To migrate logs from Stackdriver (now part of Google Cloud Operations Suite) to Grafana Loki, there is no direct export feature available. Instead, you need to set up a log shipping pipeline that collects logs from your environment and forwards them to Loki.

Recommended approach

Use a log collector like Fluentd or Promtail running in your Kubernetes cluster or environment:

• Fluentd or Promtail collects logs from your Kubernetes nodes, containers, or other sources.
• Configure Fluentd with the loki output plugin or Promtail to send logs directly to your Loki instance.
• This approach bypasses Stackdriver as a source; instead, you collect logs directly from the source rather than exporting from Stackdriver.

Why this approach?

• Stackdriver does not currently support exporting logs directly to Loki.
• Exporting logs into Cloud Storage or Pub/Sub and then importing is complex and increases latency.
• Using Fluentd or Promtail leverages established log shipping techniques with native Loki support.

Steps overview

1. Install Fluentd or Promtail using Kubernetes DaemonSet or on your nodes.
2. Configure the log collector to read logs from standard sources (e.g., container stdout).
3. Set the output to Loki's HTTP API or gRPC endpoint.
4. Verify logs are appearing in Grafana Loki.

Additional tips

• Consider cost implications: Stackdriver charges for logs ingestion; collecting logs directly with Fluentd may be more cost-effective.
• Ensure proper log format for Loki (labels and fields) for efficient querying.
• Use Loki's documentation for Fluentd or Promtail configuration examples.

References

• Loki documentation on Fluentd integration
• Promtail configuration for Loki