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Log Analysis Tools for Windows?

Posted by Cliff on from the for-those-who-can't-escape-the-borg dept.

FunkMonkey asks: "I administer a custom web app for my company (unfortunately, it's a Windows-only company -- servers and all), and I've been asked to find a web log analysis tool that our users can use to look at standard stats (number of visits/hits, etc.), as well as the ability to filter by authenticated users (including putting those users into groups). Additionally, the tool must be free or under $100.00, and be able to generate Excel (or Excel-compatible) reports. My app generates ECLF reports, so just about any web log analyzer should be able to read the logs themselves. I see this as a good opportunity to weasel some Open-Source stuff into the company. Any help you can offer -- suggesting apps, tips, forums to which I could post this question, etc. -- would be most welcome. Thanks in advance!"

15 of 37 comments (clear)

  1. Analog by henrik · · Score: 4, Informative

    www.analog.cx

    1. Re:Analog by xmas2003 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Roger that recommendation on Analog - works good for me - and was helpful in doing an analysis of the Slashdot Effect on Christmas Lights which includes actual output from Analog that you might find interesting.

      --
      Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
    2. Re:Analog by exhilaration · · Score: 2, Informative

      Yes, Analog, AWStats, and Webalizer (here's Webalizer Win32) are the three packages that my web host installs for all its users.

    3. Re:Analog by bjpirt · · Score: 3, Informative

      I currently use webalizer, but felt like it should be doing a lot more with the information in the log files. Hell, even I could spot more trends from just looking at the log file raw.

      So I took a look at AWStats and (although slower - it's written in perl not compiled c) it looks to have a lot more useful features.

      Usefully though, I came across this comparison chart comparing these three options plus another. Hope this helps.

      bjpirt

  2. PHP by NanoGator · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can always turn on Windows IIS or install Apache. Then, install PHP. Then write some code to count the statistics you need. Once you're finished, you can give it away to the community, and it'll run on anything that can execute PHP!

    --
    "Derp de derp."
  3. Analog by embo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You should look at Analog. It is free, and open source. While it probably doesn't export straight to Excel, you would likely have two choices there:

    First, since it's open source, you could add support to export to CSV fairly easily.

    Second, Analog can export to what it calls "COMPUTER" output, which is designed for easy parsing. Couple the COMPUTER output with a little Python or PERL, and you'll have a CSV file fairly quickly.

    When you're finished looking at Analog, make sure you also consider Report Magic for Analog to make things look pretty in a browser.

  4. err.... um.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    what are you getting paid for again?

  5. Hi Slashdot! by reynaert · · Score: 3, Funny

    Will you please do my job for me?

  6. Excel by BladeMelbourne · · Score: 3, Informative

    FYI - many web applications that export to a .xls file, are simply creating an HTML document, (hopefully with tables in it), and changing the header so the browser does not think the file is text/html.

    eg:

    Response.ContentType = "mime-type application/vnd.ms-excel"
    Response.AddHeader "content-disposition", "attachment; filename=auto-gen.xls"

    You can also do the same to generate M$ Word files - although they dont need a table inside. These files can be opened in M$ Office and OpenOffice.

    Mike

  7. awstats by Shaheen · · Score: 2, Informative

    I use AWStats on a home web server.

    It's written entirely in perl so it can work on Windows just fine as well. To see a sample go here.

    --
    You should never take life too seriously - You'll never get out of it alive.
  8. A Microsoft tool for a Microsoft job? by Jorkapp · · Score: 4, Informative

    Consider using Microsoft's Log Parser 2.x (2.1 Included in IIS 6.0, 2.0 availible as Download for Win2k/XP/2k3, and is only 2mb.

    It doesn't output to .xls files, but it does let you run SQL like queries against log files of any format. Its availible as command line and as a series of scriptable COM objects.

    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? di splaylang=en&familyid=8cde4028-e247-45be-bab9-ac85 1fc166a4

    --
    Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
  9. Some of these by $exyNerdie · · Score: 4, Informative

    You can try some of these:

    http://awstats.sourceforge.net/

    http://www.multicians.org/thvv/webtrax-help.html

    http://www.ftls.org/en/examples/cgi/ewla.shtml

    http://www.watchwise.net/

    http://www.weblogexpert.com/

    For a detailed list of web log analyzers, go to this page. It has listing of various platform specific and platform independent analyzers:
    http://www.uu.se/Software/Analyzers/Access-analyze rs.html

  10. Absoulte by BenTheDewpendent · · Score: 2, Informative

    Absolute log analyzer. exports to excel and many other things. Pro version is $250 but looks to be quite flexible.

  11. WUSAGE is the best, I think... by Cragen · · Score: 2, Informative
    Wusage is $25 for a single server, $75 for 5 domains, & $275 - unlimited. I think it's the best you can get -- available for all web servers and OS's, I think. I used it for years back when I was web-mastering. Have fun,

    *cragen.

  12. Do it yourself by muleboy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, basically you want someone to write something for you that works with all your proprietary programs so you can make money off of it? And you want them to do it for free or very little money?

    Good luck.