LogLogic Strives to Create Better Visibility of Log Data

August 24, 2010 Alex Woodie

The exponential growth of information stored on computers is a well-documented phenomenon. But equally important, at least from the point of view of IT administrators and auditors, is the incredible growth of data generated by servers, PCs, routers, disk arrays, and other computer devices. LogLogic, which develops log management and SIEM solutions, recently introduced new tools aimed at roping in the log data problem.

LogLogic sells a range of log data devices designed to help organizations manage their log data for a variety of purposes, including real-time monitoring, after-the-fact forensics, long-term archives, and regulatory compliance. The vendor supports network devices and server platforms from all major manufacturers, including the IBM i platform (although IBM i log data must first be converted into a usable form).

One of the key components of the just-announced new LogLogic platform, called LogLogic 5, is a new data transportation protocol LogLogic developed called Universal Collection Framework. LogLogic says UCF provides a “universal IT data collection technology capable of collecting [log data], without agents, from just about anywhere.” However, the IBM i platform is one of the places where the UCF will not work with this initial release, so Loglogic will continue getting log data from this platform the way it did before.

UCF also includes new store-and-forward technology that LogLogic says can help organizations with far-flung offices to adapt to unstable WAN pipes and different time zones. LogLogic says it plans to make UCF (or the technology on which it is based) open source in the near future.

The introduction of “log labels” within LogLogic 5 should also help organizations get a handle on their log management headaches. By automatically adding labels (or metadata) to the log data and then filtering it, this new feature makes it easier for IT administrators to identify the various pieces of log data that’s collected, and show where it sits in the overall flow of log data.

The third major component of LogLogic’s “360 Insight” release is a new user interface. The vendor says it did a lot of research into making the work flow smoother and more efficiently in the new UI. The new workflow “ontology” helps to reduce the time it takes IT managers to perform certain tasks, including remediation, discovery, and management, LogLogic says.

Overall, these three enhancements form the basis for LogLogic 5, which the vendor says provide be a big efficiency boost in how its largest customers collect, manage, and use their log data.

“Large enterprises have a huge challenge in gathering, storing and processing data from their IT infrastructure,” Guy Churchward, LogLogic CEO, says in a press release. “With LogLogic 5, we enable 360 Insight, allowing companies to establish a streamlined approach for managing all of their IT data across all devices, regardless of whether they’re physical, virtual, or cloud based.”