# Logstash to read file using ftp

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [December 29, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195 "2016-12-29T08:54:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hearvishwas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cc9497/32.png) [@hearvishwas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hearvishwas)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195/1 "2016-12-29T08:54:45Z")

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Hi All,  
I have a remote windows machine from which I have to read log files. But this windows machine has firewall and allow communication using ftp only. Can anyone suggest how to these log files using ftp protocol in logstash. If require I can install logstash on this machine also.  
@magnusbaeck can you help me in this problem.

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**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2016, 9:55am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195/2 "2016-12-29T09:55:41Z")

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Logstash does not support collecting and processing files via FTP, so the recommended method is to install an agent on the host. Have a look at Filebeat, which is a light-weight shipper.

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**Author:** ![hearvishwas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/cc9497/32.png) [@hearvishwas](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/hearvishwas)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195/3 "2016-12-30T08:54:27Z")

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> [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](#):
>
> Filebeat

If I install Logstash on host machine than how could it send data to ES, as it has to make http request to ES for data transfer, and that that machine's firewall only allows FTP.  
ES is installed in other machine.

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**Author:** ![Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/christian_dahlqvist/32/4617_2.png) [@Christian\_Dahlqvist](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Christian_Dahlqvist)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2016, 9:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195/4 "2016-12-30T09:08:05Z")

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If you are only able to communicate over FTP, I believe you will need some kind of custom solution as i am not aware of any functionality in Logstash or Filebeat that work with FTP.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 27, 2017, 9:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-to-read-file-using-ftp/70195/5 "2017-01-27T09:08:12Z")

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