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What is Logfile Analysis?
Logfile analysis is performed by specifically designed analytic software that can take a log file from a web server and evaluate the data included in the log to provide valuable information to individuals who have access to the outputs of the software. Logfile analyzers can discern a lot of different information and statistics about the servers that the software is being used to analyze. The information that comes from the analysis can give information to server owners about who is visiting the server, at what times, and how often.
Other specific information that can be determined from a log file analyzer includes the number of total visits vs. number of unique visits (also known as page views), duration of the visits, peak hours of usage, most common geographic locations of visitors, search engines that direct to the sites and keywords that are used to find the site, most viewed pages, among a large amount of other statistical information that can be used to help improve the functionality of a site. This kind of software is also known as web log analysis and web log analyzer software.
How Log File Analysis works
Web servers automatically generate log files or server logs. Without using specifically developed software, the data included in these logs is incredibly hard to translate into meaningful information, at least on a timely basis. Logfile analysis software can work in two ways; the first way the program can run is continuously by analyzing each new log file and automatically updating the user-requested statistics and information for the server. Alternatively, so the program does not have to run continuously, the analyzer stores the log files and then extracts them for the specifically requested information once the user initiates the analysis.
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