Each log also has a variable amount of data that can be displayed or captured, but you should be careful about setting it to gather the most detail possible, as this can end up overwhelming and crashing the entire system if the volume of logs is extremely high. The sheer volume of these logs can make it incredibly difficult to figure out what exactly is happening in your system.
#WHAT IS WINDOWS LOGGER WINDOWS#
This volume of data is almost impossible to go through manually-and a significant portion of these entries will simply be showing successful, problem-free interactions and transactions.įor Windows systems, there are three types of event logs: When you look at your logs, you can monitor and report on file access, network connections, unauthorized activity, error messages, and unusual network and system behavior.īut your systems produce tens of thousands of log entries every day. Windows event log management is important for security, troubleshooting, and compliance. Since I focus my time supporting Windows machines, I wrote this guide with a focus on Windows event logs. The information you get from event logs is vital for several reasons. For UNIX systems, they are called system logs or syslogs. For Microsoft systems, these are called Windows event logs. Basically, a log is a record of everything happening on the system. Why Is Centralized Log Management Important?Įach system and device on your network generates logs, which show all the events and transactions taking place. Of course, you can still review your logs manually, but using a centralized system to highlight the critical information allows you to focus on the most important things, without getting swamped by data. Why Is Centralized Log Management Important? I also share my thoughts on these programs below. However, other noteworthy Windows event log tools, like Kiwi Syslog ® Server and Graylog, may also be a good solution depending on your logging needs. Having a centralized log management tool like Log Analyzer (which I provide an in-depth review of) delivers a way around this problem, as you can set it up to flag alerts for only the most important logs and issues. When you’re sorting through a mountain of logs, you can easily miss problems or fail to see major errors. Excess data can overwhelm what you’re trying to accomplish, which is to detect errors or issues with your system. Collecting log data is an important part of network and system management, but more data isn’t always better.