Creating a Custom Role in vCenter for Aria for Logs (vRealize Log Insight): A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction
Logs play a pivotal role in the management and troubleshooting of IT environments. Aria for Logs (formerly known as vRealize Log Insight) provides powerful log management capabilities, enabling deep analytical insights and real-time monitoring of data from various sources, including vSphere. To ensure Aria for Logs effectively collects and analyzes log data, it requires specific permissions within your vCenter Server. This blog post will guide you through creating a custom role in vCenter tailored for the Aria for Logs service account.

Prerequisites

• Access to vCenter with administrative privileges.
• VMware PowerCLI installed on your computer.
• Basic knowledge of VMware vSphere and log management concepts.

Step 1: Connect to Your vCenter Server
Start by launching VMware PowerCLI and connecting to your vCenter server. Replace the placeholders with your vCenter server details and credentials:

$vcServer = 'vcenter.yourdomain.com'
$username = '[email protected]'
$password = 'yourPassword'
Connect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -User $username -Password $password

Step 2: Define the Role and Permissions
Define the role name and the permissions necessary for Aria for Logs to operate effectively. These permissions primarily ensure the ability to read events and log data:

$roleName = "Aria for Logs Role"
$permissions = @(
    "System.Anonymous",
    "System.View",
    "System.Read",
    "Host.Config.NetService",
    "Host.Config.Network",
    "Host.Config.AdvancedConfig",
    "Host.Config.Settings"
)

Step 3: Create the Custom Role
Use the New-VIRole cmdlet to create the new role with the specified permissions. This assigns the necessary permissions for monitoring and log collection:

New-VIRole -Name $roleName -Privilege (Get-VIPrivilege -Id $permissions)
Write-Output "Role '$roleName' created successfully with necessary permissions."

Step 4: Confirm and Disconnect
After successfully creating the role, verify the role details and ensure to disconnect from your vCenter server to maintain security best practices:

Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -Confirm:$false

Step 5: Put it all together

$vcServer = 'vcenter.yourdomain.com'
$username = '[email protected]'
$password = 'yourPassword'
Connect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -User $username -Password $password
$roleName = "Aria for Logs Role"
$permissions = @(
    "System.Anonymous",
    "System.View",
    "System.Read",
    "Host.Config.NetService",
    "Host.Config.Network",
    "Host.Config.AdvancedConfig",
    "Host.Config.Settings"
)
New-VIRole -Name $roleName -Privilege (Get-VIPrivilege -Id $permissions)
Write-Output "Role '$roleName' created successfully with necessary permissions."
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vcServer -Confirm:$false

Conclusion
Setting up a custom role for the Aria for Logs service account is crucial for ensuring that your log management system has the necessary access to perform its functions effectively. This setup helps in proactive monitoring and troubleshooting, enhancing the operational efficiency of your VMware environment.

Happy Logging!

This guide provides VMware professionals with the necessary steps to configure permissions for Aria for Logs, ensuring comprehensive log coverage and robust system monitoring.