What is our primary use case?
We are primarily using the solution for an e-commerce company. The application is deployed in multiple countries, and therefore the servers are very huge servers. Sometimes, at the same time, there will be 40 to 50 or 100 nodes also. For our application log, for example, if any request goes to any particular node, and we don't know which we can look at the node's logs in Alert Logic. We will just simply mention our order ID or whatever text we are searching for, and it will tell you which node it is. If it is an XML format, you will get a complete XML in a short time, instead of going to the PuTTY, connecting to the node and getting the XML, fetching everything, and wasting your time.
How has it helped my organization?
We have used other solutions, such as Splunk, and in comparison, this solution is very user-friendly and there is less confusion when you are using the app. It's faster. You can configure more than 100 nodes and you'll get all the speed and accuracy you need.
What is most valuable?
The searching aspects of the solution are very valuable for our organization. The reporting on the solution is quite useful for us. The log messages and session logic are excellent. As an engineer, it's very useful to get the logs immediately if any production issues arise. We have everything we need to troubleshoot at our fingertips. The initial setup is pretty straightforward.
What needs improvement?
One pain point we have, for example, is if the search keyword is related inside an XML, we will get an XML. If it is a normal log, however, you will get a null pointer exception or something, and we don't get the complete trace. We will just get a few lines only. It would be ideal if we could get a complete trace. There just needs to be more transparency around error tracing. We'd like to have triggered alerts sent to us so we see errors quicker.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for three years at this point.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is great. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's excellent overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is extremely scalable. If a company needs to expand it, it can do so easily. We have about nine or ten people using the solution currently. They are mostly engineers, including support engineers and senior support, system reliability engineers, production support engineers, and technical engineers. Although I'm unsure of the company's long-term plans, we could easily increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support has been amazing. They are very supportive and helpful. We are quite satisfied with the level of support on offer. If we have issues we just reach out. We have dedicated support, however, we rarely have any issues with Alert Logic. Whenever we migrate to Microsoft Azure Cloud or something, we may have to get assistance, however, apart from that, we really rarely need them. Of course, if we do, we know their response is immediate and quick.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup isn't too difficult. It's pretty straightforward. An organization shouldn't have too much trouble with the setup. The deployment is very fast. It doesn't take too much time at all. It's likely less than five minutes. Honestly, it's almost instantaneous. There is no mapping. Once you're done with the customization you can use it. It's not time-consuming. The customization part is based on whatever keywords and attributes you are adding, and that's less than a minute of time to handle. There is no time consumed. You just need to add to a filter. You don't really need to worry about having too much maintenance. It's not required really. Maybe once the log is full, you may require a maintenance checkup of six months on. We have a server team that manages that aspect.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for licensing on a yearly basis. However, I don't handle the payments. I'm not in charge of billing. I can't speak to the exact costs of the solution.
What other advice do I have?
We are using the latest version of the solution at the moment. I do not have the version number on-hand, however. I would recommend the solution to other organizations. It's been a positive experience for us overall. I would caution that, in the beginning, people who are first-time users, will find it a bit complicated. They will easily learn quickly once they started using that. It's a very easy process to get habituated to. I've been a production support engineer for the past 10 years. In only the last three years I've been using Alert Logic. Previously, I have faced a lot of problems finding the logs. This solution helps me a lot. There are so many times it's helped to identify the root cause - and quickly. Overall, I would rate the solution at a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.