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smallwebwaf/docs/metrics.md
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rproxy and servewaf replace the one-process smallwebwaf (closes #172, closes #165)
`smallwebwaf` with no command now prints the commands and exits with status 2.
The image runs rproxy, or servewaf with SMALLWEBWAF_COMMAND=servewaf. The
passing-on code, its settings and its log fields and metric go. internal/proxy
keeps the checks, answers, reports and own endpoints; its tests run through the
real rproxy. The documents describe the pair.

Judgement call: clients.json keeps token_refused, since state files refuse unknown fields.
Deviation: script/gitea-requests sets SWWAF_LOG_REQUEST_HEADERS, to label requests.
Partially verified: make example-app and make gitea-requests never built the image, as Ubuntu's snapshot service answered 5xx.

Model: opus-5-5
2026-11-05 13:15:05 +01:00

3.4 KiB

The metrics

What GET /_smallwebwaf/metrics answers with, at servewaf's own address. "Metrics endpoint" in SPEC.md describes the endpoint. Prometheus keeps the instance label as exported_instance unless the scrape sets honor_labels: true. rproxy has no metrics.

Traffic

  • smallwebwaf_requests_total, smallwebwaf_request_bytes_total and smallwebwaf_response_bytes_total, by status_class such as 2xx and by action;
  • smallwebwaf_request_duration_seconds and smallwebwaf_upstream_duration_seconds, as histograms;
  • smallwebwaf_requests_in_flight: the questions and requests to its own endpoints that servewaf is handling.

Limits and bans

  • smallwebwaf_rate_limit_hits_total, by window and by kind (requests, bytes or refusals);
  • smallwebwaf_offences_total, by kind;
  • smallwebwaf_bans_made_total, by cause;
  • smallwebwaf_active_bans and smallwebwaf_permanent_bans.

Attack detection

  • smallwebwaf_rule_matches_total, by rule_id and action, and smallwebwaf_rules_loaded;
  • smallwebwaf_waf_matches_total, by mode and rule_id, for the rules that fired.

Countries and AS numbers

For the SWWAF_METRICS_TOP_N busiest of each, the rest as other:

  • smallwebwaf_country_requests_total, smallwebwaf_country_request_bytes_total, smallwebwaf_country_response_bytes_total and smallwebwaf_country_list_refusals_total, by country;
  • smallwebwaf_asn_requests_total, smallwebwaf_asn_request_bytes_total and smallwebwaf_asn_response_bytes_total, by asn.

Lookups

  • smallwebwaf_geojs_requests_total and smallwebwaf_geojs_failures_total;
  • smallwebwaf_geojs_unanswered_total: the requests that needed an answer and went on without it;
  • with the file source, smallwebwaf_lookup_database_last_read_timestamp_seconds and smallwebwaf_lookup_database_read_failures_total.

Reputation sources

By source: each list's URL, each zone, and abuseipdb:

  • smallwebwaf_reputation_hits_total, smallwebwaf_reputation_queries_total and smallwebwaf_reputation_failures_total;
  • smallwebwaf_reputation_last_fetch_timestamp_seconds, for a list;
  • smallwebwaf_reputation_daily_budget_remaining, for AbuseIPDB.

State files

By file:

  • smallwebwaf_state_file_writes_total, smallwebwaf_state_file_write_failures_total, smallwebwaf_state_file_last_write_timestamp_seconds and smallwebwaf_state_file_size_bytes;
  • smallwebwaf_state_file_edits_taken_in_total and smallwebwaf_state_file_edits_set_aside_total;
  • smallwebwaf_tracked_clients: the clients in the table.

Remote log, alerts and the process

  • while a syslog server is set, smallwebwaf_remote_log_lines_sent_total, smallwebwaf_remote_log_lines_dropped_total and smallwebwaf_remote_log_buffer_depth;
  • by destination, smallwebwaf_alerts_sent_total, smallwebwaf_alerts_failed_total, smallwebwaf_alerts_suppressed_total and smallwebwaf_alerts_dropped_total;
  • Go's own go_ metrics and the process's process_ metrics.

When a request is counted

servewaf counts a denied request at its decision, and a request to its own endpoints when it is answered. It counts an allowed request when its report comes, with the status, bytes and times the report gives. These are not counted:

  • a report itself;
  • an allowed request whose report never comes;
  • a question refused with 400;
  • a question whose body stopped arriving.