
/opt/immune/etc/remote_connection/certificates/
For more information on configuring NXLog and sending logs to LogPoint, see the LogPoint integration guide in the NXLog User Guide.
