LogLogic Inc. unveiled its first open-source community initiative Monday designed to provide a further alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows event collection technology. The appliance-based log management software vendor hopes Project Lasso will spur IT professionals to advance developments around managing log data.

Log data is the automatic recording of events by computer programs, including operating systems, applications and firewalls, and by devices such as servers and routers. It's important in both IT troubleshooting and in complying with regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) rules governing U.S. public companies.

LogLogic made the announcement at the Interop conference in Las Vegas.

Project Lasso is based on the InterSect Alliance Pty Ltd.'s popular Snare for Windows open-source project that collects Windows event log data.

LogLogic developed Project Lasso in response to feedback that while customers liked Snare, they were looking for a different take on the software, according to Andy Lark, chief marketing officer with LogLogic. The vendor has been working on Project Lasso for about seven months to base the implementation on central log collection and processing, not management by agents as Snare offers, he said.

"We have several other open-source initiatives in the works," Lark said. Likely to appear over the next 12 months, these projects involve different methods of collecting and collating log data from homegrown and enterprise applications as well as initiatives around training and education, he added.

LogLogic will also offer and support Project Lasso as part of its own log management and intelligence offerings.

Users can download Project Lasso from LogLogic's Web site -- http://www.loglogic.com/ -- free under the GNU GPL (general public license). The company also plans to make the project available on Sourgeforge.net in the near future.

In other Interop news, LogLogic Monday released its Compliance Suite PCI Edition targeting the payment card industry (PCI) data security standard established by MasterCard International Inc. and Visa International Inc. The PCI standard states that companies must log and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data including log data. The suite will automate the management, collection and storage of PCI log data, according to Lark.

The suite costs from US$9,999 and runs on LogLogic's appliances.

LogLogic also announced its first training and certification programs for IT professionals around log management and intelligence analysis. "We've generated an enormous amount of IP [intellectual property] working with customers and partners in terms of best practices and technologies," Lark said. "The training will be available first as a LogLogic offering, secondly partners can deliver it, and thirdly we'll look to open-source elements of the training."

The company also hopes to establish further partnerships with large systems integrators and software providers, according to Lark. In January, LogLogic integrated its software with EMC Corp.'s Smarts network management technology, following that in February with a product update that logs and tracks e-mail running on Microsoft's Exchange Server.

IDG News Service

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