• 30 Jul 2010 - New appender features!

Out-of-the-box log server

Everything you need regarding log data collection is gathered in one place. logFaces is a centralized log server designed to handle magnitude of applications running on different machines.

Compatibility

Currently we support log4j.dtd compliant format which can be used with log4j, logback, log4net, log4cpp, slf4j and any other framework using this format. System is platform-independent due to its Java™ nature. Client distribution is available for Windows 32/64 bit and Linux gtk x86 for 32/64 bits. Server distribution is available for Windows 32 bit, Linux x86 32/64 bit, Solaris SPARC 32/64 bit.

High throughput

Our typical tests on an average desktop computer show that logFaces Server can consume several hundreds of log statement per second. Sometime this number can reach a 1000 records per second. It depends on the configuration (network, database, hardware) and amount of data being transmitted.

Structured storage

logFaces comes with its own embedded database requiring zero administration. Log events going through the log server are organized for database queries. You can specify which events should or shouldn't be persisted, and for how many days you would like keep the data.

External database support

For larger installations and more data intense environments, logFaces can be integrated with external database. Currently we support Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, DB2, Derby and PostgreSQL. However, any relational database can be easily mapped by means of flexible configuration. See user manual for more details.

API for writing your own data handlers

We provide lightweight API for those who want to process aggregated log data on their own. This can be useful if you want to build your own log viewer or integrate them into your own instrumentation system. See API User Manual for more details.

Multi-user environment

Log server can be accessed by multiple remote clients for viewing log data in real time or doing historical queries. Log viewers communicate with log server over HTTP which allows them to be outside the office and still have a relatively simple access to the data.

Friendly log viewer

logFaces client is an Eclipse™ type applications. Users create views of the log stream coming through the log server which we call log perspectives. Perspectives are filters telling log server what to dispatch to a given log viewer. They can overlap, meaning that different users can see the same or partially overlapped data streams in real time. It is also possible to receive an audible chime when errors occur. Log viewer also allows flexible database queries, search and drills.

Personal Edition - log viewer only

Lighter variation is available for those who only need log viewer and don't require multi-user environment or data storage. Your applications communicate directly to the log viewer over TCP or UDP appenders. Ideal for debugging and testing smaller applications.

Counters dashboard

Using our log viewer you can create counters which incrementally register certain log events. A dashboard displays collection of counters in the form of a bar chart. You can create customized snapshot of your application log and see it updated in real-time. Once you have a picture, you can drill down and see the events of each particular counter

Mapped diagnostic context

MDC information can be mapped in all views. You can do database queries based on diagnostic context as well. Whatever MDC names your application is using can be seen directly in our log viewer.

Source code correlation

Want to see where that particular log statement is actually coming from? Right-click on the log event and go directly to the line of code that caused it. Just make sure to specify where your source files are located and don't forget to tell your appenders to include location info, otherwise it will not know where to find it.

Log files on-demand

Once in the log server database, events can be retrieved with various queries and saved to files. This is very handy, because you don't have to worry about log files anymore. You can get them any time and you can do it remotely using our log viewer. The format of the log files and the time zones can be adjusted.

Notifications

logFaces can do scheduled reporting and real-time triggers. Both are sent to you as an email with attached log file constructed by your rules. For scheduled reports you define timing and coverage rules - what to include in report. This is very convenient for daily or weekly reporting on certain subjects, such as "errors of the day" or the like. On the other hand, triggers can capture complex combination of logging events going through the server in real-time and notify you immediately.

Import, export and backup

Log data can be transferred between different instances of logFaces server. You can export some queries into a binary file and then import it on a different server. We also provide backup utility which can be invoked interactively by user or silently by scripts.

Non-intrusive integration with existing systems

If your system is already using the Apache Logging Services, the integration is a matter of specifying an appender in your configuration. We use plain TCP and UDP sockets to receive logging streams from any number of hosts. Tested with numerous J2EE, C++ and Microsoft© .NET Framework-based applications.

Remote administration

Log server is administered remotely using a conventional browser. This covers most of the administration tasks such as specifying ports for your applications, size of the database, scheduling reports, installing the license or checking the status. More advanced configuration activities are described in user manual.

Automatic software updates

logFaces client updates are automated, whenever there is a fix or new version release, you're updated automatically or you can invoke the update yourself.

(logFaces Server auto-updates will be released in later versions.)

Firewall friendly

If anyone can be firewall friendly with plain HTTP, then logFaces is firewall friendly. logFaces Server has embedded HTTP server for communicating with clients and for accessing administration console.