Working Together

In more complex environments, you might find the need to combine Fluent Bit's lightweight data collection with Fluentd's richer data processing capabilities. Fluent Bit can forward logs to Fluentd, which then performs advanced transformations before sending the data to its final destination. The setup involves configuring Fluent Bit's forward output plugin:

[OUTPUT]
    Name       forward
    Match      *
    Host       fluentd-server
    Port       24224

Here, Fluent Bit sends its logs to a Fluentd instance running on fluentd-server . This combination offers the best of both worlds: Fluent Bit's efficiency in data collection and Fluentd's advanced processing and routing capabilities.

Conclusion

By this point you probably know whether Fluentd or Fluent Bit can be of service in your environment. They are designed to be flexible and can grow with your setup, whether you self-host a couple of apps for family and friends or maintain large multicloud Kubernetes deployments. The rich collection of plugins will help you, even in the most convoluted scenarios, while keeping the configuration files orderly and clean.

Fluent Bit and Fluentd each have a vibrant community [3][4] and robust official documentation [5]  [6]. If you encounter a particularly challenging issue, checking official guides or starting a discussion in dedicated Slack channels can often provide a good solution, or, if it proves too difficult, at least an alternative approach. Collaborative problem-solving can often lead to quicker resolutions.