Export Logs From a CockroachDB Dedicated Cluster

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CockroachDB Dedicated users can use the Cloud API to configure log export to AWS CloudWatch, GCP Cloud Logging, or Azure Monitor. Once the export is configured, logs will flow from all nodes in all regions of your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster to your chosen cloud log sink. You can configure log export to redact sensitive log entries, limit log output by severity, send log entries to specific log group targets by log channel, among others.

The logexport endpoint

To configure and manage log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster, use the logexport endpoint:

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https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{your_cluster_id}/logexport

Access to the logexport endpoint requires a valid CockroachDB Cloud service account assigned one of the following roles:

The following methods are available for use with the logexport endpoint:

Method Description
GET Returns the current status of the log export configuration.
POST Enables log export, or updates an existing log export configuration.
DELETE Disables log export, halting all log export to AWS CloudWatch, GCP Cloud Logging, or Azure Monitor.

Log name format

When written to your chosen cloud log sink, logs have the following name format:

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{log-name}.{region}.cockroachdbcloud.{log-channel}.n{N}

Where:

  • {log-name} is a string of your choosing as you configure log export. For AWS CloudWatch, this is the log group you create as part of enabling log export. For GCP Cloud Logging, this is the log_name you choose during configuration. See the Enable log export instructions specific to your cloud provider for more information.
  • {region} is the cloud provider region where your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster resides.
  • {log-channel} is the CockroachDB log channel, such as HEALTH or OPS.
  • {N} is the node number of the CockroachDB Dedicated node emitting the log messages. Log messages received before a node is fully started may appear in a log named without an explicit node number, e.g., ending in just .n.

Enable log export

Perform the following steps to enable log export from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster to AWS CloudWatch.

  1. Create the desired target AWS CloudWatch log group by following the Create a log group in CloudWatch logs instructions. If you already have a log group created, you may skip this step. To send logs to more than one target log group, see the custom configuration option in step 9 below.

  2. Find your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID:

    1. Visit the CockroachDB Cloud console cluster page.
    2. Click on the name of your cluster.
    3. Find your cluster ID in the URL of the single cluster overview page: https://cockroachlabs.cloud/cluster/{your_cluster_id}/overview.
  3. Determine your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster's associated AWS Account ID. This command uses the third-party JSON parsing tool jq to isolate just the needed account_id field from the results:

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    curl --request GET \
      --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{your_cluster_id} \
      --header 'Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}' | jq .account_id
    

    See API Access for instructions on generating the {secret_key}.

  4. Create a cross-account IAM role in your AWS account:

    1. In the AWS console, visit the IAM page.
    2. Select Roles and click Create role.
    3. For Trusted entity type, select AWS account.
    4. Choose Another AWS account.
    5. For Account ID, provide the CockroachDB Dedicated AWS Account ID from step 3.
    6. Finish creating the IAM role with a suitable name. These instructions will use the role name CockroachCloudLogExportRole. You do not need to add any permissions.
    Note:

    You will need the Amazon Resource Name (ARN) for your cross-account IAM role later in this procedure.

  5. Select the new role, and create a new policy for this role. These instructions will use the policy name CockroachCloudLogExportPolicy.

  6. Select the new policy, and paste the following into the Permissions tab, with the {} JSON option selected:

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    {
        "Version": "2012-10-17",
        "Statement": [
            {
                "Action": [
                    "logs:CreateLogGroup",
                    "logs:CreateLogStream",
                    "logs:DescribeLogGroups",
                    "logs:DescribeLogStreams",
                    "logs:PutRetentionPolicy",
                    "logs:PutLogEvents"
                ],
                "Effect": "Allow",
                "Resource": [
                    "arn:aws:logs:*:{your_aws_acct_id}:log-group:{log_group_name}:*"
                ]
            }
        ]
    }
    

    Where:

    • {your_aws_acct_id} is the AWS Account ID of the AWS account where you created the CockroachCloudLogExportRole role, not the AWS Account ID of your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster. You can find your AWS Account ID on the AWS IAM page.
    • {log_group_name} is the target AWS CloudWatch log group you created in step 1.

    This defines the set of permissions that the CockroachDB Dedicated log export feature requires to be able to write logs to CloudWatch.

