Decision Log Plugin

The decision log plugin is responsible for gathering decision events from multiple sources and upload them to a service. This plugin is highly configurable, allowing the user to decide when to upload, drop or proxy a logged event. Each configuration can be dynamically updated while OPA is running.

Events are uploaded in gzip compressed JSON array's at a user defined interval. This can either be triggered periodically or manually through the SDK. The size of the gzip compressed JSON array is limited by upload_size_limit_bytes.

There are two buffer implementations that can be selected by setting decision_logs.reporting.buffer_type, defaults to size

Event Buffer

• decision_logs.reporting.buffer_type=event

As events are logged each event is encoded and saved in a buffer. When an upload is triggered, all the events currently in the buffer are uploaded in chunks (limited by upload_size_limit_bytes). The oldest events will drop if the buffer is full, the limit can be configured by changing buffer_size_limit_events.

Pros:

• Compressing only on upload keeps the event and JSON array buffers separate so they don't have to be in sync.
• Individual events can be dropped quicker without having to decompress the events.
• Using a channel as a buffer allows events to be written to the buffer concurrently.

Cons:

• Upload will be slower as the events need to be compressed.
• A buffer limit has to be set, unlimited size isn't allowed.

---
title: Event Upload Flow
---
flowchart LR
    1["Producer 1"] -. event .-> Buffer
    2["Producer 2"] -. event .-> Buffer
    3["Producer 3"] -. event .-> Buffer
    subgraph log [Log Plugin]
        Buffer --> package
        subgraph package [JSON Array]
            A["[event, event, event, event ....]"]
        end
    end
    package -. POST .-> service
    classDef large font-size:20pt;
    

Size Buffer

• decision_logs.reporting.buffer_type=size

As events are logged they are encoded and compressed into a JSON Array before being added to the buffer. When an upload is triggered the current buffer is emptied, uploading each JSON Array of events as chunks. By default, the buffer is an unlimited size but if buffer_size_limit_bytes is configured the oldest events will be dropped.

Pros:

• Uploads are quicker because each event is already encoded and compressed.
• The local memory in bytes of the buffer can be limited.

Cons:

• Events can flow between the encoder and buffer requiring a heavy use of locks.
• Dropping an individual event requires decompressing an entire array of events.
• Adding events to the buffer is slower as compression happens on write.

---
title: Event Upload Flow
---
flowchart LR
    1["Producer 1"] -. event .-> Encoder
    2["Producer 2"] -. event .-> Encoder
    3["Producer 3"] -. event .-> Encoder
    subgraph log [Log Plugin]
        Encoder --> package
        subgraph package [JSON Array]
            A["[event, event, ...]"]
        end
        subgraph Buffer [Buffer]
            B["[[event, event, ...], [event, event, ...]]"]
        end
        package --> Buffer
        Buffer --> Encoder
        
    end
    Buffer -. POST .-> service
    classDef large font-size:20pt;