The forward input plugin receives events sent with the forward protocol and places them into a Fluent Bit pipeline. Because Fluent Bit and Fluentd share this defined protocol, either implementation can exchange events without needing to know which one is on the other end. This makes the input useful for connecting Fluent nodes and for accepting data from products or logging integrations that support forward directly. section 3.1 section 3.9
Configure the input as a network listener: set `name forward`, choose an address with `listen`, and select a listening `port`. Its buffer controls follow the same pattern as the HTTP input, including `buffer_max_size` and `buffer_chunk_size`. A receiving node can then route or print the incoming records through its normal pipeline. section 3.6.4
Receive a forwarded event on port 9980
A minimal receiver listens on all interfaces and sends every received record to standard output: [SERVICE] flush 1 log_level debug [INPUT] name forward listen 0.0.0.0 port 9980 [OUTPUT] name stdout match * Run this configuration alongside a separate Fluent Bit process whose forward output targets port 9980. The sender reports forwarding the message; the receiver prints the message, including its tag and timestamp. section 3.6.4
Tags determine how forwarded events retain or gain routing identity. `tag` replaces the tag carried in the forward payload, while `tag_prefix` adds a prefix. Preserving the original tag keeps continuity across nodes; prefixing makes it easier to distinguish records that originated locally from those received from another Fluent Bit instance. section 3.6.4
Use TLS for protected network connectivity. When communicating with Fluentd, TLS can be combined with basic authentication through `username` and `password`, or with a shared token using `shared_key`; `empty_shared_key` disables that token requirement. These choices apply where network forwarding needs transport protection and peer controls. section 5.9 section 3.9
Listing 3.9 forward plugin example: forward-out.conf
[SERVICE] flush 1 log_level debug [INPUT] name forward #1 listen 0.0.0.0 #2 port 9980 [OUTPUT] name stdout match *
Inspect the complete minimal forward receiver configuration, including service flushing, the listener address and port, and stdout output. section 3.6.4
