Server Logs

[patandsam]

I need some advice, please.

We have our sites on a dedicated server. I need to set up and understand software that will appropriately analyze our server logs. I’m not very savvy about this kind of thing, so I could sure use some help.

Any articles or suggestions will be truly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Lee]

Take a look through the Articles + Tutorials section i posted an article there a few weeks ago about server stats.

As for the software to use, most hosts will be able to set that up for you based on what they have available.

Regards,

Lee

[Chilihost]

Two of the best server-based stats programs are both free and are awstats and webalizer. Like Lee said, talk to your webhost, they should be able to set either of these or some other option up for you.

cheers,
Luke

[patandsam]

I think I must have a crappy hosting company, although they are one of the largest. They’ve basically told me I’m on my own and to go figure it out.

Any suggestions? I’m not disinclined to look at other hosting companies.

Thanks everyone!

[Chilihost]

If you are not getting the service you require, I would get another host - after all this is a reflection on how they will support you in a time of crisis too, like if you have a password trader/hacker who is burning through your bandwidth in your members area, what would they do to help you?

What kind of solution do you need? I see that your patandsam site is a membership based site using CCBill, do you have other sites too? Let me know what you are currently using, I can set you up with excellent prices and excellent support too, plus I can also help the transfer process by doing a server-to-server copy of all your content so that when you change your DNS you will experience no downtime. The best way to contact me is at sales@chilihost.com

cheers,
Luke

[Dzinerbear]

Luke at ChiliHost has bent over backwards to help me. We moved my entire empire of six sites over a weekend and I didn't have one second of down time.

He's a bit more expensive than what I was paying, but then, I never hear: "You're on your own, baby." So I figure he's worth the extra money.

If you're looking for software to analyze your logs, try WebLogExpert. They have a lite, free version that will give you a feel for the software. It was pretty easy to learn, and if you had any questions, you could always e-mail or AIM me.

Good luck
Cheers
Dzinerbear

[patandsam]

Thanks!

I'll look into all this right away. I sure appreciate the heads up.

It's hard not being a techie in this business. But, I'm learning as I go.

Take care,

[dant]

For all the dedicated servers that I release, I install (among many others) Apache+PHP, MySQL, phpMyAdmin, and awstats.

AWStats is a bit difficult to install if you are not familiar with it. On top of that, it is very easy to lose data due to mismanagement of server logs. Apache 1.3.x (which I would highly recommend over Apache 2.0.x) has issues with writing to logs larger than 2G, so your site will pretty much just stop responding at this point. I have created a package with AWStats that rotates the logs daily, keeping a 30 day archive, but runs awstats before the archive process - thus, getting your stats, preserving the logs (this information is VERY valueable), and getting around Apache's 2G limitation is not a problem.

If you totally skipped that part because it might be too techie, no worries. Bottom line, for a fast and free solution that gives you loads of information, I beleive that AWStats is a real winner - http://awstats.sourceforge.net for more information.

Please feel free to contact me off list for assistance.

Thanks!

[patandsam]

Hello,

Thanks for the heads up. There is a lot to learn here, and every little bit helps.

I’ll take a look at your suggestions.

Thanks!