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Use cases

Centreon Log Management enables you to detect and resolve a wide variety of issues in an IT system, ranging from minor errors to major incidents. Here are a few concrete examples of what CLM can help you detect from analyzing missing logs, unexpected log types, or unusual log volumes:

Integration and communication issues between services​

  • Microservices or API failures: If a service interacting with other services or APIs does not respond or fails, this will often be recorded in the logs (e.g., HTTP errors such as 500, 503, or 404).

  • Data inconsistency: For example, if expected data is not received or sent correctly between different services or components, this can generate error or conflict logs.

  • Synchronization issues: Errors in the processing of message queues or asynchronous events can be identified by CLM.

Server or infrastructure issues​

  • Full or failing disks: System logs may indicate errors related to insufficient disk space or failing disks, which can cause system failure.

  • Missing or insufficient system resources: A lack of memory, network bandwidth, or CPU capacity may be revealed by logs indicating resource failures or "out of memory" errors.

  • Server failures: If a server shuts down unexpectedly or experiences a hardware failure (such as a hard drive issue or overload), this will typically appear in the system logs.

Performance anomalies​

  • Abnormally long response times: If an API or application starts responding much more slowly than usual, logs can reveal the underlying causes (e.g., request overload, insufficient server resources).

  • Memory leaks: Logs of excessive memory consumption or abnormal growth in memory usage can be detected.

  • Excessive CPU or system resource consumption: Spikes in CPU or system resource usage can be identified, helping to pinpoint bottlenecks.

Application errors​

  • Code issues: Exceptions or errors in an application's code, such as null pointer exceptions, syntax errors, or logic errors, can be easily identified in the logs.

  • Database connection failure: If an application fails to connect to a database, CLM can report relevant error messages.

  • Configuration errors: For example, a configuration error in a settings file (such as an incorrect port, API key, or missing configurations).

Compatibility or update issues​

  • Problems after an update: After deploying or updating an application, errors or unexpected behavior may appear in the logs.

  • Version incompatibility: Conflicts between different versions of software, tools, or libraries can be identified in the error logs.

Automation and batch issues​

  • Failed batch processes or automated jobs: If an automated job or batch script fails, CLM can display the associated errors.

  • Scheduling issues: For example, if a cron job fails to run correctly at a given time, this may be reported in the logs.

Compliance issues​

  • Violation of security rules or policies: If actions or login attempts do not comply with security or compliance rules (e.g., attempts to access without strong authentication), they can be detected.

  • Non-compliance with data retention policies: Logs can be used to verify that data is retained in accordance with internal policies or legal requirements (such as the GDPR).

Availability and scalability issues​

  • Service outages (downtime): If a service goes down, this can be detected in server, application, or database logs.

  • Decreased ability to respond to requests: Logs can also help detect a lack of resources or overload that prevents services from handling a high volume of requests.

Security incidents​

  • Failed login attempts or brute force attacks: If a user or attacker repeatedly tries to log in to a system without success, this generates logs that can be analyzed to detect brute force attack attempts.

  • Intrusions or unauthorized access: Logs can reveal attempts to gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems or applications (e.g., alerts for permission changes, connections to a server without a valid key, etc.).

  • Suspicious activity: Abnormal behavior in logs, such as logins at unusual times or from suspicious geographic locations, can be detected.

Network issues​

  • Network failures: CLM can capture error messages related to network connectivity issues (e.g., failed connections to remote servers).

  • Timeout errors: Connection or communication failures between services (e.g., a server that does not respond within the expected time frame) can be detected in the logs.

Examples of questions you can find answers to​

  • Which service is generating the most errors today?”
  • Which services have changed their behavior after deployment?”
  • Which resources have started issuing a new type of error?”
  • Which endpoint is causing the most warnings?”