    If desired, you may also limit log export from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster to a specific single AWS region, by providing the name of the desired region as the fourth value to the Resource entry. For example:

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    "Resource": [
        "arn:aws:logs:us-east-1:{your_aws_acct_id}:log-group:{log_group_name}:*"
    ]
    

    Specifying an AWS region that you do not have a cluster in, or a region that only partially covers your cluster's nodes will result in missing logs.

  7. Copy the Amazon Resource Name (ARN) of the CockroachCloudLogExportRole role found under Summary, which is needed for the next step.

  8. Use one of the following Cloud API commands to enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster. The first presents a basic configuration, where all logs are sent to AWS CloudWatch using the default settings. The second allows for more detailed customization of the logging configuration, such as the ability to send certain log channels to specific target log groups, or the ability to redact sensitive log entries.

    1. To enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with default logging configuration, issue the following Cloud API command:

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      curl --request POST \
        --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
        --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}" \
        --data '{"type": "AWS_CLOUDWATCH", "log_name": "{log_group_name}", "auth_principal": "{role_arn}"}'
      

      Where:

      • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID as determined in step 3.
      • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.
      • {log_group_name} is the target AWS CloudWatch log group you created in step 1.
      • {role_arn} is the ARN for the CockroachCloudLogExportRole role you copied in step 8.
    2. To enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with custom logging configuration:

      1. Consult the log export entry on the CockroachDB Cloud API Reference and select the Schema tab to view the supported log configuration options, and determine the customized logging configuration you would like to use.

        For example, consider the following configuration:

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        {
         "type": "AWS_CLOUDWATCH",
         "log_name": "default",
         "auth_principal": "{role_arn}",
         "redact": true,
         "region": "",
         "omitted_channels": [ "SESSIONS", "SQL_PERF"],
         "groups": [
                 {
                     "log_name": "sql",
                     "channels": ["SQL_SCHEMA", "SQL_EXEC"],
                     "redact": false
                 },
                 {
                     "log_name": "devops",
                     "channels": ["OPS", "HEALTH", "STORAGE"],
                     "min_level": "WARNING"
                 }
         ]
        }
        

        This configuration:

        • Enables redaction globally for all log entries emitted to AWS CloudWatch.
        • Does not send log entries in the SESSIONS and SQL_PERF logging channels.
        • Sends log entries in the SQL_SCHEMA and SQL_EXEC logging channels to a AWS CloudWatch log group named sql, and overrides (disables) the global redaction configuration for just these two log channels only.
        • Sends log entries in the OPS, HEALTH, and STORAGE logging channels to an AWS CloudWatch log group named devops, but only for those entries that are of log severity level WARNING or higher.
        • Sends log entries in all other logging channels to the default AWS CloudWatch log group.
      2. Once you have determined the configuration you'd like to use, edit the configuration to be a single line, the required form for passing to the configuration command in the next step. To accomplish this easily, use a third party minifier, such as json minifier. The above configuration becomes the following single line, suitable for the next step's POST command:

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        {"type":"AWS_CLOUDWATCH","log_name":"default","auth_principal":"{role_arn}","redact":true,"region":"","omitted_channels":["SESSIONS","SQL_PERF"],"groups":[{"log_name":"sql","channels":["SQL_SCHEMA","SQL_EXEC"],"redact":false},{"log_name":"devops","channels":["OPS","HEALTH","STORAGE"],"min_level":"WARNING"}]}
        
      3. Then, to enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with the above example custom logging configuration, issue the following Cloud API command:

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        curl --request POST \
          --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
          --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}" \
          --data '{"type":"AWS_CLOUDWATCH","log_name":"default","auth_principal":"{role_arn}","redact":true,"region":"","omitted_channels":["SESSIONS","SQL_PERF"],"groups":[{"log_name":"sql","channels":["SQL_SCHEMA","SQL_EXEC"],"redact":false},{"log_name":"devops","channels":["OPS","HEALTH","STORAGE"],"min_level":"WARNING"}]}'
        

        Where:

        • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID as determined in step 3.
        • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.
        • {role_arn} is the ARN for the CockroachCloudLogExportRole role you copied in step 8.
  9. Depending on the size of your cluster and how many regions it spans, the configuration may take a moment. You can monitor the ongoing status of the configuration using the following Cloud API command:

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    curl --request GET \
      --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
      --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}"
    

    Run the command periodically until the command returns a status of ENABLED, at which point the configuration across all nodes is complete, and logs will begin appearing in CloudWatch under the log group you created in step 1. Since the configuration is applied to cluster nodes in a rolling fashion, you may see some logs appear even before the GET command returns an ENABLED status.

