Monitoring and analyzing system event logs used to be a highly stressful and labor-intensive task that requires patience, focus and attention to detail. Imagine manually sifting through a sea of codes to look for issues that are affecting web app performance. Fortunately, log monitoring system tools such as the automated cloud-based management system that Papertrail offers, make such tasks easier. While it is true that log monitoring system tools still require human intervention, automating most of the repetitive tasks significantly reduces the need for it while increasing precision and efficiency at the same time.
The following are the most important reasons why you should consider investing in a log management system.
1. Better Web Performance
Logs are a vital component of your network infrastructure and your network administrators rely upon it to keep websites performing optimally. However, logging can get out of hand and cause your web app to slow down and become sluggish. Log management tools with a monitoring feature allow your network administrators to set ideal logging parameters to prevent bloating the system with negligible logs while retaining important logs for review and analytics. This brings us to another reason why you should invest in a log monitoring system, and that is…
2. Make Life Easier for Your Network Administrators
Automating log monitoring saves your IT personnel from the time-consuming task of monitoring the logs manually. Apart from unnecessarily wasting their talent, the task is such a tough grind that the possibility of human error increases the more labor-intensive the job gets. Automating the redundant and repetitive tasks that are involved in log management not only makes life easier for your IT personnel, it also allows you to rechannel this very valuable resource.
3. Have Better Analytics
Freeing up your IT guys from time-consuming tasks allows you to have them focus on more critical aspects of your network and business processes. In an industry where one of the most vital web performance metrics is speed, in-depth analysis of log events will likely reveal solutions on how you can keep your logs and codes lean for faster web performance.
4. Get Real-Time Alerts and Notifications 24/7
Automating log management and monitoring is almost like having actual tech guys watching over your network on a 24-hour basis. What makes automation better is that its performance remains consistent day and night. 24-hour log monitoring alerts your network administrators to problems or potential problems, allowing them to resolve them even before they mutate into a major issue. This helps avert critical failures and downtimes that can adversely affect your bottom-line.
5. Better Security
One of the most important reasons why you should invest in a log monitoring system tool is system security. Log monitoring tools alert you to any event that is unusual and suspicious. More than just highlight these suspicious events, some log monitoring system tools have features that can automatically protect your network by blocking what it deems as attacks from IP addresses and even remove accounts. Other tools can quarantine or even shut down servers that may potentially be infected with malware.
Perhaps the most obvious and compelling reason why you should invest in a log monitoring system tool is that it allows you to run your business process more efficiently. With very affordable log management solutions available from managed service providers, it will be wise to at least sign up for a trial to experience the benefits of having such tools.