SOPHISTICATED CIRCUITS SHIPS iLOG LOG SERVER
Fully Scriptable System Centralizes Log Information and Triggers
AppleScripts Based on Content. Ships With New DiaLogger —
WOODINVILLE, Wash., May 3, 2000 — Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. today
announced iLog, a powerful Mac OS application that consolidates log data
from multiple sources on a network and intelligently acts upon that data.
Now, system administrators and power users can centralize and automate
their monitoring of remote systems with this smart “log server,” which
intelligently filters log messages, sends notifications and even triggers
AppleScripts, based on message priority and content. iLog receives
standardized log information from local or remote applications and network
devices and can respond in several ways, including forwarding it to another
machine or a text file; automatically alerting the administrator via a
notification, email or pager message; or triggering an AppleScript. iLog
also provides access to log information via the Web. Available today, iLog
is priced at $24.95, or $199/10-pack license and is available directly from
Sophisticated Circuits at (http://www.sophisticated.com/).
“The ultimate tool for managing reliability from a central point of
control,” said Jonathan Feinstein of Sophisticated Circuits. “iLog allows
you to actively monitor for specific events or behavior. As an
administrator, you can automatically dispatch information to where it can
be most effective without delay, whether that information is a notification
or instructions for the machine to take pre-defined actions by executing an
AppleScript.”
Log a Distributed Enterprise in One Spot While most logs are passive
listings of events for a single application, iLog creates a central
repository for log information from a vast quantity of devices and software
applications. Since iLog is based upon the open UNIX standard SyslogD
protocol, it can freely communicate with other SyslogD-compliant loggers to
log data from devices, such as routers and Unix servers. iLog is flexible,
allowing log messages to include information about practically any behavior
from an application. Each message contains the message text, a time/date
stamp and one of eight iLog-assigned priority tags.
Active Filtering with Highly Defined Responses iLog allows administrators
to determine where and how they want to be notified of particular events.
Active filtering lets iLog know in real time when notification conditions
have been met and responds in one of five ways: a local response such as a
blinking icon or dialog box, network logging for forwarding entries to
another machine, email notification, pager notification when used with
Mark/Space’s PageNOW! software, and even immediate AppleScript execution.
Ignite iLog’s Power with AppleScript
“The real power of iLog is its use of AppleScript,” said Sal Soghoian,
AppleScript product manager. “With it’s enhanced scriptability, iLog is
perfect for developers and scripters who want to easily track computer
usage and access the results remotely.”
iLog lets administrators predefine responses to particular events by
allowing activities to automatically trigger AppleScript scripts. Using the
enhanced program linking abilities in Mac OS 9, iLog can not only send
information to other systems but receive data as well. Any user can also
build in high-level support to monitor for specific behavior using
AppleScript.
Includes New DiaLogger to Dismiss and Log Dialogs iLog’s DiaLogger, the
first utility capable of automatically dismissing Mac OS 9 dialogs and
notifications, also provides centralized logging of their contents. The
captured text from these application and system messages can then be
processed using iLog’s full array of automated responses. Unattended
machines, such as kiosks, can now transparently log and respond to
interactive alerts, and forward the information to a remote administrator,
without impairing the end-user experience.
Access Log Data Via the Web
iLog includes a WebSTAR API-compatible plug-in that publishes log data to
the Web on demand. The WebSTAR API is supported by the vast majority of
Macintosh Web servers including WebSTAR, AppleShare IP, Quid Pro Quo and
WebTen.
“Immediate access to important information is the name of the game,” said
Feinstein. “Web access is frequently the most effective way to gain access
to the log information you need.”
Developers: Adding iLog Support is Easy
While any user or developer can add high-level iLog support to applications
using AppleScript, iLog also makes it extremely easy for developers to add
support at a lower level using the supplied SDK. Several companies, such as
Purity Software, have already discovered for themselves how easy it is to
add support to iLog.
“iLog’s functionality, and in particular the prospect of sending
SyslogD-style remote messages from our WebSiphon web application, inspired
us to try adding built-in support for iLog to WebSiphon as an experiment,
using the iLog SDK,” explained Ben Kimball, web application developer at
Purity Software, Inc. “Literally five minutes after reading the extremely
clean API, I had completed a basic implementation of iLog support and had
syslog messages going from my web application to a remote machine. When you
factor in everything iLog can do with these incoming messages– dialog
boxes, email, even the execution of AppleScripts– the implications boggle
the mind. This is amazingly cool.”
Price and Availability
The new iLog is available immediately directly from Sophisticated Circuits’
Web site at (http://www.sophisticated.com/) for $24.95 each, or $199 per
10-pack, with site licenses available by calling Sophisticated Circuits at
425/485-7979 or 800/769-3773. A fully-functional 30-day demo version of
iLog is also available at (http://www.sophisticated.com/).
About Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.
Founded in 1984, Sophisticated Circuits, Inc. is a privately held
corporation located in Woodinville, WA. Sophisticated Circuits, Inc.
develops elegant, highly integrated hardware/software tools which make the
lives of computer professionals easier by enhancing the reliability, remote
access and automation capabilities of servers and personal computers.
Further information on Sophisticated Circuits may be obtained by accessing
(http://www.sophisticated.com/), calling 800/769-3773, or sending
mailto:info@sophisticated.com. International inquiries can also reach
Sophisticated Circuits by calling +425/485-7979, or by sending a fax to
+425/485-7172.