
History and Future of rsyslog
=============================

rsyslog has evolved from a traditional syslog daemon into a modern,
high-performance logging and soon observability platform. Its roots date
back to **BSD syslogd (1983)**, which laid the foundation for decades
of reliable log handling on Unix systems.

Today, rsyslog is far more than a syslog daemon. It is a flexible
framework that powers **cloud-native pipelines, structured logging,
and upcoming large-scale observability solutions**.

Looking forward, rsyslog continues to push boundaries:

- **AI First:** Integrating AI for documentation, development, and
  intelligent log processing.
- **Modern observability:** Seamless integration with the latest
  tools and standards (e.g., ElasticSearch, Kafka, and advanced pipelines).
- **Community-driven evolution:** Backward compatibility while
  adopting future-proof approaches.

This page explores the historical journey of rsyslog while showing
how its DNA is driving innovation for the next decade.

Timeline
--------

**1983 – The Beginning**
   - BSD `syslogd` was introduced, establishing the foundation for
     logging on Unix-based systems.
   - The simple configuration syntax (*facility.priority action*) was
     born and remains familiar to this day.

**1990s – sysklogd**
   - Linux systems adopted `sysklogd`, which extended BSD syslogd with
     minor enhancements but kept the core design.

**2004 – Birth of rsyslog**
   - rsyslog was created as a drop-in replacement for sysklogd, with
     better performance and modularity.
   - Early innovations included TCP-based reliable delivery.

**2007 – Enterprise-Grade Features**
   - Database logging, encryption (TLS), and advanced filtering
     were introduced.
   - rsyslog became a key component in enterprise logging pipelines.

**2010 – Modular Architecture**
   - Introduction of loadable input/output modules (im*/om*).
   - Support for JSON templates and structured logging.

**2014 – High-Performance Logging**
   - rsyslog demonstrated **1 million messages per second** throughput.
   - First-class support for Elasticsearch and Kafka was added.

**2018 – Observability Shift**
   - Focus expanded beyond syslog, embracing modern event pipelines.
   - Cloud integration and container support improved significantly.

**2024 – AI Exploration**
   - Initial efforts in AI-assisted documentation and developer tools
     started (see the blog post: `Documentation Improvement and AI <https://www.rsyslog.com/documentation-improvement-and-ai/>`_).

**2025 – AI First Strategy**
   - Full commitment to **AI First**, with AI deeply embedded in
     documentation, development processes, support, and future
     observability solutions.
   - A new **Beginner's Guide** and restructured documentation were
     launched, simplifying onboarding.

The Road Ahead
--------------

The next phase for rsyslog focuses on:

- **Intelligent log processing:** AI-enhanced parsing and analysis within
  the log chain, while remaining human-reviewed and controlled.
- **Expanded observability platform:** Extending rsyslog’s role in
  modern observability stacks, working seamlessly with tools like
  OpenTelemetry and Prometheus.
- **Improved user experience:** Iterative documentation revamps,
  user-friendly guides, and interactive AI-powered support.
- **Community and collaboration:** Maintaining backward compatibility
  while encouraging best practices for modern log pipelines.

