Fortinet black logo

Administration Guide

Filtering messages

Filtering messages

You can apply filters to the message list. Filters are not case-sensitive by default. If available, select Tools > Case Sensitive Search to create case-sensitive filters.

Filtering messages using filters in the toolbar

  1. Go to the view you want.

    Regular search

    Click Add Filter and select a filter from the dropdown list, then type a value. Only displayed columns are available in the dropdown list. You can use search operators in regular search.

    Switching between regular search and advanced search

    At the right end of the Add Filter box, click the Switch to Advanced Search icon or click the Switch to Regular Search icon .

    Advanced search

    In Advanced Search mode, enter the search criteria (log field names and values).

    Search operators and syntax

    If available, click at the right end of the Add Filter box to view search operators and syntax. See also Filter search operators and syntax.

    CLI string “freestyle” search

    Searches the string within the indexed fields configured using the CLI command: config ts-index-field.

    For example, if the indexed fields have been configured using these CLI commands:

    config system sql

    config ts-index-field

    edit "FGT-traffic"

    set value "app,dstip,proto,service,srcip,user,utmaction"

    next

    end

    end

    Then if you type “Skype” in the Add Filter box, FortiAnalyzer searches for “Skype” within these indexed fields: app,dstip,proto,service,srcip,user and utmaction.

    You can combine freestyle search with other search methods, for example: Skype user=David.

  2. In the toolbar, make other selections such as devices, time period, which columns to display, etc.

Filtering messages using the right-click menu

In a log message list, right-click an entry and select a filter criterion. The search criterion with a icon returns entries matching the filter values, while the search criterion with a icon returns entries that do not match the filter values.

Depending on the column in which your cursor is placed when you right-click, Log View uses the column value as the filter criteria. This context-sensitive filter is only available for certain columns.

To see log field name of a filter/column, right-click the column of a log entry and select a context-sensitive filter. The Add Filter box shows log field name.

Context-sensitive filters are available for each log field in the log details pane. See Viewing message details.

Filtering messages using smart action filters

For Log View windows that have an Action column, the Action column displays smart information according to policy (log field action) and utmaction (UTM profile action).

The Action column displays a green checkmark Accept icon when both policy and UTM profile allow the traffic to pass through, that is, both the log field action and UTM profile action specify allow to this traffic.

The Action column displays a red X Deny icon and the reason when either the log field action or UTM profile action deny the traffic.

If the traffic is denied due to policy, the deny reason is based on the policy log field action.

If the traffic is denied due to UTM profile, the deny reason is based on the FortiView threattype from craction. craction shows which type of threat triggered the UTM action. The threattype, craction, and crscore fields are configured in FortiGate in Log & Report. For more information, see the FortiOS - Log Message Reference in the Fortinet Document Library.

A filter applied to the Action column is always a smart action filter.

note icon

The smart action filter uses the FortiGate UTM profile to determine what the Action column displays. If the FortiGate UTM profile has set an action to allow, then the Action column will display that line with a green Accept icon, even if the craction field defines that traffic as a threat. The green Accept icon does not display any explanation.

In the scenario where the craction field defines the traffic as a threat but the FortiGate UTM profile has set an action to allow, that line in the Log View Action column displays a green Accept icon. The green Accept icon does not display any explanation.

Filter search operators and syntax

Operators or symbols

Syntax

And

Find log entries containing all the search terms. Connect the terms with a space character, or “and”. Examples:

  1. user=henry group=sales
  2. user=henry and group=sales

Or

Find log entries containing any of the search terms. Separate the terms with “or” or a comma “,”. Examples:

  1. user=henry or srcip=10.1.0.15
  2. user=henry,linda

Not

Find log entries that do NOT contain the search terms. Add “-” before the field name. Example:

-user=henry

>, <

Find log entries greater than or less than a value, or within a range. This operator only applies to integer fields. Example:

policyid>1 and policyid<10

IP subnet/range search

Find log entries within a certain IP subnet or range. Examples:

  1. srcip=192.168.1.0/24
  2. srcip=10.1.0.1-10.1.0.254

Wildcard search

You can use wildcard searches for all field types. Examples:

  1. srcip=192.168.1.*
  2. policyid=1*
  3. user=*

Filtering FortiClient log messages in FortiGate traffic logs

For FortiClient endpoints registered to FortiGate devices, you can filter log messages in FortiGate traffic log files that are triggered by FortiClient.

To Filter FortiClient log messages:
  1. Go to Log View > Traffic.
  2. In the Add Filter box, type fct_devid=*. A list of FortiGate traffic logs triggered by FortiClient is displayed.
  3. In the message log list, select a FortiGate traffic log to view the details in the bottom pane.
  4. Click the FortiClient tab, and double-click a FortiClient traffic log to see details.

    The FortiClient tab is available only when the FortiGate traffic logs reference FortiClient traffic logs.

