How Do Syslog Softwares Work?
Syslog softwares are installed or configured onto a server to eliminate the need to log into each device individually when getting their log events. Instead, all the devices will now send their log files to the Syslog server software from where the network admin can study them. And it gets better. The Syslog softwares also feature an alert mechanism that notifies you whenever there is a critical message that needs your immediate attention.So you end up working less but with better results. Some Syslog servers can also act as receivers for SNMP trap which is another communication standard used by network devices to send alerts to a server. However, SNMP is limited in its scope in that it will only notify you of critical conditions, unlike Syslog which collects every event thus making it more effective for higher detailed monitoring.
Limitations of the Syslog Standard
One downside of the Syslog standard is the lack of authentication which makes them prone to replay attacks although that should not be much of a problem in a secure network. Also as you might already be aware, window-based devices do not support Syslog by default. Instead, they have an event log that can be accessed through Event viewer application that comes with the Windows OS. Therefore, if you have windows based devices on your network that you want to incorporate to your centralized logging system, you might have to use dedicated software like SolarWinds Event Log Forwarder for Windows. Its a software that forwards the event logs as Syslog messages to the Syslog server software. But enough of that. Let us look at what really brought you here. The best Syslog Server software. As you might imagine there are so many of them. So I will do you a favor and narrow it down to five of the best. The Syslog data received can be viewed through the server’s User interface or sent directly to you through the email. A notable feature of the Kiwi server is the ability to create a trend analysis graph from the logged events which definitely makes for easier monitoring. SolarWinds has put various measures that allow you to access specific logs in the least time. For instance, you can open multiple instances of the log data and view them concurrently. It also allows sorting through the log files based on time or priority level. Unfortunately, this free version comes with a limitation in that it can only support 5 devices. Therefore, for the bigger organizations, I would recommend the paid version that comes with a bunch of excellent stuff among them being a web-based console that allows you to study the logs remotely from any system. The KIWI Syslog server only works for the Windows operating system. It also allows you to set the type of events that trigger an alert which will promptly be sent to you as messages. With the ability to handle 6,000,000 messages per hour, this server tool is well suited for use in any organization size. All the collected Syslog messages are archived which means you have a history of all the logged files in case you need them in the future. Additionally the WhatsUp server allows forwarding of the log messages to a third-party application for in-depth monitoring. This server is only compatible with windows and can either run as an application or as a server. For easy retrieval of logs from the database, the server allows you to filter them based on various aspects like the date, source address, facility, or message content. In addition to the standard email alerts, the Visual Syslog Server supports notification through displaying an alarm window, playing a sound file and customizable notices formats. There is definitely no way you will miss an alert with so many available options. But even if you do, this server can be set to trigger external scripted programs act on your behalf in case of an alert. Although this server runs as an application, it is very lightweight and does not take too much system resources. It can also be minimized to the tray when not in active use to avoid disturbing your workflow. It will still continue collecting logs in the background. It also supports both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols and can monitor logs over UDP and TCP making it more reliable. Smart parse is another highlight feature of Syslog Watcher that enables it to handle non-Syslog messages. This server has the ability to handle thousands of logs per second and will thus have no problem handling all the devices in your network. Once the server collects the logs you can either choose to convert them into various file formats like CSV and XML or you can store them in a database by using ODBC connectors. Once in the database, it becomes very easy to manage the data especially with the various search and sorting mechanisms allowed by the server. The server has also incorporated email notifications to alert you in case there is an important event. Also, unlike the other software that we have looked at so far, this server tool can also work on Linux and MacOS. The log messages collected by the server are either exported to file formats or forwarded to other destination like 3rd party applications. The Dude Syslog server also incorporates various alert methods like pop up messages, system beeps and screen flashes. That is on top of the usual email alerts.
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