# LOGAR: Edge-Thin Log Analysis & Temporal Verification System **LOGAR** is an enterprise log aggregation, verification, and anomaly detection architecture designed for heterogeneous server fleets (Windows & Linux). It combines lightweight zero-state edge forwarders with a centralized cloud hub that applies mutual TLS 1.3 (**mTLS**) authentication, dynamic PKI licensing and quota management, temporal persistence tracking across 12-hour evaluation windows, an automated 4-run rule to filter transient warnings, and immediate pass-through for critical errors before reporting verified anomalies to **Hermes**. --- ## Table of Contents 1. [Core Philosophy](#core-philosophy) 2. [Architecture & Data Flow](#architecture--data-flow) 3. [mTLS Security, Dynamic PKI & Licensing](#mtls-security-dynamic-pki--licensing) 4. [Cloud-Side Temporal Persistence & 4-Run Rule](#cloud-side-temporal-persistence--4-run-rule) 5. [Agentic Hermes & Client Management API](#agentic-hermes--client-management-api) 6. [Dynamic Machine & Domain Identification](#dynamic-machine--domain-identification) 7. [Automated Service Installers (Linux & Windows)](#automated-service-installers-linux--windows) 8. [Repository & Shippables Structure](#repository--shippables-structure) 9. [Getting Started & Deployment](#getting-started--deployment) 10. [Running Tests](#running-tests) 11. [Automated Releases via Gitea Actions](#automated-releases-via-gitea-actions) --- ## Core Philosophy ### 1. Edge Thinness & Zero State Site agents running on Windows and Linux act strictly as lightweight forwarders: - **No Local Database**: Clients maintain zero local SQLite or heavy cache files. - **Source-Level Filtering**: Agents stream candidate entries from informational events up to errors (`INFO`, `WARNING`, `ERROR`, `CRITICAL`), stripping verbose debugging noise (`DEBUG`, trace entries) and skipping events older than 24 hours. - **Transport Security (mTLS 1.3)**: Logs are streamed directly over mutual TLS 1.3 sockets with hardware-bound / machine-unique client certificates. - **Zero Configuration Overhead**: Clients auto-bootstrap certificate enrollment on first run if configured with an enrollment secret. ### 2. Cloud-Side Temporal Persistence & Severity Routing The central Python hub handles state and verification: - State tracking is managed centrally in SQLite (`logar_state.db`). - Candidate issues are evaluated over a **12-hour temporal evaluation window**. - **Warning Persistence (4-Run Rule)**: `WARNING` issues must persist across **at least 4 consecutive runs / cycles** within the 12-hour window to be confirmed as genuine anomalies, automatically filtering transient infrastructure blips. - **Immediate Error Pass**: Critical errors (`ERROR`, `CRITICAL`, `FATAL`) bypass the 4-run threshold and are promoted immediately to `VERIFIED` on their first occurrence. ### 3. Agentic Integration with Hermes Instead of engineers manually sifting through logs, **Hermes** ingests pre-filtered anomalies directly from the cloud hub (`GET /api/hermes/report`), treating verified errors and 4-run validated warnings as actionable system artifacts to trigger precise notifications and remediations. --- ## Architecture & Data Flow ```mermaid graph TB subgraph Edge Nodes [Lightweight Edge Forwarders] W[Win_Client.exe / Win_Client.py
Windows Event Log Ingestion] L[Linux_Client.bin / Linux_Client.py
systemd journalctl -p warning] end subgraph Enrollment [Dynamic PKI & Licensing] ENR[POST /api/client/enroll
License Quota & Secret Validation] CA[Internal Root CA
Signs RSA-2048 Client Cert] end subgraph Transport [mTLS 1.3 Security Layer] MTLS[Mutual TLS 1.3 Handshake
Port 9443 - Client Cert Required] AUTH[Extract Client CN & Fingerprint
Validate Active License in SQLite] end subgraph Hub [LOGAR Server Hub] INGEST[Length-Prefixed Frame Ingestion] DB[(SQLite Persistence
active_issues, clients, license_config)] RULE{12h Window &
4-Run Rule} end subgraph Downstream [Hermes Agent & Monitoring] API[FastAPI Reporting & Management
Port 8443] HERMES[Hermes Agent
