Collect Cisco CallManager logs

Supported in:

This document explains how to ingest Cisco CallManager logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

Cisco CallManager (Unified Communications Manager) generates syslog messages for call processing, registration, authentication, and system events. The parser extracts fields using grok and key-value patterns and maps them to the Unified Data Model (UDM).

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

  • A Google SecOps instance
  • Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
  • Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and the Cisco CallManager server
  • If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
  • Privileged access to the Cisco CallManager management console

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

  1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
  2. Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
  3. Download the Ingestion Authentication File.

  4. Save the file securely on the system where the Bindplane agent will be installed.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

  1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
  2. Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.

  3. Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

  2. Run the following command:

    msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet

  3. Wait for the installation to complete.

  4. Verify the installation by running:

    sc query observiq-otel-collector

    The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

  1. Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

  2. Run the following command:

    sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh

  3. Wait for the installation to complete.

  4. Verify the installation by running:

    sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector

    The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see Bindplane agent installation guide.

Configure Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

  • Linux:

    sudo nano /etc/bindplane-agent/config.yaml

  • Windows:

    notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml"

Edit the configuration file

  • Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

    receivers:
    udplog:
        listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"

exporters:
    chronicle/cisco_call_manager:
        compression: gzip
        creds_file_path: '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json'
        customer_id: '<customer_id>'
        endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
        log_type: CISCO_CALL_MANAGER
        raw_log_field: body

service:
    pipelines:
        logs/cisco_call_manager_to_chronicle:
            receivers:
                - udplog
            exporters:
                - chronicle/cisco_call_manager

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

  • Receiver configuration:

    • listen_address: IP address and port to listen on:
      • 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces (recommended)
      • Port 514 is the standard syslog port (requires root on Linux; use 1514 for non-root)

  • Exporter configuration:

    • creds_file_path: Full path to ingestion authentication file:
      • Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
      • Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
    • customer_id: Customer ID copied from the Google SecOps console
    • endpoint: Regional endpoint URL:
      • US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
      • Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
      • Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
      • See Regional Endpoints for complete list

Save the configuration file

  • After editing, save the file:
    • Linux: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X
    • Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

  • To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

    sudo systemctl restart observiq-otel-collector

    1. Verify the service is running:

      sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector

    2. Check logs for errors:

      sudo journalctl -u observiq-otel-collector -f

  • To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:

    • Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:

      net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector

    • Services console:

      1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
      2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
      3. Right-click and select Restart.

      4. Verify the service is running:

        sc query observiq-otel-collector

      5. Check logs for errors:

        type "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log"

Configure syslog forwarding on Cisco CallManager

Configure remote syslog server in Cisco Unified Serviceability

  1. Sign in to the Cisco Unified Serviceability administration interface.
  2. Go to Tools > Audit Logs > Audit Log Configuration.
  3. Under the Remote Syslog Server section, provide the following configuration details:
    • Server Name: Enter the Bindplane agent IP address.
    • Port: Enter 514 (or the port configured in Bindplane).
    • Protocol: Select UDP (default) or TCP if required.

  4. Click Save.

Configure alarm configuration

  1. In the Cisco Unified Serviceability administration interface.
  2. Go to Alarm > Configuration.
  3. Select the appropriate Server from the menu.
  4. For each service you want to monitor, configure the following:
    • Enable Sys Log destination.
    • Set the appropriate Event Level to Informational.
  5. Click Update to save the configuration.
  6. Repeat this process for all services and servers in the cluster as needed.

UDM mapping table

Log Field UDM Mapping Logic
AppID_label additional.fields Merged
ClusterID_label additional.fields Merged
DeviceName_label additional.fields Merged
DeviceType_label additional.fields Merged
NodeID_label additional.fields Merged
StationDesc_label additional.fields Merged
StationDn_label additional.fields Merged
Type_label additional.fields Merged
Unit_label additional.fields Merged
certificate_name_label additional.fields Merged
Message metadata.description Directly mapped
kv_data2 metadata.description Directly mapped
ts metadata.event_timestamp Parsed as MMM d yyyy HH:mm:ss.SSS
has_principal metadata.event_type Mapped: true → STATUS_UPDATE
has_user metadata.event_type Mapped: true → USER_UNCATEGORIZED
host principal.asset.hostname Directly mapped
host principal.hostname Directly mapped
COMMAND principal.process.command_line Directly mapped
USER principal.user.userid Directly mapped
msg security_result.summary Directly mapped
N/A metadata.event_type Constant: STATUS_UPDATE
N/A metadata.product_name Constant: CISCO_CALL_MANAGER
N/A metadata.vendor_name Constant: CISCO

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