# Convert strings with different data units (MB,GB,TB) to byte

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/convert-strings-with-different-data-units-mb-gb-tb-to-byte/55064>\
**Category:** Elasticsearch\
**Created:** [July 8, 2016, 3:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/convert-strings-with-different-data-units-mb-gb-tb-to-byte/55064 "2016-07-08T15:35:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Glen\_Smith](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/glen_smith/32/111656_2.png) [@Glen\_Smith](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Glen_Smith)\
**Post date:** [July 8, 2016, 5:41pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/convert-strings-with-different-data-units-mb-gb-tb-to-byte/55064/6 "2016-07-08T17:41:14Z")

</div>

You could manage it in Logstash. Here's an example from something I did; your approach would have to vary slightly (might actually be easier, since this example is for strings with units appended without any whitespace.

```auto
# split the "store" into number, units prefix, and units base
    grok {
        # would like to put store_units_prefix and store_units_base in @metadata, too
        match => { "store" => "^%{BASE10NUM:[@metadata][store_number]:float}(?<store_units_prefix>[kKmMgGtT])(?<store_units_base>[b])$" }
    }
    mutate {
        add_field => {
            "[@metadata][store_units_prefix]" => "%{store_units_prefix}"
            "[@metadata][store_units_base]" => "%{store_units_base}"
        }
        remove_field => ["store_units_prefix", "store_units_base"]
    }
    if [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "k" or [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "K" {
        mutate { add_field => { "[@metadata][store_multiplier]" => 1024 } }
    } else if [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "m" or [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "M" {
        mutate { add_field => { "[@metadata][store_multiplier]" => 1048576 } }
    } else if [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "g" or [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "G" {
        mutate { add_field => { "[@metadata][store_multiplier]" => 1073741824 } }
    } else if [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "t" or [@metadata][store_units_prefix] == "T" {
        mutate { add_field => { "[@metadata][store_multiplier]" => 1099511627776 } }
    }
# I don't know how to specify type in mutate.add_field, so I convert it
    mutate {
        convert => { "[@metadata][store_multiplier]" => "integer" }
    }
# create a new field with the size in bytes
    ruby {
        code => "event['store_size'] = event['@metadata']['store_number']*event['@metadata']['store_multiplier']"
    }

```

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_[View the full topic](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/convert-strings-with-different-data-units-mb-gb-tb-to-byte/55064)._