All too often, Windows event logs go
unwatched simply because they’re so difficult to deal with.
Administrators must connect to every server, investigate each log,
and hope they can make correlations between logs from different
servers to determine what might be happening on the network. In
addition, admins must be able to carve out enough time for the
process.

Enter EventTracker. Available from Prism
Microsystems’ Web site, this handy tool offers capabilities not
present in Windows, including the ability to centralize Windows
logs (as well as UNIX, Linux, and Cisco syslogs), correlate events
to pinpoint an exact problem, perform event warehousing, and much
more. EventTracker also includes a number of built-in reports to
help you keep track of your infrastructure.

However, EventTracker isn’t inexpensive. Per
managed server, the price ranges from $99 for the Lite Edition to
$399 for the Enterprise Edition. License costs will run you $15 to
$60 per workstation.

But don’t rule out EventTracker because it
comes with a price. This is a key service that’s lacking from
Windows, and some organizations could definitely benefit from the
increased information provided by this product.

For more information about EventTracker, visit
Prism Microsystems’ Web
site
.

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