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in_systemd: add basic support for tailing logs from the last N minutes #10187

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@gersner-island gersner-island commented Apr 9, 2025

This patch introduces the ability to tail logs from the last N minutes in the systemd input plugin. While the current read_from_tail approach works for many use cases, it can result in lost logs when it races with other components that emit logs and bootstrap at the same time.

An alternative solution using a database and cursor approach could help, but it introduces the downside of requiring a state file to be maintained.

Although systemd supports complex values for the "since" parameter, this patch simplifies the implementation by supporting only the specific use case of tailing logs from the last N minutes. This simplified approach is sufficient for many common scenarios.


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Fluent Bit is licensed under Apache 2.0, by submitting this pull request I understand that this code will be released under the terms of that license.

This patch introduces the ability to tail logs from the last N minutes in the
systemd input plugin. While the current `read_from_tail` approach works for
many use cases, it can result in lost logs when it races with other components
that emit logs and bootstrap at the same time.

An alternative solution using a database and cursor approach could help,
but it introduces the downside of requiring a state file to be maintained.

Although systemd supports complex values for the "since" parameter, this
patch simplifies the implementation by supporting only the specific use case
of tailing logs from the last N minutes. This simplified approach is sufficient
for many common scenarios.

Signed-off-by: Shimi Gersner <shimi.gersner@island.io>
@gersner-island
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Example run bin/fluent-bit -i systemd -p Systemd_Filter=CONTAINER_NAME=sample-container -p read_since_minutes_ago=5 -o stdout -f 1.

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