# Set system time as timestamp
**URL:** https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079
**Category:** Logstash
**Created:** [December 17, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079 "2024-12-17T15:42:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Taras\_Mikityuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Taras_Mikityuk)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2024, 3:42pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079/1 "2024-12-17T15:42:53Z")
I'm collecting logs using elastic agent. The problem is, in @timestamp field I have time when event actually happened, but I also need time when log arrived in logstash. I was thinking to use ruby(ruby { code =\> "event.set('systemtime', Time.now());" }) to get system time, but ruby is too slow. Also there arent any plugins with such functionality. Any suggestions?
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### Author:  [@Badger](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Badger)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079/2 "2024-12-17T16:09:04Z")
> [@Taras\_Mikityuk](#):
>
> ruby is too slow
Why do you say that?
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### Author:  [@Taras\_Mikityuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Taras_Mikityuk)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2024, 9:08am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079/3 "2024-12-18T09:08:26Z")
Just my observations, i suppose
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### Author:  [@RainTown](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RainTown)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2024, 12:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/set-system-time-as-timestamp/372079/4 "2024-12-18T12:39:55Z")
Respectfully, it would be better to use something numeric to demonstrate this "slowness".
But clearly if you want to insert value of "now" into a document you need to look up when "now" is. Is there more efficient way than the ruby code, which is variant on what is posted each time this Q is asked?
Well, I dont know if it would be faster, but there are hacky ways, like parsing /proc/uptime. But I don't think there is a "pure" way.
PS: Not directly related, but in thinking about this, I discovered recent versions of bash have
$ printf "%s\n%s\n" ${EPOCHREALTIME} ${EPOCHSECONDS}
1734525193.150271
1734525193
$ type -a printf
printf is a shell builtin
printf is /usr/bin/printf
which gives a exec/fork free way inside a shell script.