  10. Once log export has been enabled, you can access logs from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster directly in AWS CloudWatch.

Perform the following steps to enable log export from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster to GCP Cloud Logging.

  1. Find your CockroachDB Dedicated organization ID in the CockroachDB Cloud organization settings page.

  2. Find your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID:

    1. Visit the CockroachDB Cloud console cluster page.
    2. Click on the name of your cluster.
    3. Find your cluster ID in the URL of the single cluster overview page: https://cockroachlabs.cloud/cluster/{your_cluster_id}/overview.
  3. Determine the GCP principal to grant permission to from your account. This principal is already created for you by Cockroach Labs; this step merely determines its account name. This command uses the third-party JSON parsing tool jq to isolate just the needed id (GCP cluster ID) and account_id (GCP account ID) fields, and combines them for you in the required form:

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    curl --request GET \
      --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{your_cluster_id} \
      --header 'Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}' | jq '("crl-logging-user-" + (.id | split("-"))[4] + "@" + .account_id + ".iam.gserviceaccount.com")'
    

    Where:

    • {your_cluster_id} is the cluster ID of your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster as determined in step 2.
    • {secret_key} is your API access key. See API Access for more details.

    The resulting GCP principal should resemble the following example:

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    crl-logging-user-a1c42be2e53b@crl-prod-abc.iam.gserviceaccount.com
    

    This GCP principal refers to a resource that is owned by Cockroach Labs and is created automatically along with your cluster. You do not need to create this account in GCP; it is already present for use by your cluster.

  4. Create a new role with the required permissions in your GCP project:

    1. In the GCP console, visit the IAM roles page for your project.
    2. Click + Create role.
    3. Give your role a title and ID of your choosing, then click + Add permissions.
    4. Search for logging.logEntries.create in the Filter field, check the checkbox next to the resulting match, then click Add.
    5. Click the Create button.
  5. Add your cluster's GCP principal to the role you just created.

    1. In the GCP console, visit the IAM admin page for your project.
    2. Click the + Grant Access button.
    3. In the box labeled New principals, enter the name of your cluster's GCP principal you determined in step 3.
    4. In the Select a role dropdown, select the role you created in step 4.
    5. Click SAVE.
  6. Use one of the following Cloud API commands to enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster. The first presents a basic configuration, where all logs are sent to GCP Cloud Logging using the default settings. The second allows for more detailed customization of the logging configuration, such as the ability to send certain log channels to specific target log groups, or the ability to redact sensitive log entries.

    1. To enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with default logging configuration, issue the following Cloud API command:

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      curl --request POST \
        --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
        --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}" \
        --data '{"type": "GCP_CLOUD_LOGGING", "log_name": "{log_name}", "auth_principal": "{gcp_project_id}"}'
      

      Where:

      • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID as determined in step 3.
      • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.
      • {log_name} is a string of your choosing to represent logs written from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster. This name will appear in the name of each log written to GCP Cloud Logging.
      • {gcp_project_id} is your GCP project ID, as shown in your GCP Cloud Console Settings page.
    2. To enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with custom logging configuration:

      1. Consult the log export entry on the CockroachDB Cloud API Reference and select the Schema tab to view the supported log configuration options, and determine the customized logging configuration you would like to use.

