Get Vector installed and processing your first events in just a few minutes.
Install Vector
Quick Install Script
Docker
Homebrew (macOS)
The fastest way to get started:curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSfL https://sh.vector.dev | bash
Run Vector in a container:docker pull timberio/vector:latest-alpine
docker run -v $(pwd)/vector.yaml:/etc/vector/vector.yaml:ro \
timberio/vector:latest-alpine
Install via Homebrew:brew tap vectordotdev/brew
brew install vector
See the Installation guide for more installation methods including Kubernetes, APT, YUM, and systemd. Create Your First Pipeline
Create a file named vector.yaml with this basic configuration:
# Data source: Generate demo logs
sources:
demo_logs:
type: demo_logs
format: syslog
interval: 1
# Transform: Parse syslog format
transforms:
parse_logs:
type: remap
inputs:
- demo_logs
source: |
. = parse_syslog!(string!(.message))
.timestamp = now()
# Data destination: Print to console
sinks:
console:
type: console
inputs:
- parse_logs
encoding:
codec: json
- Generates demo syslog data every second
- Parses the syslog format into structured JSON
- Outputs the results to your console
Run Vector
Start Vector with your configuration:
vector --config vector.yaml
{
"appname": "benefritz",
"facility": "local1",
"hostname": "some.machine.com",
"message": "Hello world",
"msgid": "ID31",
"severity": "notice",
"timestamp": "2024-03-05T10:30:00.000Z"
}
Press Ctrl+C to stop Vector.
Next Steps
Now that you have Vector running, explore these key features:
Core Concepts
Learn about sources, transforms, and sinks
Configuration
Configure Vector for your use case
VRL Basics
Master the Vector Remap Language
Deployment
Deploy Vector in production
Common First Steps
Replace the demo_logs source with a real source like file:sources:
app_logs:
type: file
include:
- /var/log/app/*.log
Send to a Real Destination
Replace the console sink with a production destination:sinks:
elasticsearch:
type: elasticsearch
inputs:
- parse_logs
endpoint: "https://elasticsearch.example.com"
index: "logs-%Y.%m.%d"
Enhance your data with additional fields:transforms:
enrich:
type: remap
inputs:
- parse_logs
source: |
.environment = "production"
.datacenter = get_hostname()
.app_version = "2.0.1"
Validate Your Configuration
Check your configuration before deploying:vector validate vector.yaml
Getting Help
Documentation
Browse the full configuration guide
Community Chat
Join our Discord community
GitHub Issues
Report bugs or request features
Examples
Browse configuration examples
