Rsyslog Windows Agent 8.4 Released
A new version of the rsyslog Windows Agent is now available. Version 8.4.0 brings native configuration import/export options, improved service stability, and multiple client bug fixes.
Core Service Engine Updates
In the core engine, a critical concurrency fix has been applied to both the Syslog and RELP forwarding actions. The update resolves shared disk-queue rewrite race conditions that previously occurred when multiple forwarding actions were configured to use the same queue directory simultaneously, ensuring greater data integrity during high-load forwarding scenarios.
Configuration Client Enhancements
Native YAML Support
The Configuration Client now natively supports importing and exporting YAML configuration files. This functionality is fully aligned with the service runtime loader, streamlining configuration backups and migrations across environments.
Reliability & Configuration Handling
Registry-based configuration loading has been hardened to handle fresh installations and incomplete registry data smoothly. Additionally, when encountering unknown configuration blocks—such as those introduced by newer service versions—the client now gracefully skips them with a clear warning rather than failing to load.
Service Management & Stability
Service control logic has been overhauled to handle edge cases such as orphan processes, access control issues, and transitional service states. Administrators now have access to optional process termination options and a direct shortcut to Windows Services.
Timeout messaging during start and stop operations has been clarified for cases where the client stops waiting before Windows completes the service transition. The status bar now explicitly tracks states like Stopping, Starting, and Paused (Reloading), and false stop-timeout errors—where the service had already reached a stopped state—have been eliminated.
Additionally, the Event Viewer now prepends new events following start, stop, restart, or reload actions rather than clearing the existing list, while background threading has been improved to recover cleanly from aborted operations. A client crash on shutdown involving open Event Viewer or Service Management panels has also been resolved.
Released versions
- Service: 8.4.0.239
- Client: 8.4.0.334
New 8.4 stable is ready
A new rsyslog v8-stable has been released. It is not just the next iteration of 8.2, instead it will be a new feature release based on the latest 8.3 devel. So please welcome 8.4.
Frequent followers may wonder why 8.4 is ready. Originally, we planned to release it after the summer break. The reason is simple: its ready to come up, albeit with a little less functionality than originally anticipated. Since we were primarily doing maintenance and bug fixing on v8-devel the past couple of weeks, just as it normally happens before a new stable branch comes up. So the code has matured and we decided it was ready to be released as stable. We released 8.4.0 a week ago, and it inherits all the enhancements and fixes of rsyslog 8.3. We hope rsyslog 8.4 fulfils your expectations and provides a flawless logging experience.