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Apache Log Analyzer

     - Wednesday, August 10, 2005

So now that I've got Apache Web Server up and running, I've turned my attention to finding a good tool for analyzing all the data that Apache is logging for me. I've been using a web-based counter tool from SiteMeter to track visitors, and I've been generally pleased with it, but it lacks some metrics that I really want, such as which page on Complex Distress is the most popular. Many of the visitor to this site are coming in through search engines which bring them directly to the post page for just the item they're interested in. I wanted to know which post is the most popular.

Since Apache is such a popular web server, I figured there must be a good tool out there to analyze my log files. Some of my requirements were that the tool could tell me how people were being referred to the site and which page is the most popular. I also wanted the results to display in a web page that could be accessed from the web, and it would automatically update on a regular basis. Oh, and it needed to be easy enough to install without lots of command lines or configuration issues.

After trying a couple different applications, I've settled on a product called Nihuo Web Log Analyzer. So far, I'm very impressed. It's very easy to install and setup, meets all of my qualifications from above, and even has a good help page on getting Apache configured so that the logs are created and formatted correctly.

So, click away, my faithful visitor. And remember, I'm watching. Oh, and by the way, what's the most popular page on Complex Distress? Serving Websites From Home posted in June of 2004. Guess I'll need to update the post now that I've upgraded to Apache and the Nihou Web Log Analyzer.

posted by Kevin Watts |  Permalink |