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Analyzing Log Files

The ISP-Webhosting list discusses analyzing log files generated by Windows NT and 2000 webhosting services.

[July 13, 2000]

On the ISP-WebHosting list in June, CW asked for recommendations on log analysis software:

"Can anyone recommend site statistics software for NT or 2000 Web hosting?"

This query, naturally, created quite a bit of conversation. A number of respondents mentioned WebTrends:

[Sam wrote] "Try WebTrends.com. It's about the best for NT."

However, other list members pointed out drawbacks to WebTrends:

[DocLuv admitted] "I am currently using WebTrends, primarily because of brand recognition for my customers, but I think it could be much better. I have seen other hosting companies' offerings and they are much more robust than what WebTrends is offering to me right now."

[Editor's Note: According to the WebTrends site, they offer a number of different editions designed for various ISP needs. Determining the prices for the products seems rather complex.]

More than one respondent mentioned LiveStats:

[VV wrote] "I'm using Live Stats; you can create up to fifty virtual sites, it costs $39, and you can add users and associate them with a specific set of reports and email global reports to each user every day/week/month. The users' database in not an NT database. You can find it at Mediahouse.com."

[Editor's Note: According to the Mediahouse.com Web site, LiveStats has a scalable design with features like who's-on reporting, in-depth demographics, and 365 days of history.]

Other respondents offered different solutions:

[GJ suggested] "For the price, you can't beat Wusage 7.0.

[Editor's Note: According to the Boutell site, Wusage 7.0 is available to ISPs for $295, runs on "virtually every operating system (including Windows 95/98/NT, Macintosh, Solaris, Linux and most other flavors of Unix)," and it can read logs generated by "nearly every type of Web server."]

[CR countered] "If you want easy accounting for each with general statistics, try Flashstats from Maximized.com.

[Editor's Note: Maxmized.com offers an online demo of FlashStats and a download for a 30-day trial edition. However, the site also warns that "Current versions of FlashStats are not fully Y2K compliant."]

Some respondents shared their own solutions for creating site statistic reports:

[MA wrote] "We currently use http-analyze for day-to-day stat reports. Using WT 4.0, we create html files and post them under each client's Web server in a /stats or /reports directory. You can setup WT to automatically using the scheduler, retrieve the log files, generate the report and FTP them to a specified directory on your server. Use the 'Save As/Mail' option to tab in the report view."

[CL explained his setup] "We have setup a tertiary domain using WebTrends for our clients' stats sites. Since IIS allows you to create virtually an unlimited number of sites, we simply add a new site serving the tertiary domain, run WebTrends at regular intervals to generate new pages and, voila, fresh stats!"

F questioned this approach:

"Why create a whole new site under IIS instead of just making it theirdomain.com/stats under their main account? But you gave me an idea: have the stats.theirdomain.com point to a Linux server that can do authentication without buying tons of licenses."

CL, in turn, looked askance at F's solution:

"Why on earth would I want to introduce the overhead of maintaining a Linux server? I have a colleague who uses Linux and he admits being limited compared to what Win2K offers."

GS took issue with the comment about Linux being limited:

"Not if you can type...."

Related article
ISP Planet Primer: Analyzing Cache Logs  Our primer offers an overview of Common and Squid log formats and the tools you may use to work with them.

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