systemlogg

Systemlogg is a term used in Norwegian and Swedish to denote the system log, the centralized record of events generated by an operating system and its software. In English contexts it is commonly called the system log or a system log file. The purpose is to capture events that affect the functioning, security, or performance of a computer system, providing a resource for administrators and developers to diagnose issues, monitor health, and audit activity.

A systemlogg typically contains entries with a timestamp, a source or component, a severity level (information, warning, error, critical), and a human-readable message. Entries may cover kernel messages, boot and shutdown events, services starting and stopping, security and authentication events, application logs, and user actions. Logs are often structured to support filtering, searching, and correlation across components.

Implementation varies: on Unix-like systems, log collectors such as rsyslog or syslog-ng store logs in text files or databases and rotate them; newer systems may use the systemd journal (journald). On Windows, the Event Log serves a similar function. Log viewing and analysis tools include tail, grep, or specialized viewers; log management platforms collect and analyze logs centrally.

Management considerations include access control, integrity and authenticity (tamper-evidence), retention policies, and privacy concerns. Logs should be protected from unauthorized access and backed up; protected by write-once or append-only configurations where appropriate.

Standards: The syslog protocol (RFC 5424) defines a common format for transmitting log messages to a central server, enabling interoperability. While "systemlogg" is a generic term, many systems align with these standards to enable cross-platform log collection. See also system log, syslog, journald, and Windows Event Log.