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Evaluating Web Server Log Analysis Tools

Evaluating Web Server Log Analysis Tools. David Strom david@strom.com SD’98 2/13/98. Summary. Examine different log files What you can and can’t learn from your logs Pros and cons of various tools. Different types of log files. Access Error Referral Other. Access logs. Domain name

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Evaluating Web Server Log Analysis Tools

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  1. Evaluating Web Server Log Analysis Tools David Strom david@strom.com SD’98 2/13/98

  2. Summary • Examine different log files • What you can and can’t learn from your logs • Pros and cons of various tools SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  3. Different types of log files • Access • Error • Referral • Other SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  4. Access logs • Domain name • Date, time • Server command processed and result • URL of visitor • Bytes transmitted SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  5. Sample access log data • rm258.fav.usu.edu [31/May/1995:09:03:23 +0600] "GET /NEI.html HTTP/1.0" 302 396 • rm258.fav.usu.edu [31/May/1995:09:03:28 +0600] "GET /xculture/nei/nei.html HTTP/1.0" 200 2114 • rm258.fav.usu.edu [31/May/1995:09:03:30 +0600] "GET /gifs/sedlbutton.gif HTTP/1.0" 200 1336 • 129.71.83.161 [31/May/1995:09:20:32 +0600] "GET /RELs.html HTTP/1.0" 304 0 • Leslie-Francis.tenet.edu [31/May/1995:09:36:06 +0600] "GET / HTTP/1.0" 200 1867 • ls973.ulib.albany.edu [31/May/1995:09:40:52 +0600] "GET /viii1.html HTTP/1.0" 404 244 SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  6. Errors reported in your logs • Clients that time out (or leave in frustration!) • Scripts that don’t produce any output • Server bugs • User authentication or configuration problems SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  7. Sample error log data • [Thu May 30 07:25:32 1996] send timed out for bamberg.sedl.org • [Thu May 30 07:57:41 1996] send timed out for kenya.sedl.org • [Thu May 30 08:23:11 1996] send timed out for ppp092.kyoto-inet.or.jp • [Thu May 30 09:15:52 1996] access to /usr/local/www/htdocs/scimath/compass/vol03 failed for 170.211.67.51, reason: File does not exist • [Thu May 30 09:57:56 1996] send timed out for dd10-048.compuserve.com • [Thu May 30 10:47:25 1996] read timed out for ncia110b.ncia.net SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  8. Referral logs • Who links to your site? • Who downloads your pages? SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  9. Sample referral log data • http://www.isisnet.com/ ->/change/welcome.html • http://www.ipl.org/ref/RR/EDU/Research-rr.html ->/welcome.html • http://www.tenet.edu/snp/main.html ->/policy/networks/toc.html • http://www.tenet.edu/new/main.html ->/policy/networks/toc.html • http://guide-p.infoseek.com/NS/Titles?qt=teacher+training ->/resources/SCIMAST/announcement.html • http://www.tenet.edu/new/main.html ->/policy/networks/toc.html • http://www.tenet.edu/new/main.html ->/policy/networks/toc.html • http://www.nwrel.org/national/regional-labs.html ->/welcome.html SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  10. Common log format • Output by most standard servers • Needed by most third-party log analyzers • hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/docs/setup/httpd/Overview.html SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  11. Extended/custom log formats • Log whatever you wish in whatever order you wish • Useful if you will read them regularly! • But can’t work with the analyzers • Now in IIS v4, NSCP v3, others. SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  12. What you can learn from your log files • Hits per day • Domain origins • The path people take in and around your web • Problem areas SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  13. HITS • (How Idiots Track Success) • Nobody uses this word anymore • Doesn’t really measure individual users, just access • Catching servers and proxies mess up these statistics SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  14. Domain origins • Where users are coming from -- sometimes • Just because they are from ibm.net doesn’t mean they work at IBM! • Forgotten accounts, friends and family using the account • Hacked user names • Proxies don’t help here either SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  15. The path people take in and around your web • Search engines help sometimes • Which search site was the most popular front door • Who links to you and why • Is there a pattern or a random walk? SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  16. Problem areas to deal with • Broken links (locally) • Broken outbound links • Time outs (sunspots?) SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  17. What you can’t learn from your logs • Who are these people, anyway? • No specific user names • Is it a bot or a real human? • How long did they view a page? • Most people don’t spend much time on your web • Where did they go visit next? SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  18. What technologies are available? • Built-in analyzer tools • Sites that capture user info • Secure sites with registration • Build your own from perl • Third-party tools SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  19. Built-in tools • WebSite, website.ora.com • IIS with Site Server, www.microsoft.com/iis • Netscape servers, www.netscape.com • Easy to use but limited SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  20. WebSite Professional v2 • Win NT, 95 • Best web server for learning about logs, best docs • QuickStats module for instant analysis: • single report but nice set of information • shows today, last two days requests and unique hosts • IP addresses of visitors, average requests/hour SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  21. IIS Site Server • NT Server v4 w/SP3 only • Lots of preconfigured reports • Two versions, Express and Full (customized reports) • backoffice.microsoft.com/products/siteserver/express/ SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  22. Netscape v3 web servers • Various NT, Unix versions • Reports for a few variables but nothing too extensive • Best to use a third-party tool here SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  23. Sites that capture user info • WebCounter, www.digits.com -- third-party hit counter • Someone else does the programming and debugging • But beyond your control SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  24. Secure sites with registration • You know your users • But many won’t register, or forget their passwords • Requires scripting, database integration, more maintenance SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  25. Build your own from perl • Needs some in-house support • Works best with Unix-based webs • Examples: • refstats, members.aol.com/htmlguru/refstats.html • surfreport, bienlogic.com/SurfReport/ SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  26. Third-party tools • WebTracker, www.CQMInc.com/webtrack • WebTrends, www.webtrends.com • net.Genesis, www.netgen.com • MarketWave, www.marketwave.com • IIS Assistant, www.go-iis.com SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

  27. Third-party tools (con’t) • Can make very pretty reports • Customizable • Make sure they support your particular log format • Not that expensive, mostly run on Windows SD'98 (c) David Strom, Inc.

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