GET /api/hermes/report] end W -->|Auto-Enrollment| ENR L -->|Auto-Enrollment| ENR ENR --> CA CA -->|ca.crt, client.crt, client.key| W CA -->|ca.crt, client.crt, client.key| L W -->|mTLS Stream| MTLS L -->|mTLS Stream| MTLS MTLS --> AUTH AUTH --> INGEST INGEST --> RULE RULE --> DB DB --> API API --> HERMES ``` --- ## mTLS Security, Dynamic PKI & Licensing ### 1. TLS 1.3 Mutual Authentication (mTLS) - **Port 9443**: Ingestion occurs exclusively over TLS 1.3 sockets with `ssl.CERT_REQUIRED`. - Both the hub and edge clients verify each other's certificates: - Client verifies server certificate against `ca.crt`. - Server verifies client certificate against the Root CA. - **Client CN Identification**: In the TLS handshake, the server extracts the `commonName` attribute (`client_id`), validates that the client is marked `active` in the `clients` table, updates the `last_seen` timestamp, and drops unregistered or revoked certificates immediately. ### 2. Dynamic PKI Hub Engine (`src/server_enrollment.py`) - **Root CA**: On first run, `Server.py` creates a self-signed Root CA (`ca.crt` / `ca.key`) valid for 10 years. - **Server TLS Certificate**: Generated automatically with Subject Alternative Names (SANs) for `localhost`, `127.0.0.1`, server IP, and hostnames. - **Authority Key Identifiers**: Full compliance with OpenSSL 3.x and Python 3.12–3.14 via `SubjectKeyIdentifier` and `AuthorityKeyIdentifier` extensions. - **Dynamic Client Certificates**: RSA-2048 keys and X.509 client certificates are issued on the fly via the enrollment API. ### 3. Seat Accounting & Licensing - Stored in SQLite table `license_config`: - `max_seats`: Maximum concurrent active client licenses (default: 10). - `enrollment_secret`: Cryptographic secret required for initial client enrollment. - Stored in SQLite table `clients`: - `client_id`: Unique client identifier (machine GUID or hardware hash). - `hostname`, `os_type`, `cert_fingerprint`, `status` (`active` / `revoked`), `first_seen`, `last_seen`. - When a new client enrolls: - If `active_seats >= max_seats`, the hub rejects registration with `HTTP 403 (License seat limit reached)`. - Existing registered clients can re-enroll / renew seamlessly without consuming additional seats. ### 4. In-Flight Certificate Watchdog & Automated Self-Healing Renewal - **Continuous Hub PKI Watchdog**: - The server hub runs a continuous background watchdog coroutine (`cert_validity_watchdog`, running every 12 hours) alongside startup checks. - The hub automatically inspects expiration dates of both the Root CA (`ca.crt`) and the Server TLS certificate (`server.crt`). - If either certificate is within 30 days of expiration, the server regenerates certificates (backing up previous keys as `ca.crt..bak`) and dynamically reloads its active `ssl.SSLContext` in memory without dropping socket connections or restarting the service. - **Client Proactive Check & Reactive Self-Healing**: - **Proactive Renewal**: Edge clients inspect `client.crt` before every run cycle. If the certificate expires in less than 30 days, it automatically contacts `/api/client/enroll` to renew its certificate. - **Reactive Self-Healing**: If the server hub Root CA rotates or a handshake fails with `ssl.SSLError` / `SSLCertVerificationError`, edge clients catch the verification exception, re-bootstrap certificate enrollment against the hub, and re-establish the connection cleanly without human intervention. --- ## Cloud-Side Temporal Persistence & 4-Run Rule Incoming candidate logs are tracked in SQLite table `active_issues`: - **Issue Fingerprint**: Formatted as `{site_name}:{server}:{signature}`. - **12-Hour Evaluation Window**: - The hub compares `(now - last_seen)`. - If more than 12 hours have elapsed since the issue was last recorded, the previous window expires and the cycle resets to `run_count = 1`. - **4-Run Rule for Warnings**: - The 4-run persistence threshold applies to `WARNING` (and `INFO`) events to eliminate transient operational noise. - Each distinct run batch increments `run_count`. - Warnings with `run_count < 4` are marked as `TRANSIENT` and excluded from Hermes reports. - When `run_count >= 4` within the active 12-hour window, the warning transitions to `VERIFIED`. - **Immediate Verification for Errors**: - High-severity events (`ERROR`, `CRITICAL`, `FATAL`) **always pass immediately**. - On their very first ingestion (`run_count = 1`), errors are promoted directly to `VERIFIED` and surfaced to Hermes without waiting for 4 runs. --- ## Agentic Hermes & Client Management API The server hub exposes a management and reporting REST API (default port `8443`): ### `POST /api/client/enroll` Client enrollment endpoint: - **Request**: ```json { "client_id": "web-worker-01.corp.internal", "hostname": "web-worker-01", "os": "linux", "enrollment_secret": "" } ``` - **Response**: ```json { "ca_cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n...", "client_cert": "-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----\n...", "client_key": "-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n..." } ``` ### `GET /api/clients` Returns seat quota status and registered client telemetry: ```json { "active_seats": 2, "max_seats": 10, "clients": [ { "client_id": "web-worker-01.corp.internal", "hostname": "web-worker-01", "os_type": "linux", "cert_fingerprint": "7D5B660B...", "status": "active", "first_seen": "2026-09-04 18:00:00", "last_seen": "2026-09-04 19:15:00" } ] } ``` ### `GET /api/hermes/report` Returns all **verified anomalies** (immediate critical errors and warnings verified after 4 consecutive runs within the 12-hour window): ```json [ { "fingerprint": "corp.internal:web-worker-01.corp.internal:PostgresPoolExhausted", "site": "corp.internal", "server": "web-worker-01.corp.internal", "signature": "PostgresPoolExhausted", "severity": "WARNING", "message": "Connection pool saturated (>95%) across 4 runs", "os_type": "linux", "first_seen": "2026-09-04T07:00:00+00:00", "last_seen": "2026-09-04T19:00:00+00:00", "consecutive_runs": 4, "evaluation_window": "12h", "verified": true, "status": "VERIFIED" } ] ``` ### `GET /api/hermes/all` Diagnostic endpoint listing all candidate issues (`TRANSIENT` and `VERIFIED`). ### `GET /health` Returns hub health, encryption fingerprint, listener ports, and mTLS status. --- ## Dynamic Machine & Domain Identification Client configurations intentionally contain **no hardcoded machine name or site name**. Both forwarders dynamically identify their host and domain at runtime via `get_machine_identifier()`: 1. **Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN)**: Checked via `socket.getfqdn()`. 2. **OS-Specific Domain Discovery**: - **Windows**: Checks Active Directory environment variables (`USERDNSDOMAIN`, `USERDOMAIN`). - **Linux**: Parses `/etc/resolv.conf` `domain` and `search` directives. 3. **Reverse DNS Lookup**: Resolves canonical hostname via `socket.gethostbyaddr`. 4. **Fallback**: Local hostname `socket.gethostname()`. The server automatically infers site attribution from domain qualifiers (e.g. `node01.corp.internal` $\rightarrow$ site `corp.internal`). --- ## Automated Service Installers (Linux & Windows) LOGAR provides production-grade installation scripts and installer builders for automated service deployment: ### 1. Linux Service Installers - **Client Installer (`compilation/install_linux_client.sh`)**: - Non-interactive script deploying to `/opt/logar-client`. - Automatically queries `/etc/machine-id` and enrolls with the hub via `curl`. - Installs and enables `logar-client.service` systemd unit. ```bash sudo ./compilation/install_linux_client.sh "http://hub.example.com:8443" "" ``` - **Server Installer (`compilation/install_linux_server.sh`)**: - Deploys server to `/opt/logar-server`. - Configures logging and installs `logar-server.service` with `LimitNOFILE=65536`. ```bash sudo ./compilation/install_linux_server.sh ``` ### 2. Windows Inno Setup Installers - Built using **Inno Setup 6** and bundled with **NSSM** (`compilation/nssm.exe`): - **Client Setup (`compilation/installer_client.iss`)**: Compiles `LOGAR-Client-Setup.exe`. Installs `Win_Client.exe` into `{autopf}\LOGAR`, sets up `LOGAR_Client` service via NSSM with stdout/stderr redirection to `{commonappdata}\LOGAR\client.log`, and starts the service. Clean uninstallation stops and removes the service. - **Server Setup (`compilation/installer_server.iss`)**: Compiles `LOGAR-Server-Setup.exe`. Installs `Server.exe` and sets up `LOGAR_Server` Windows service via NSSM. --- ## Repository & Shippables Structure ``` LOGAR/ ├── .gitea/ │ └── workflows/ │ ├── ci.yml # CI pipeline: syntax, 22 unit tests & mTLS pipeline test │ ├── release-linux.yml # Linux release workflow (compiles binaries & checksums) │ └── release-windows.yml # Windows release workflow (compiles .exe & Inno Setup installers) ├── compilation/ # Packaging, installers, and release automation │ ├── install_linux_client.sh # Automated Linux client systemd installation script │ ├── install_linux_server.sh # Automated Linux server systemd installation script │ ├── installer_client.iss # Inno Setup Windows Client installer script │ ├── installer_server.iss # Inno Setup Windows Server installer script │ ├── nssm.exe # Official 64-bit NSSM service manager binary │ ├── package_dist.py # Standalone binary compiler & packager │ ├── requirements.txt # Unified project dependencies │ └── upload_release.py # Gitea REST API release asset publisher ├── src/ # Core application source modules │ ├── __init__.py │ ├── Server.py # Central mTLS server, temporal engine, and Hermes REST API │ ├── server_enrollment.py # Dynamic PKI, Root CA, and client certificate generator │ ├── Win_Client.py # Windows edge forwarder with auto-enrollment │ └── Linux_Client.py # Linux edge forwarder with auto-enrollment ├── tests/ # Automated test suites │ ├── test_linux_client.py # Linux client unit tests & mTLS certificate validation │ ├── test_pipeline.py # End-to-end mTLS integration & 4-run verification test │ ├── test_server.py # Server unit tests, PKI generation, and seat quota tests │ └── test_win_client.py # Windows client unit tests & mTLS certificate validation ├── .gitignore # Ignores venv, caches, DBs, and private keys ├── README.md # Architecture and usage documentation ├── RELEASE_NOTES.md # Release history and changelog ├── server_config.sample.json # Reference server configuration └── out/ # Component guides and sample configs ├── linux_server/ │ ├── README.md │ └── server_config.sample.json ├── win_server/ │ ├── README.md │ └── server_config.sample.json ├── linux_client/ │ ├── README.md │ └── client_config.sample.json └── win_client/ ├── README.md └── client_config.sample.json ``` --- ## Getting Started & Deployment ### 1. Central Server Hub 1. **Install dependencies**: ```bash pip install -r compilation/requirements.txt ``` 2. **Start the server** (generates `server_config.json`, Root CA, and server certs on first run): ```bash python src/Server.py ``` 3. **Export a client configuration**: ```bash python src/Server.py --create-client-config --server-host --server-port 9443 --client-out client_config.json ``` ### 2. Windows Client Deployment 1. Download `LOGAR-Client-Setup.exe` from releases and run it, or place `Win_Client.exe` and `client_config.json` in `C:\Program Files\LOGAR`. 2. On first run with `client_config.json`, `Win_Client.exe` automatically enrolls with the hub, receives its mTLS certificates, and establishes secure streaming. ### 3. Linux Client Deployment 1. Run the automated installer: ```bash sudo ./compilation/install_linux_client.sh "http://:8443" "" ``` 2. The installer enrolls the client, configures `/etc/logar/certs`, and activates `logar-client.service`. --- ## Running Tests ### 1. Component Unit Tests ```bash python -m unittest discover -s tests -v ``` Runs all **25 unit tests**, covering: - Dynamic Root CA generation and server TLS certificate issuance. - Dynamic client certificate issuance with CN and authority key extensions. - Enrollment secret authentication, seat limits, and certificate revocation. - Proactive certificate validity checks, Root CA auto-renewal, and in-flight server SSLContext reload. - Windows & Linux event log collection, deduplication, and mTLS certificate verification. - 12-hour evaluation window and 4-run rule progression. ### 2. End-to-End Pipeline Integration Test ```bash # 1. Initialize test configuration python src/Server.py --create-client-config --server-host 127.0.0.1 --server-port 9443 --client-out client_config.json # 2. Launch server in background python src/Server.py & # 3. Run integration test python tests/test_pipeline.py ``` Tests client enrollment, secret rejection, mTLS TLS 1.3 socket handshake, warning 4-run rule promotion, immediate error promotion, and Hermes report output. --- ## Releases & Binary Distribution Releases can be built and published through three complementary channels: ### 1. Tag Push Automation (Gitea Actions) Pushing a release tag automatically triggers the build workflows: ```bash git tag v2.0.0 git push origin v2.0.0 ``` - **`release-linux.yml`** (`ubuntu-latest`): Compiles standalone native ELF binaries (`Linux_Client.bin`, `Server.bin`) and checksums. - **`release-windows.yml`** (`windows-latest`): Compiles Windows executables (`Win_Client.exe`, `Server.exe`), builds Inno Setup installers, and publishes checksums (requires self-hosted Windows Act Runner). ### 2. Manual Workflow Dispatch (Gitea UI) Workflows can be manually triggered on demand from the Gitea web interface: 1. Navigate to **Actions** $\rightarrow$ **Release Linux Binaries** (`release-linux.yml`). 2. Click **Run workflow**, set the release tag (defaults to `v2.0.0`), and run. ### 3. Native Local Windows Build & Direct Release Upload For environments without a registered Windows CI runner, Windows executables can be built and published directly to Gitea releases: ```powershell # 1. Build Windows binaries locally python compilation/package_dist.py --target windows # 2. Upload assets and release notes directly to the Gitea release python compilation/upload_release.py --tag v2.0.0 --token --skip-build ```