Web log analysis software (also called a web log analyzer) is software that parses a log file from a web server (like Apache), and based on the values contained in the log file, derives indicators about who, when and how a web server is visited. There are two types of log analyzers

* Post parsing reporting - Most log analyzers fall into this category. The log files are parsed and all the reports are generated after that - usually on a scheduled basis. This can put great strain on a computer as the parsing and reporting are done in one go. This is usually done during a quiet period and the reports are often more than a couple of hours old. This is how AWstats and Webalizer create the statistics and is usually ran each day on the web logs.

* Real-time, on-demand Reporting (sometimes called "Live reporting") - SurfStats and WebTrends have products in this category. The log files are parsed to a database in the background. A report is only generated when requested. This type of analyzer is usually more suited for many users as it places less strain on a server. We also ofter Stats 2.0 for real time stats, but this does require a code to be added to each file you wish to track stats on. 

Last Updated: 20th of May, 2011     Article ID: 210

Attachments
No attachments were found.