Feature Request: Log Pre-Processing and Optimization in F5 XC Global Log Receiver (GLR)

Feature Description

We request an enhancement in F5 Distributed Cloud (XC) to introduce log pre-processing and optimization capabilities before logs are forwarded to customer environments through any of the connectors supported under Global Log Receivers (GLR).

This feature would allow customers to control, customize, and optimize the structure and size of logs sent from XC, rather than receiving fixed raw logs in their current format.

Problem Statement

Currently:

• Logs are forwarded in NDJSON format only, with a fixed schema.

• Customers report that the log size is significantly larger compared to logs received from other vendors.

• There is no option to select or filter specific log fields before forwarding.

• All headers, repeated metadata, and non-essential fields are always included.

• This leads to:

  • High storage consumption on customer SIEM/log servers

  • Increased ingestion costs (e.g., Azure Event Hub, Sentinel, Splunk)

  • Difficulty in optimizing log pipelines on the customer side

Requested Enhancement

Introduce the ability in XC GLR to perform configurable log shaping before logs are exported.

Proposed Capabilities

The following ideas are based on practical customer experience and could significantly improve log efficiency:

1. Field-Level Log Filtering

   • Allow customers to choose which log fields/headers should be included or excluded.

2. Trimming Non-Essential Data

   • Remove redundant or repeated metadata that inflates log size without adding analytical value.

3. Custom Log Format Option

   • Ability to define a minimal/custom schema for exported logs.

4. Log Frequency Control

   • Option to reduce verbosity or sampling frequency for certain log types.

5. Built-in Compression

   • Support compression of logs before forwarding to external receivers.

Business Impact

This enhancement would:

• Reduce storage and ingestion costs for customers

• Improve compatibility with SIEM and log analytics platforms

• Bring XC logging flexibility in line with industry expectations

• Improve customer onboarding and long-term operational efficiency

These ideas are derived from direct customer experience and operational challenges. We request the product team to review this as a potential enhancement and evaluate if it can be implemented in a scalable and effective manner within XC.