Filtering messages

You can apply filters to the message list. Filters are not case-sensitive by default. If available, select Tools > Case Sensitive Search to create case-sensitive filters.

Filtering messages using filters in the toolbar

  1. Go to the view you want.

    Regular search

    Click Add Filter and select a filter from the dropdown list, then type a value. Only displayed columns are available in the dropdown list. You can use search operators in regular search.

    Switching between regular search and advanced search

    At the right end of the Add Filter box, click the Switch to Advanced Search icon or click the Switch to Regular Search icon .

    Advanced search

    In Advanced Search mode, enter the search criteria (log field names and values).

    Search operators and syntax

    If available, click at the right end of the Add Filter box to view search operators and syntax. See also Filter search operators and syntax.

    CLI string “freestyle” search

    Searches the string within the indexed fields configured using the CLI command: config ts-index-field.

    For example, if the indexed fields have been configured using these CLI commands:

    config system sql

    config ts-index-field

    edit "FGT-traffic"

    set value "app,dstip,proto,service,srcip,user,utmaction"

    next

    end

    end

    Then if you type “Skype” in the Add Filter box, FortiAnalyzer searches for “Skype” within these indexed fields: app,dstip,proto,service,srcip,user and utmaction.

    You can combine freestyle search with other search methods, for example: Skype user=David.

  2. In the toolbar, make other selections such as devices, time period, which columns to display, etc.

Filtering messages using the right-click menu

In a log message list, right-click an entry and select a filter criterion. The search criterion with a icon returns entries matching the filter values, while the search criterion with a icon returns entries that do not match the filter values.

Depending on the column in which your cursor is placed when you right-click, Log View uses the column value as the filter criteria. This context-sensitive filter is only available for certain columns.

To see log field name of a filter/column, right-click the column of a log entry and select a context-sensitive filter. The Add Filter box shows log field name.

Context-sensitive filters are available for each log field in the log details pane. See Viewing message details.

Filtering messages using smart action filters

For Log View windows that have an Action column, the Action column displays smart information according to policy (log field action) and utmaction (UTM profile action).

The Action column displays a green checkmark Accept icon when both policy and UTM profile allow the traffic to pass through, that is, both the log field action and UTM profile action specify allow to this traffic.

The Action column displays a red X Deny icon and the reason when either the log field action or UTM profile action deny the traffic.

If the traffic is denied due to policy, the deny reason is based on the policy log field action.

If the traffic is denied due to UTM profile, the deny reason is based on the FortiView threattype from craction. craction shows which type of threat triggered the UTM action. The threattype, craction, and crscore fields are configured in FortiGate in Log & Report. For more information, see the FortiOS - Log Message Reference in the Fortinet Document Library.

A filter applied to the Action column is always a smart action filter.

note icon

The smart action filter uses the FortiGate UTM profile to determine what the Action column displays. If the FortiGate UTM profile has set an action to allow, then the Action column will display that line with a green Accept icon, even if the craction field defines that traffic as a threat. The green Accept icon does not display any explanation.

In the scenario where the craction field defines the traffic as a threat but the FortiGate UTM profile has set an action to allow, that line in the Log View Action column displays a green Accept icon. The green Accept icon does not display any explanation.

Filter search operators and syntax

Operators or symbols

Syntax

And

Find log entries containing all the search terms. Connect the terms with a space character, or “and”. Examples:

  1. user=henry group=sales
  2. user=henry and group=sales

Or

Find log entries containing any of the search terms. Separate the terms with “or” or a comma “,”. Examples:

  1. user=henry or srcip=10.1.0.15
  2. user=henry,linda

Not

Find log entries that do NOT contain the search terms. Add “-” before the field name. Example:

-user=henry

>, <

Find log entries greater than or less than a value, or within a range. This operator only applies to integer fields. Example:

policyid>1 and policyid<10

IP subnet/range search

Find log entries within a certain IP subnet or range. Examples:

  1. srcip=192.168.1.0/24
  2. srcip=10.1.0.1-10.1.0.254

Wildcard search

You can use wildcard searches for all field types. Examples:

  1. srcip=192.168.1.*
  2. policyid=1*
  3. user=*

Filtering FortiClient log messages in FortiGate traffic logs

For FortiClient endpoints registered to FortiGate devices, you can filter log messages in FortiGate traffic log files that are triggered by FortiClient.

To Filter FortiClient log messages:
  1. Go to Log View > Traffic.
  2. In the Add Filter box, type fct_devid=*. A list of FortiGate traffic logs triggered by FortiClient is displayed.
  3. In the message log list, select a FortiGate traffic log to view the details in the bottom pane.
  4. Click the FortiClient tab, and double-click a FortiClient traffic log to see details.

    The FortiClient tab is available only when the FortiGate traffic logs reference FortiClient traffic logs.