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# LOGAR Windows Edge Forwarder
Standalone compiled executable and installer distribution for Windows Server and workstation environments.
---
## Overview
`Win_Client.exe` is a self-contained executable that queries the Windows Application Event Log, filters candidate events at the source, auto-enrolls with the central LOGAR hub to receive signed mTLS certificates, and streams records over mutual TLS 1.3 (**mTLS**) socket connection.
### Key Capabilities
- **Pre-compiled & Dependency-Free**: Ships as a standalone native Windows executable (`Win_Client.exe`) or full installer (`LOGAR-Client-Setup.exe`). No Python installation, pip packages, or GnuPG binaries are required on the host.
- **Mutual TLS 1.3 (mTLS) Ingestion**: Streams directly over hardware-authenticated TLS 1.3 sockets with hardware/machine-bound client certificates.
- **Automated Client Enrollment**: On first run with an `enrollment_secret`, the client automatically calls `POST /api/client/enroll` on the hub, saves its certificates into `certs/`, and establishes secure mTLS streaming.
- **Proactive Expiry Check & Reactive Self-Healing**: Before each run, the client evaluates `client.crt` validity. If within 30 days of expiry, it automatically contacts the hub to renew certificates. If the server Root CA rotates or a TLS handshake error occurs, the client catch-heals by re-enrolling immediately and re-establishing connection without human intervention.
- **Source-Level Filtering**: Retains events spanning `INFO`, `WARNING`, and `ERROR`. Strips audit events and debug noise, skipping events older than 24 hours.
- **State Tracking & Deduplication**: Maintains persistent client state in `client_state.json` (tracking event record numbers and timestamp signatures) so every log record is forwarded exactly once without duplicates.
- **Fail-Safe State Commit**: State is committed only when the server returns a verified `success` response. In the event of a network outage, state remains unchanged and unsent events are retried automatically on the next run.
---
## 1. Automated Installation via Inno Setup (Recommended)
Run the self-contained installer built from `compilation/installer_client.iss`:
```powershell
.\LOGAR-Client-Setup.exe
```
This installer:
1. Installs `Win_Client.exe` and bundled `nssm.exe` to `C:\Program Files\LOGAR\`.
2. Sets up directory permissions in `C:\ProgramData\LOGAR\`.
3. Registers and starts the `LOGAR_Client` Windows service automatically via NSSM.
4. Redirects stdout and stderr logs to `C:\ProgramData\LOGAR\client.log` and `client_err.log`.
---
## 2. Generating & Deploying the Configuration File
### Step 1: Generate `client_config.json` on the Server
Run the following command on your central LOGAR server:
```bash
python src/Server.py --create-client-config --server-host <SERVER_IP_OR_DNS> --server-port 9443 --client-out client_config.json
```
- Replace `<SERVER_IP_OR_DNS>` with the reachable IP address or FQDN of your central LOGAR server hub.
- Default mTLS socket port is `9443`; Hermes REST API port is `8443`.
### Step 2: Configuration Structure
The generated `client_config.json` contains:
```json
{
"server_host": "192.168.1.100",
"server_port": 9443,
"hermes_host": "192.168.1.100",
"hermes_port": 8443,
"enrollment_secret": "a1b2c3d4e5f6...",
"cert_dir": "certs",
"server_fingerprint": "375388960531264EA0648EC0D2C4E4ABC6F22AC2",
"server_public_key": "-----BEGIN PGP PUBLIC KEY BLOCK-----\n...",
"auth_token": "a1b2c3d4e5f6..."
}
```
> [!NOTE]
> The configuration contains **no host-specific names or site names** to ensure client anonymity and easy redistribution.
### Step 3: Copy to Edge Node
Place `client_config.json` next to `Win_Client.exe` (e.g. `C:\Program Files\LOGAR\` or `C:\LOGAR\`):
```powershell
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\LOGAR" -Force
Copy-Item "Win_Client.exe", "client_config.json" -Destination "C:\LOGAR\"
```
---
## 3. Running Manually
Test the forwarder interactively from PowerShell or Command Prompt:
```powershell
cd C:\LOGAR
.\Win_Client.exe --hours 24
```
On first run, the client contacts `http://<hermes_host>:<hermes_port>/api/client/enroll`, downloads `ca.crt`, `client.crt`, and `client.key` into `certs/`, and streams logs over mTLS.
### Command-Line Arguments
| Argument | Default | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| `--config` | `client_config.json` | Path to client configuration file |
| `--hours` | `24` | Lookback window in hours for event logs |
| `--state-file` | `client_state.json` | Path to persistent state tracking file |
| `--no-state` | `False` | Disable state tracking and send all events matching lookback window |
---
## 4. Manual Service Installation (NSSM or Scheduled Task)
### Method A: Windows Service via Bundled NSSM
```powershell
# From the compilation directory or with bundled nssm.exe:
.\nssm.exe install LOGAR_Client "C:\LOGAR\Win_Client.exe" "--hours 24"
.\nssm.exe set LOGAR_Client AppDirectory "C:\LOGAR"
.\nssm.exe set LOGAR_Client AppStdout "C:\ProgramData\LOGAR\client.log"
.\nssm.exe set LOGAR_Client AppStderr "C:\ProgramData\LOGAR\client_err.log"
.\nssm.exe start LOGAR_Client
```
### Method B: Windows Scheduled Task via PowerShell
```powershell
$Action = New-ScheduledTaskAction -Execute "C:\LOGAR\Win_Client.exe" -Argument "--hours 24" -WorkingDirectory "C:\LOGAR"
$Trigger = New-ScheduledTaskTrigger -Once -At (Get-Date) -RepetitionInterval (New-TimeSpan -Hours 3)
$Settings = New-ScheduledTaskSettingsSet -AllowStartIfOnBatteries -DontStopIfGoingOnBatteries -StartWhenAvailable -ExecutionTimeLimit (New-TimeSpan -Minutes 15)
Register-ScheduledTask -TaskName "LOGAR_Forwarder" `
-Action $Action `
-Trigger $Trigger `
-Settings $Settings `
-User "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" `
-RunLevel Highest `
-Description "LOGAR Windows Edge Log Forwarder Service"
Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName "LOGAR_Forwarder"
```
---
## 5. Uninstallation
If installed via the Inno Setup installer, use **Windows Add/Remove Programs** or run `unins000.exe` in `C:\Program Files\LOGAR\`.
If installed manually via NSSM:
```powershell
.\nssm.exe stop LOGAR_Client
.\nssm.exe remove LOGAR_Client confirm
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force "C:\LOGAR"
```