# Read files from another machine

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/read-files-from-another-machine/50922>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [May 25, 2016, 8:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/read-files-from-another-machine/50922 "2016-05-25T08:39:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kennedy\_Kan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cc9497/32.png) [@Kennedy\_Kan1](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Kennedy_Kan1)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 8:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/read-files-from-another-machine/50922/1 "2016-05-25T08:39:08Z")

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I have created a logstash, i.e. file.conf, to read through a file in local machine (172.16.1.135).

> input{  
> stdin{}  
> file{  
> type =\> "txt"  
> path =\> "C:\Job\Code.txt"  
> start\_position =\> "beginning"  
> }  
> }  
> filter{  
> grok{  
> match =\> {"message" =\> ["^job\_id:%{GREEDYDATA:job\_id}%{SPACE}description:%{GREEDYDATA:description}%{SPACE}result:%{GREEDYDATA:result}"]}  
> }
> 
> }  
> output{  
> elasticsearch { hosts =\> ["localhost:9200"] }  
> stdout { codec =\> rubydebug }   
> }

Now I have built a ELK server on another machine (172.16.1.245) and I move the file-input.conf file to the new ELK server.

How can I read back the text from the old machine (172.16.1.135).?  
Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2016, 10:33am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/read-files-from-another-machine/50922/2 "2016-05-25T10:33:08Z")

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Logstash's file input plugin reads data from files in mounted file systems. Your problem is typically solved by installing a shipper (e.g. Logstash) on each machine containing logs and configuring it to send the logs to Logstash. (via e.g. the lumberjack input/output plugins).

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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:** [July 6, 2017, 4:56am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/read-files-from-another-machine/50922/3 "2017-07-06T04:56:16Z")

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