Capture second timestamp that includes subseconds

[vlicoupons]

Here's an example beginning of an event line

Oct 20 20:57:03 sfo-prd-wsux02 apache2: [Fri Oct 20 20:57:03.398765 2017] [proxy:error] [pid 32083:tid 140031679186688]

I'm trying to capture the second timestamp as "Fri Oct 20 20:57:03.398765 2017" that includes the subseconds

In props.conf I am putting:

[syslog_apache_error]
TIME_PREFIX = ^.*[
TIME_FORMAT = %a %b %d %H:%M:%S:.%6N %Y

However Splunk's timestamp is catching the decimals, please advise.
Thank you all

[DalJeanis]

@vlicoupons - if your issue has been solved, then please accept the answer so the question will show as closed. Also, please feel free to upvote any comments or other answers you found useful. If you still have open issues regarding this, please let us know how else we can help.

[DalJeanis · Accepted solution]

There is no colon after the seconds in your timestamp, but there is one in your TIME_FORMAT.

Try...

 TIME_FORMAT = %a %b %d %H:%M:%S.%6N %Y

[vlicoupons]

Ah nice catch I must've been hasty on the keyboard and added the extra semicolon after the seconds variable.

[cpetterborg]

Your TIME_PREFIX is also doing a greedy match, so it may be passing over the field you want, deciding it doesn't have a valid timestamp, and then defaulting to the first timestamp it sees. Use a lazy match like this:

TIME_PREFIX=^.*?\[

That will stop at the first square bracket instead of the last one.

[DalJeanis]

@cpetterborg - good improvement. No sense overshooting and having to back up.