Deployment Checklist
A checklist for deploying Seq in production
Seq is extremely fast and easy to set up in its default configuration, and going to production isn't much harder. There are a few things to take care of that will ensure smooth, secure operation of Seq as a critical part of your operations infrastructure.
Use the handy checklist below to make sure nothing is missed.
| Task | Description | Find out more |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase a Multi-User License | For deployments used by more than one person, a multi-user Seq license will be needed. | Seq Pricing |
| Provision Hardware | Seq needs enough hardware capacity to perform under the expected load. There are some rules of thumb to help make an initial estimate. | System Requirements |
| Software Prerequisites | Windows Server 2012 R2 or better is needed. | System Requirements |
| Choose a Storage Location | Choose a location on disk where Seq will store log data. On cloud VMs, an option with local redundancy is recommended (e.g. an attached data disk on Azure). | |
| Obtain and Install an SSL Certificate | Unless SSL is terminated at a load balancer, a certificate will be needed for the domain Seq is hosted on. | SSL |
| Install Seq | Install Seq from MSI on the target server. | Storage, URLs |
| Set up a Service Account | It is best practice to use an unprivileged machine account to run the Seq service. This should be a local Windows account on the target server (by default Local System is used otherwise). | Service Account Requirements |
| Bind the SSL Certificate | The SSL certificate must be associated with the port used by Seq. This is done with the seq bind-ssl command-line. | SSL |
| Configure an Ingestion Port | If the server accepts events from the open Internet, setting up a dedicated port for ingestion can assist with firewall/load balancer/security group configuration. | api.ingestionPort |
| Set a Canonical URI | If the server is behind a load balancer/reverse proxy, set api.canonicalUri so that generated URLs point back to the public address, rather than the internal address of the Seq instance. | Server Configuration |
| Save your Secret Encryption Key | On the Seq server, run seq.exe show-key and copy the resulting key to a secure location. | Backup and Restore |
| Start Seq | If you haven't already, run seq service start and view Seq in your browser. | |
| Import your Seq License | Paste your Seq license key into Settings > License and save changes. | |
| Enable Authentication | Under Settings > Users, enable authentication and set up the admin user account. | Managing Users, Active Directory, Azure Active Directory |
| Configure the Backup Location | Under Settings > Backup, make sure daily backups are stored to an appropriate drive. | Backup and Restore |
| Require API Keys | We recommend all apps logging to Seq use a distinct API key; enforce this under Settings > API Keys. | API Keys |
| Configure Retention Policies | Make sure at least one retention policy is configured, so that disk space isn't exhausted. | Retention Policies |
| Exclude Log Storage from Virus Scanning | Seq stores log data in the Stream subdirectory under its storage root path (by default, C:\ProgramData\Seq); excluding this location from virus scanners like Windows Defender can improve performance and prevent inadvertent screening of log data files. | Windows Defender Instructions |
| Open ports in Windows Firewall | For the Seq UI and ingestion endpoints to be visible across the network, the ports on which Seq is served need to be opened in Windows Firewall (or your chosen firewall software) | Windows Firewall Instructions |
Remember that we're here to help if you get stuck at any point.
Check out our Azure installation guide if you're installing Seq in Microsoft Azure.
Updated almost 4 years ago