Log file

Choosing a logfile is important as it will give you more or less precise statistics about your server. If you are running an Unix server, you can choose between common or extended common logfile format. Only Apache (AFAIK) support the new extended common logfile format. If you are running a NT server, you can choose between IIS or common logfile.

          Logfile


 Server
CLF E-CLF
Extended
NE-CLF
New Extended
IIS E-IIS
Extended
FTP
Apache X X X      
Netscape X X        
Domino X          
NCSA X          
CERN X          
IIS 3.0 X     X (with patch)  
IIS 4.0 X X   X X  
FTP (unix)           X


W3Perl can cope with :
  • Common logfile format [all server]
  • Extended Common logfile format [NCSA > 1.4, Apache]
    (add referrer and agent informations)
  • New Extended Common logfile format [Apache > 1.1.1]
    (add virtual server and the elapsed processing time)
  • IIS 3.0 standard logfile format [NT server]
  • Domino logfile format [Domino server]
  • IIS 3.0 patched logfile format [NT server]
    (add referrer and agent informations)
  • IIS 4.0 logfile format [NT server]
    (add referrer and agent informations)
  • FTP logfile format [Unix server]

CERN, Apache, Netscape, NCSA and Domino error logfile are supported. Referer and agent separate logfiles are also supported.

New logfile format can be easily added in the package, contact me if you need a specific format. You can't have error statistics with IIS as these informations are only stored in a database (AFAIK).


Extended Common for Apache
How to have the extended common logfile with Apache (default is common logfile without any referrer and agent logfile !). You just have to modify this line in your httpd.conf

CustomLog logs/access_log common
into
CustomLog logs/access_log combined

Then restart your httpd server.


Huge logfile It would be faster if you decide to crunch your logifle each month. Instead of scanning a huge log file, the package will only scan about the current month log file.

How to build monthly crunched log file is explain here


back