Windows7 Save log files in XML format

In several versions of the Windows operating system, you can save the system log as a text file, a CSV file, and so on to facilitate system administrator queries. However, unlike the XP operating system version, the log in Windows7 is saved in one more format, that is, XML format. As shown in the following illustration, there is an extra XML file format in Windows7, in addition to the three formats that the XP operating system has. This format is really the log format that many system administrators expect. Because the use of this log format, to our day-to-day management brings great convenience.

Convenient one: Reading and inquiry convenience.

The biggest difference between files in XML format and other files is that the XML file is a structured data. In layman's terms, when saving records, some special formatting control symbols are used to ensure that the stored data conforms to the structural requirements. So how does this structured data help the system administrator? The most direct help is that the system administrator can easily import the XML file data into the database for analysis. System administrators often need more than a few months or even years of log information to analyze to find information on improving operating system performance and vulnerabilities. But for these massive data, if does not use the database and so on specialized analysis tool, it is difficult to draw a reasonable conclusion. For this reason, system administrators often need to import these log records into the database system, then the vertical and horizontal contrast, and finally draw some feasible conclusions.

Now if the XML format is used to save log information, then the system administrator can easily import the log information into the database. Without any adjustments, you can import XML-formatted files directly into the database system. Because XML files can be opened directly through tools such as browsers, this browser is often a necessary application software for the operating system. So it will be very convenient to view.

Convenience Two: compatibility is relatively high.

Another advantage of XML files is that their compatibility is relatively high. Now the mainstream database software, basically all support XML file. In other words, the system administrator can not only take advantage of Microsoft's SQL Server database software, but also using non-Microsoft database software such as Oracle, the log information can be imported into, and then analyzed. Typically, most system administrators are less likely to use SQL Server databases because they are relatively complex and cumbersome to install. Moreover, the statistical analysis of logging, the use of SQL Server such a large database system is also a bit overqualified. To this end, including the author, the system administrator prefers to use a small database system such as MySQL for analysis. Not only because it is free, it is mainly small and convenient, but also will not occupy much of the hard disk space. Now Windows7 operating system, the introduction of XML files to save the log records, then our system administrators have more reason to use a small database such as MySQL. Because MySQL's support for XML files is very powerful. Also, the database can save the relevant statistical results in the format of an XML file.

In addition, XML compatibility is also embodied in the compatibility of different operating system platforms. Like an event file, this is a file format provided by the Microsoft operating system that cannot be opened on operating systems such as Linux. Another example is a text file, although it can be opened on a Linux operating system. But usually a pattern of confusion will occur, affecting the system administrator's normal reading. Unless the system administrator takes advantage of some of the system's own tools for conversion. This is not the case with XML-formatted files. The XML file looks like a Web page. What it looks like when it's opened under the Windows operating system, as it does on the Linux operating system. Not only does the format not go away, but it does not require additional auxiliary tools. Therefore, this different operating system platform compatibility, can improve employee information sharing. As far as I know, a lot of enterprises, may be used by the client Windows system, and in the server side is a Linux and other non-Microsoft operating system. Now this trend is becoming more and more obvious. So it is also necessary to improve the compatibility of this multiple operating system. Even if you save your log files on a file server on a Linux operating system, you don't have to worry about what's going on.