Forum Moderators: DixonJones
Is it a matter of which control panel a host uses or is it a matter of how they have the control panel set up on their servers?
Which control panel -- or control panel setup --should one look for when selecting a host?
As others have pointed out here, for affiliate or e-commerce sites, one needs access to raw log files for analysis. I would think one would also want 100 percent complete and accurate data -- and that means NO data loss due to how the control panel handles log file rotation.
Different webhosting control panels provide different ways of handling logging. For instance, one host I'm looking at uses cPanel for their shared hosting control panel.
The way this host has things set up, at sometime during the last few days of the month, the old log files are "rotated out" -- actually deleted -- and replaced with new ones for the next month.
At any time during the month, one can download the raw log file data. What one gets is all the data from the moment the log files were "rotated in" to the time of requesting the download.
As you can guess, this means one would likley lost some data at the end of the month from the time of making the last log file download request for one's account to the time the new logs were rotated in.
One would also have to request a download of one's log files on at least a daily basis towards the end of the month so as not to lose that month's log file data when the current logs are in effect deleted as the log files are "rotated", i.e. new ones are set up to start accumulating log data for the next month after the current log files are deleted.
So, what control panel for web hosting allows a host to provide raw log data to customers without ANY data loss?
Is it a matter of which control panel they use or is it a matter of how they have the control panel set up on their servers?
Thanks for sharing your input and expertise on this,
Louis
I'm info, not e-commerce, and have on average under 1,700 uniques a month (far less traffic than many of ya'll deal with on a weekly, daily or even a fraction of the day basis.)
I don't tend to tiptoe through/across the tulip logs but once every 2 weeks or therebouts. The dump today automatically included data back through afternoon of 12/31/02, which is more data than I needed, since I did earlier dumps at the start of the month and around 1/16.
Basically I got a lot of the same data all over again. Oh well, that it dumped doesn't mean i have to review it again, unless of course I just decide to do so for grins and giggles, or something new catches my eye that rings a bell as to earlier data as well.
The host also provides Webalizer, AW Stats and an Analog stat proggie to see summaries online.
It's enough for moi. Your requirements may suggest something different is necessary.
Anyone else have any suggestions or input to share?
Thanks!
Louis
