Consolidate server logs in Windows Server 2003 with EventTracker

by Scott Lowe MCSE | Jun 27, 2005 7:00:00 AM

Tags: Operating systems, Servers, Microsoft Windows Server, Scott Lowe MCSE, Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enter EventTracker, Microsoft Windows, server, Windows Server 2003 Tips Newsletter

Takeaway: EventTracker can help you centralize Windows logs, correlate events to pinpoint an exact problem, perform event warehousing, and much more. Learn more about this useful tool.

All too often, Windows event logs go unwatched simply because they're so difficult to deal with. Administrators must connect to every server, investigate each log, and hope they can make correlations between logs from different servers to determine what might be happening on the network. In addition, admins must be able to carve out enough time for the process.

Enter EventTracker. Available from Prism Microsystems' Web site, this handy tool offers capabilities not present in Windows, including the ability to centralize Windows logs (as well as UNIX, Linux, and Cisco syslogs), correlate events to pinpoint an exact problem, perform event warehousing, and much more. EventTracker also includes a number of built-in reports to help you keep track of your infrastructure.

However, EventTracker isn't inexpensive. Per managed server, the price ranges from $99 for the Lite Edition to $399 for the Enterprise Edition. License costs will run you $15 to $60 per workstation.

But don't rule out EventTracker because it comes with a price. This is a key service that's lacking from Windows, and some organizations could definitely benefit from the increased information provided by this product.

For more information about EventTracker, visit Prism Microsystems' Web site.

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