Event log monitoring with PRTG: Monitor and analyze event logs
Monitor syslog messages and Windows event logs
Create efficient event log management to meet compliance requirements
Receive updates in real time on the status of your system
Event logs are important sources of system data. They record the many different activities that are performed on a computer. Comprehensive event log monitoring can prove extremely helpful when analyzing system errors in your network and IT infrastructure.
Log files are used to identify system, installation, security, operating system, and application errors, as well as anticipate potential system issues. Event log monitoring is therefore a small yet crucial part of your overall monitoring.
3 good reasons to use PRTG for your event log monitoring
PRTG monitors all system logs simultaneously
PRTG can be used as an event log analyzer to obtain a detailed overview of the health of your IT systems. Since PRTG monitoring covers all computers and hardware components, there’s no need to retrieve the event logs of each individual server or PC. With PRTG, a quick glance is all it takes for admins to identify IT problems and critical events.
PRTG helps you optimize your event log management
Event log monitoring makes your event log management more efficient. In industries such as finance and healthcare, it can help you meet your regulatory requirements by (for example) creating detailed reports as proof of your compliance.
PRTG also makes your IT team more responsive. Custom alerts – which can be sent by email, SMS, or push notification – immediately inform admins of disruptions, errors, and deviations recorded in event logs. As a result, they can quickly take action and prevent more serious system malfunctions.
PRTG is a comprehensive IT solution
PRTG is an all-in-one tool that can be used for pretty much any type of monitoring. Each PRTG license comes with all the software’s features. With PRTG, you get a single tool for monitoring all your systems, networks, and locations. In addition to event logs, you can also monitor your cloud, databases, servers, storage devices, and much more – without having to purchase expensive plugins or add-ons.
Which event logs should I monitor?
With PRTG event log monitoring, you’ll continually check for error, system, and status messages. PRTG comes with preconfigured sensors that monitor and analyze syslog messages and Windows event logs.
Monitoring Windows event logs via WMI
The preconfigured WMI Event Log sensor uses Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) to monitor Windows event logs. It lets you filter event log entries by specific sources or messages (for example) and be notified in the event of an error. Among other things, this sensor monitors the log files of Windows applications, hardware events, Key Management Service, Security, System, and PowerShell.
Monitoring Windows event logs via Windows API
The Event Log (Windows API) sensor uses the Windows Application Programming Interface (API) to monitor event logs. It works like the WMI Event Log Sensor but monitors the log files of Windows applications, System, Security, Directory Service, DNS Server, and File Replication Service.
Monitoring syslog messages
The Syslog Receiver sensor is useful for collecting and analyzing syslogs. If you add this sensor to a complete system, it will retrieve and monitor all the messages of the system. You can also add the sensor to a specific device in PRTG to only monitor the syslog messages of the respective device. This sensor comes with filter options to fine-tune your monitoring and determine whether the messages are warning or error messages.
How PRTG defines sensors
In PRTG, “sensors” are the basic monitoring elements. One sensor usually monitors one measured value in your network, e.g. the traffic of a switch port, the CPU load of a server, the free space of a disk drive. On average you need about 5-10 sensors per device or one sensor per switch port.
A sneak peek at log monitoring with PRTG
Event Log (Windows API) Sensor
PRTG Sunburst View
Syslog Receiver Sensor
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FAQ: PRTG Event Log Monitor
Syslog stands for System Logging Protocol and is a standard protocol used to send system log or event messages to a specific server, called a syslog server. It is primarily used to collect various device logs from several different machines in a central location for monitoring and review. The protocol is enabled on most network equipment such as routers, switches, firewalls, and even some printers and scanners. In addition, syslog is available on Unix and Linux based systems and many web servers including Apache.
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What are event logs?
Event logs are system logs or Windows event logs that are displayed by Windows operating systems in the Event Viewer. They record all the incidents that have occurred on a given computer, along with the date and time of each incident. In the log, events are sorted into categories such as “Error,” “Warning,” “Information,” and “Audit Success.”
What is event log monitoring?
Event log monitoring is the automated monitoring of event logs. With PRTG, the log files of all the computers in your network are monitored around the clock. If a critical incident occurs, the admin is notified at once.
What is event log management?
Event log management refers to all the tasks related to the management of log files. In other words, the collection, saving, consolidating, analysis, and archiving of log data, events, and incidents.
What kind of information do event logs contain?
Event logs provide you with information on the status of your system. Among other things, they allow you to identify the following:
- Failed login attempts
- Failed startup of services
- Network and software errors
- Disruptions in programs and applications
- Faulty hardware components
- Unresponsive systems
- Changes in the status of network connections
- Interrupted WLAN connections
- Potentially harmful events
Why is an event log monitoring tool (like PRTG) important?
Every Windows PC lets you access and view event logs via the Control Panel. However, Windows event logs can be pretty confusing. Trying to figure them out by yourself is difficult as you have to remove critical errors manually.
There’s a much easier way: Incorporate event logs into your PRTG monitoring and you’ll be immediately notified in the event of an error or malfunction. An event log monitoring tool automates the log review process and makes it easier to inspect the respective logs. This gives you total control and saves you tons of time trying to analyze the files yourself.
Your network monitoring at a glance
PRTG is set up in a matter of minutes and can be used on a wide variety of mobile devices.
PRTG: The Swiss Army knife for sysadmins
Adapt PRTG individually and dynamically to your needs and rely on a strong API:- HTTP API: Access monitoring data and manipulate monitoring objects via HTTP requests
- Custom sensors: Create your own PRTG sensors for customized monitoring
- Custom notifications: Create your own notifications and send action triggers to external systems
- REST Custom sensor: Monitor almost everything that provides data in XML or JSON format
Oliver Jähn, IT Manager at the University of Bonn
“For us, PRTG Network Monitor is the most effective tool for monitoring our IT infrastructure in the long run.”
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PRTG |
Network Monitoring Software - Version 23.1.82.2175 (March 1st, 2023) |
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Hosting |
Download for Windows and cloud-based version PRTG Hosted Monitor available |
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English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese |
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Up to 100 sensors for free (Price List) |
Unified Monitoring |
Network devices, bandwidth, servers, applications, virtual environments, remote systems, IoT, and more |
Supported Vendors & Applications |
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Combining the broad monitoring feature set of PRTG with IP Fabric’s automated network assurance creates a new level of network visibility and reliability.