Log management review: GFI EventsManager [Video]

GFI EventsManager lacks enterprise features, but is a good software solution for small and midsize businesses

Credit: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock

I’ve used many GFI products over the last 10 years, and in that time, I’ve found most of them to be user-friendly and a good value, though they tend to be aimed at small and midsize Microsoft Windows shops. GFI EventsManager follows that tradition while also supporting Linux and Unix clients.

EventsManager comes as a single installable executable. (You can download a time-limited trial version of GFI EventsManager for free.) As with all GFI products, the install is almost as simple as Next, Next, and Enter. GFI will install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, if it doesn’t detect an existing SQL Server instance, although you might need to apply the latest SQL Server service pack afterward.

During the install, you’ll need to provide domain admin credentials, which EventsManager uses to access remote Windows computers. You can provide separate credentials for each client (the hosts from which you’re collecting events) at a …