Linux systems are great at generating logs.  Syslog is also great for receiving and routing log messages throughout an enterprise environment.  The benefit of logs is the breadth and variety of information they provide.  The pain of logs is the breadth and variety of information they provide.  Adding scale doesn't help.  An approach is needed to elevate specific log messages to admins that can make timely use of the information.

This presentation will cover a method for organizing logs- from centralized collection to filtering noise and creating alerts in a Network Management System.  While there is no automagic answer to building the perfect system, motivation can be found by reducing noise and receiving just the right amount of helpful log messages to fix problems. Knowledge is power!  Know about little problems before they become big.  Have an intelligent history available to research issues. Stop ignoring gigabytes of log messages and put them to work for you.