In order to analyze logs efficiently, they must be structured effectively. Often, logs from different sources label data fields differently and/or provide data that’s completely unstructured. The problem is that both types of data need to be structured appropriately in order to key in on particular elements within the log data, such as: Monitoring on source address, Applying rules associated with user names, and Creating alerts for destination addresses.

When logging applications to a centralized location like LogDNA, developers have two options: using a logging agent or using a logging library. Both approaches will get your logs to their destination, but choosing one over the other can have a significant impact on the design of your applications and infrastructure. In this article, we’ll explain the difference between logging via agents and logging via libraries, and which approach works best in modern architectures.

PHP is one of the most popular server-side scripting languages for building web applications because it’s easy to use. No matter what you build, making it easy to log errors is key to ensuring a short code-test-learn feedback cycle.