# Beat.hostname & beat.name values **URL:** \ **Category:** Beats\ **Tags:** beats-development\ **Created:** [May 8, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925 "2018-05-08T02:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ecc256](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ecc256/32/59815_2.png) [@ecc256](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ecc256)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 2:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/1 "2018-05-08T02:56:54Z")
Elastic search shows events posted by my beat with following values in beat.\* fields: `beat.hostname hostname` `beat.name hostname` `beat.version 7.0.0-alpha1` I guess, this is due to [beat.go](https://github.com/elastic/beats/blob/master/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go#L180) code. What would be the easiest way to have `beat.name` show `beat.Info.Beat` (i.e. "my beat name")? ---
**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 9:31am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/2 "2018-05-08T09:31:56Z")
The value in `beat.name` is a custom user-defined name. It's supposed to be changed by operators to identify a machine the data come from. Your beats name is published at least via `@metadata`. Users integration beats with Logstash, normally use the `@metadata` fields, so to generate the same index names for example. The `name` setting overwrite `beat.name`. ---
**Author:** ![ecc256](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ecc256/32/59815_2.png) [@ecc256](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ecc256)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/3 "2018-05-08T15:33:38Z")
> [@steffens](#): > > The value in beat.name is a custom user-defined name. It's supposed to be changed by operators to identify a machine the data come from. Ok. What is the purpose of `beat.hostname` then? > [@steffens](#): > > Your beats name is published at least via @metadata. That’s all I see it in Elasticsearch: `@timestamp May 8th 2018, 0:00:00.000` `t _id 100000001` `t _index test-7.0.0-alpha1-2018.05.08` `# _score - ` `t _type doc` `t beat.hostname hostname` `t beat.name hostname` `t beat.version 7.0.0-alpha1` `# id 100,000,001` Do I have to add it manually? > [@steffens](#): > > The name setting overwrite beat.name. May I have an example, please? ---
**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/4 "2018-05-08T15:56:01Z")
> > The name setting overwrite beat.name. > > May I have an example, please? Adding this to your config file: ```auto name: abc ``` will give you: ```auto |@timestamp|May 8th 2018, 0:00:00.000| |---|---| |t _id|100000001| |t _index|test-7.0.0-alpha1-2018.05.08| |# _score|-| |t _type|doc| |t beat.hostname|hostname| |t beat.name|abc| |t beat.version|7.0.0-alpha1| |# id|100,000,001| ``` The hostname can not be changed and is only the hostname (not the FQDN). For users running multiple beats one the same host (indexing into the same index) or having a setup with machines having the same hostname (but with different domain name), the `name` setting adds some more filtering capabilities. ---
**Author:** ![ecc256](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ecc256/32/59815_2.png) [@ecc256](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ecc256)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2018, 4:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/5 "2018-05-08T16:30:30Z")
> [@steffens](#): > > Adding this to your config file: I’ve seen [beat.go](https://github.com/elastic/beats/blob/master/libbeat/cmd/instance/beat.go#L80) code. I tried with [testbeat](https://gist.github.com/ecc256/b5b2c0fd7fa10f7a99da8e8e7bd36cab). Neither `test:` ` name: abc` nor `test:` ` name: "abc"` works in `test.yml`. Did I do it wrong? ---
**Author:** ![steffens](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/steffens/32/79630_2.png) [@steffens](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/steffens)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2018, 11:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/6 "2018-05-10T11:40:13Z")
It's a global setting, no indentation required. All libbeat settings are available in the [config.reference.yml](https://github.com/elastic/beats/blob/master/libbeat/_meta/config.reference.yml). When running `make update`, the beats local `/_meta/config.yml` and `_meta/config.reference.yml` are concatenated with the `github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/_meta/config.<>.yml` files. ---
**Author:** ![ecc256](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ecc256/32/59815_2.png) [@ecc256](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ecc256)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/7 "2018-05-14T17:42:23Z")
> [@steffens](#): > > It's a global setting, no indentation required. All libbeat settings are available in the config.reference.yml Worked like a charm! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/beat-hostname-beat-name-values/130925/8 "2018-06-11T17:42:28Z")
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