Logging and monitoring are similar processes, but they each have a unique function and purpose. Differentiating between the two will allow you to choose the best practice for your job and acquire the data you need to keep your system working best. This article will cover the basics of APM (News - Alert) vs. log management, recommend some of the top APM tools and help you decide which one you need to implement and how to get started.
What Is APM?
Short for application performance monitoring or application performance management, both of these terms refer to the process of monitoring a system for its health to ensure it responds quickly to its users. The primary focus of APM is user behavior and improving UX. It closely tracks response times using different metrics to determine which factors are most greatly influencing your users' experience with your system. It's one thing to know whether a system is slow, but it's another entirely to pinpoint the specific processes causing a delay. Through real user monitoring, resource usage and tracing, it helps you better understand how data is being accessed and presented to your users.
What Is Log Management?
Logging is a form of analytics that aggregates your system's access logs over time. This helps you gather historical data you can later use to identify trends and patterns in your system. Unlike APM, log monitoring is more focused on collecting and organizing log data over performance. It stores data log entries while also deleting them after a certain period of time. You can use both to get a full picture of your system's health, and they work best when used together. APM uses data collected through your log management practice to provide read applications and implement specific metrics. Without good log management, your APM will fall short, and you'll ultimately miss out on data that could be extremely useful. Consider log management a supportive asset of APM. While it is its own entity, it is most beneficial to you when it’s a part of a greater APM process.
Top Tools
Now that you know the difference between APM vs log management, you can start looking for software that fits your needs. Below are three of the top APM tools you can download to start tracking your system's health.