Re: [logs] Logging: World Domination

From: Paul Ebersman (list-loganalysisat_private)
Date: Tue Aug 20 2002 - 07:16:20 PDT

  • Next message: Tina Bird: "[logs] What's normal?"

    tbird> 2) Given a particular operating system and/or system purpose
    tbird> (such as a UNIX mail server, or a Windows Domain Controller, or
    tbird> whatever), what are the (pick your favorite integer) 15 most
    tbird> frequently logged messages in the elusive "typical"
    tbird> environment?  What do they mean?  Do we have sample data?
    
    I think the key problem is that in order to do this, you have to
    define "standard" platform/usage profiles. Most of us can't even get
    that for the company we're working for at the time, much less across
    the Internet. B^)
    
    Even something as "standard" as UNIX mail server will vary. OK, what
    OS? Well, Solaris or Linux. Which Linux? etc...
    
    This doesn't even get to the next part of the problem: what is
    "normal" for a UNIX mail server? Depends. Joe's ISP and Taco stand
    probably doesn't have many of the problems Amazon.com does.
    
    We could probably come up with some guesses. I've always been a big
    believer that I'd rather have an 80% solution than wait two years for
    a 95% solution but I'm not sure we'd be anywhere near that accurate
    across all reasonable configurations. I'd also be willing to bet that
    in some cases, guessing wrong would be worse than doing nothing.
    
    I'll posit the next straw man to torch: what would be useful is a
    standardized methodology for how to turn two weeks of verbose logging
    into a template against which to compare "normal", "abnormal" and
    "catastrophic" at your particular site/application. This does assume
    your first point of somewhat standardized logging being available on
    all critical OSs and Apps.
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