        For example, consider the following configuration:

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        {
         "type": "GCP_CLOUD_LOGGING",
         "log_name": "default",
         "auth_principal": "{gcp_project_id}",
         "redact": true,
         "region": "",
         "omitted_channels": [ "SESSIONS", "SQL_PERF"],
         "groups": [
                 {
                     "log_name": "sql",
                     "channels": ["SQL_SCHEMA", "SQL_EXEC"],
                     "redact": false
                 },
                 {
                     "log_name": "devops",
                     "channels": ["OPS", "HEALTH", "STORAGE"],
                     "min_level": "WARNING"
                 }
         ]
        }
        

        This configuration:

        • Enables redaction globally for all log entries emitted to GCP Cloud Logging.
        • Does not send log entries in the SESSIONS and SQL_PERF logging channels.
        • Sends log entries in the SQL_SCHEMA and SQL_EXEC logging channels to a GCP Cloud Logging log group named sql, and overrides (disables) the global redaction configuration for just these two log channels only.
        • Sends log entries in the OPS, HEALTH, and STORAGE logging channels to a GCP Cloud Logging log group named devops, but only for those entries that are of log severity level WARNING or higher.
        • Sends log entries in all other logging channels to the default GCP Cloud Logging log group.
      2. Once you have determined the configuration you'd like to use, edit the configuration to be a single line, the required form for passing to the configuration command in the next step. To accomplish this easily, use a third party minifier, such as json minifier. The above configuration becomes the following single line, suitable for the next step's POST command:

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        {"type":"GCP_CLOUD_LOGGING","log_name":"default","auth_principal":"{gcp_project_id}","redact":true,"region":"","omitted_channels":["SESSIONS","SQL_PERF"],"groups":[{"log_name":"sql","channels":["SQL_SCHEMA","SQL_EXEC"],"redact":false},{"log_name":"devops","channels":["OPS","HEALTH","STORAGE"],"min_level":"WARNING"}]}
        
      3. Then, to enable log export for your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster with the above example custom logging configuration, issue the following Cloud API command:

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        curl --request POST \
          --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
          --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}" \
          --data '{"type":"GCP_CLOUD_LOGGING","log_name":"default","auth_principal":"{gcp_project_id}","redact":true,"region":"","omitted_channels":["SESSIONS","SQL_PERF"],"groups":[{"log_name":"sql","channels":["SQL_SCHEMA","SQL_EXEC"],"redact":false},{"log_name":"devops","channels":["OPS","HEALTH","STORAGE"],"min_level":"WARNING"}]}'
        

        Where:

        • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster ID as determined in step 3.
        • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.
        • {gcp_project_id} is your GCP project ID, as shown in your GCP Cloud Console Settings page.
  7. Depending on the size of your cluster and how many regions it spans, the configuration may take a moment. You can monitor the ongoing status of the configuration using the following Cloud API command:

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    curl --request GET \
      --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
      --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}"
    

    Run the command periodically until the command returns a status of ENABLED, at which point the configuration across all nodes is complete, and logs will begin appearing in GCP Cloud Logging. Since the configuration is applied to cluster nodes in a rolling fashion, you may see some logs appear even before the GET command returns an ENABLED status.

  8. Once log export has been enabled, you can access logs from your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster directly in GCP Cloud Logging's Log Explorer.

Note:

Exporting Logs to Azure Monitor from a CockroachDB Dedicated cluster is in limited access and is only available to enrolled organizations. To enroll your organization, contact your Cockroach Labs account team. This feature is subject to change.

Note:

Once log export has been enabled, logs generated going forward are sent to the specified cloud sink. Logs are not back-filled to the specified cloud sink.

Monitor the status of a log export configuration

To check the status of an existing CockroachDB Dedicated log export configuration, use the following Cloud API command:

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curl --request GET \
  --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}"

Where:

  • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster's cluster ID, which can be found in the URL of your Cloud Console for the specific cluster you wish to configure, resembling f78b7feb-b6cf-4396-9d7f-494982d7d81e.
  • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.

Update an existing log export configuration

To update an existing CockroachDB Dedicated log export configuration, make any necessary changes to your cloud provider configuration (e.g., AWS CloudWatch or GCP Cloud Logging), then issue the same POST Cloud API command as shown in the Enable log export instructions for your cloud provider with the desired updated configuration. Follow the Monitor the status of a log export configuration instructions to ensure the update completes successfully.

Disable log export

To disable an existing CockroachDB Dedicated log export configuration, and stop sending logs to a cloud log sink, use the following Cloud API command:

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curl --request DELETE \
  --url https://cockroachlabs.cloud/api/v1/clusters/{cluster_id}/logexport \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer {secret_key}"

Where:

  • {cluster_id} is your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster's cluster ID, which can be found in the URL of your Cloud Console for the specific cluster you wish to configure, resembling f78b7feb-b6cf-4396-9d7f-494982d7d81e.
  • {secret_key} is your CockroachDB Dedicated API key. See API Access for instructions on generating this key.

