What is a syslog server? A syslog server is a central receiver that collects log messages sent by devices and systems over a network using the syslog protocol. Learn more about the syslog format and protocol.
Is there a free syslog server? Yes. Logmanager offers a free, self-hosted syslog server with a 100 GB monthly storage cap, full feature set. When storage is full, the oldest logs are automatically overwritten. Learn more about Logmanager’s free syslog server.
Does Logmanager run on Windows or Linux? Logmanager doesn’t install on either. It comes as a virtual appliance that you deploy on Hyper-V, VMware or Proxmox, or you can use the managed cloud version, where Logmanager runs everything for you. Either way, it collects logs from both systems. Linux servers forward logs through the rsyslog or syslog-ng they already run, and Windows servers send logs through Logmanager’s managed agent.
How many devices can I connect? There’s no limit. Logmanager doesn’t license by device, log source or user, so you can connect every firewall, switch, server and application you have. You pay only for the log data you store each month, and there’s no cap on daily data volume. The only limit is your plan’s storage. When it fills up, the oldest logs are overwritten. That means adding ten new devices doesn’t change your bill unless the amount of stored data changes too. If you want to estimate how much storage you need based on events per second (EPS), use our log storage and EPS calculator.
How long can I keep syslog data? As long as you need. You set the retention period yourself, and the only limit is the storage in your plan, which is also what you pay for. If you keep logs longer or collect more of them, you need more storage. When storage fills up, the oldest logs are overwritten first. To find out how much storage your retention period needs, use our log retention calculator.
We already run rsyslog or syslog-ng. Why switch? You don’t have to. Keep rsyslog or syslog-ng as a forwarder and point it at Logmanager. You get parsing, search, alerts and tamper-proof retention on top of it, without grepping through text files.
Syslog server, SIEM or ELK? It depends on what you need and how much time you have to run it. A plain syslog server collects logs but leaves them as text files. A SIEM adds correlation and threat detection, but it’s usually expensive and needs a dedicated team. An ELK stack is flexible, but you build and maintain it yourself. Logmanager is alog management platform with built-in syslog server that doesn’t just collect logs but also parses them on arrival. You get searchable events, alerts and tamper-proof retention without running the stack yourself.
