URL

https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_logging/6.3/html/installing_logging/index
https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_logging/6.3/html/about_openshift_logging/quick-start
https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_logging/6.3/html/configuring_logging/configuring-log-forwarding
 

Impact

Not able to follow the current "Installation logging" steps top down and get Logging stack working. For getting it working, it's required to jump to other  sections as "Configuring logging" never mentioned in the Installation section. 

Description

ISSUE 1. It is not required to install the 3 Operators when only desired to log forward the logs to a third-party receiver

To get started with logging, you must install the following Operators:
  - Loki Operator to manage your log store.
  - Red Hat OpenShift Logging Operator to manage log collection and forwarding.
  - Cluster Observability Operator (COO) to manage visualization.

It could be desired to only have running the Logging Operator for log forwarding the logs, but not the Loki Operator and the COO.

Similar think is resolved in the "network observability" documentation [4] where inside "Installing the Network Observability Operator" is present the section "4.1. Network observability without Loki".

The documentation should be clear in what each component does and that the 3 operators are not needed in all the situations.

In summary

• if it's only desired to log forward the logs, it's only required the Red Hat OpenShift Logging Operator
• If it's desired the Log Store, it's required the Loki Operator and the Red Hat OpenShift Logging Operator, but it could be used an third-party visualization as Grafana
• If it's desired the Log Store with the Red Hat Visualization, it's required the 3 operators

ISSUE 2. In the Prerequisites is not explained that required two kind of storage: Object storage and through PVC (block or filesystem)

This is a common question that after starting the installation and failing, it's asked. Reason for creating the Red Hat Knowledge article [0]

ISSUE 3. Storage secret creation

In step 9 "Create a secret with the credentials to access the object storage" is explained how to create the object secret, but at this point, it's not known the fields required depending on the object storage used.

The fields that must be in the object storage secret are explained in the documentation section "Configuring logging > Configuring the log store > Loki object storage", that it's posterior to the installation

ISSUE 4. Create the Lokistack CR

At this moment, it's not known:

• how to choose one or other Loki size and the reason (not available in the documentation)
• how to set up the CA (not available in the documentation)
• how to set up the lifecycle retention
• the object storage supported and how the secret and fields must be depending on the object storage solution

All the issues related to the LokiStack installation are detailed in the Documentation bug "Improve Loki Installation docs" [1].

ISSUE 5. Operators installation and CRD and resources creation together

In the "Installing logging" exists inside the steps for installing the operators and the CRD configurations that they require for concepts that they are explained (or not exist in our documentation) in the "Configuring logging" sections.

At the same time, it's indicated in the "Installing logging" before creating the Logging CR how to create the serviceAccount and the required cluster Role Bindings. The same is partially repeated in "Configuring Logging > Setting up log collection > Creating service accounts". But in the "Installing logging" is missing "Configuring Logging > Setting up log collection > Legacy service accounts".

Suggestion:

• or it's detailed all the required for the creation of the Installation in "Installing logging" and this requires steps now only present in the "Configured logging"
• or in "Installing logging" is explained only how to install the Operators and without the CRD creation and configuration as they require of concepts that they are not known until "Configuring logging" Documentation section.

ISSUE 6. How to log forward to the Red Hat Loki is not documented in the "Configuring Logging" section

As in the "Installing logging" is assumed that must be installed the 3 operators: Loki, Logging and CCO, but this does not reflect the real/productive environments situation.

it's only documented in the "Installing logging" documentation how to "configure" to Log Forward to the Red Hat Loki, but it's not documented in "Configuring log forwarding" how to send to the Red Hat Loki and/or to a custom Loki. 

ISSUE 7. Quick start [2]

The problems with the "Installing logging" steps is even more evident in the "Quick start" [2] steps. I'd propose to remove them entirely as they are not working and not possible to have for Logging a "Quick start". It's possible for other products/components, but it's not the same for the Logging stack.

ISSUE 8. Not present in the section "Configuring logging" examples when log forwarding using viaq and/or opentelemetry

In "About OpenShift Logging > Quick start" is visible two sections:

• Quickstart with ViaQ
• Quickstart with OpenTelemetry

An user could expect to see really these two sections and the examples for the Visualization and the LogForwarder using both ViaQ data model or OTLP protocol. These examples: for clusterLogForwarder using ViaQ or OTLP protocol and how to visualize them (Configuration from UI plugin) are not present in the "Configuring logging section".

Suggested as indicated in the ISSUE 7 remove the entire Quickstart section and move those sections to be documented properly in the "Configuring logging" with correct examples for collector, Loki and UI.

ISSUE 9. "Configuring logging" has not a section explaining the UI Plugin

How to "Configure" the UI Plugin has not a section in "Configuring logging". It's only an example in "Installing logging" and in "Quick start with OpenTelemetry".

The example in "Quick start with OpenTelemetry" is also missing the "schema: otel", reported in bug: (bug OBSDOCS-2966)

[0] https://access.redhat.com/solutions/7062821
[1] https://issues.redhat.com/browse/OBSDOCS-2754
[2] https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_logging/6.3/html/about_openshift_logging/quick-start 
[3] https://docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_openshift_logging/6.3/html/installing_logging/installing-logging#installing-the-logging-ui-plugin-cli_installing-logging
 [4] https://docs.redhat.com/es/documentation/openshift_container_platform/4.18/html/network_observability/installing-network-observability-operators#network-observability-without-loki_network_observability