Limitations

  • CockroachDB Dedicated clusters hosted on AWS can only export logs to AWS CloudWatch. Similarly, CockroachDB Dedicated clusters hosted on GCP can only export logs to GCP Cloud Logging, and CockroachDB Dedicated clusters hosted on Azure can only export logs to Azure Monitor.

CockroachDB Dedicated log export Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is it possible to configure exported logs to be redacted at source?

Yes, use the redact: true log configuration option. See Redact logs for more information.

Is it possible to send different log channels to different log groups in my cloud log sink?

Yes, use the custom log configuration step for your cloud provider, and specify multiple groups, each with a unique log_name value, in your configuration.

Is it possible to send logs from one cloud provider to another?

No, if your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster resides on AWS, you can only export your logs to AWS CloudWatch. Similarly, if your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster resides on GCP, you can only export your logs to GCP Cloud Logging, and if your CockroachDB Dedicated cluster resides on Azure, you can only export your logs to Azure Monitor.

For a multi-region cluster, are the logs from all regions exported to one cloud log sink region?

No, logs for each region in your cluster are exported to the corresponding cloud log sink region configured for your account. For AWS, ensure that the target AWS CloudWatch log group is configured with the same name in all target regions, and that the IAM role you are using has permission to access each regional log group. For GCP, you can configure Log Buckets to collect logs from different regions, as well as assign individual retention policies by region if desired. By default, all logs written to GCP Cloud Logging are written to a _Default bucket, in the "global" region.

What log channels are supported?

Currently, the following CockroachDB log channels are supported for export in this manner: SESSIONS, OPS, HEALTH, STORAGE, SQL_SCHEMA, USER_ADMIN, PRIVILEGES, SENSITIVE_ACCESS, SQL_EXEC, and SQL_PERF. Other log channels are not exportable from CockroachDB Dedicated.

Is it possible to include SQL audit logs as part of the log export capability?

Yes, the SQL Audit Log is exported via the SENSITIVE_ACCESS log channel by default, as long as you have previously enabled audit logging on desired tables using the ALTER TABLE ...EXPERIMENTAL_AUDIT statement.

Can I use an AWS External ID with the log export feature?

No, the CockroachDB Dedicated log export feature does not support use of an AWS External ID. You must configure a cross-account IAM Role as described in the Enable log export instructions.

Does log export configuration use the same syntax as CockroachDB log configuration?

No, log export configuration uses the CockroachDB Cloud API syntax. For example, log export uses min_level to define log severity levels, while CockroachDB uses filter.

Why are some logs appearing without a node number in the name?

Log messages received from CockroachDB Dedicated nodes that are not yet fully started may arrive without a node number appended to the log name, in the format {logname}.n. Node-specific log messages, as they are received, are written to node-specific logs in the format {logname}.n1, {logname}.n2, etc., where the number following the n characters is the node ID. See Log Name Format.

Troubleshooting

AWS CloudWatch

Most log export errors stem from incorrect AWS IAM configuration. Ensure you have followed steps 1 through 6 of the Enable log export instructions closely, and that you have a cross-account IAM role which trusts your CockroachDB Dedicated AWS account ID (as determined in step 3) and has permission to write to your specified log group in CloudWatch (as created in step 1).

When supplying the Amazon Resource Name (ARN) to step 9, be sure you are supplying the ARN for the CockroachCloudLogExportRole role, not the ARN for the CockroachCloudLogExportPolicy policy. Whether you are using the default logging configuration or the custom configuration: be sure to supply this ARN to the auth_principal parameter, in the --data payload.

GCP Cloud Logging

When supplying the GCP project ID in step 6a or 6b, be sure you use the Project ID, and not the Project Name. Both are shown on the Google Cloud Console Settings page.

You do not need to create a GCP service account to enable or manage log export. The GCP principal mentioned in step 3 and used in step 5c is already created for you. These steps simply determine the account name of this principal, which is specific to your cluster.


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