When hosting a server application on several tiers, with several servers representing each tier, being up to date on the content of event logs can be quite a task. And when errors occur, you're forced to look through all error logs to track the path of the errors, which can be a very time consuming. The task of trying to figure out what happened and why can is also a frustrating task, because you have to put a picture together while gathering infomation by browsing through servers.

That is, unless you're using something like GFI Events Manager. You place it on your servers, and it transfers all their log information to a central database, where you can browse and query the data. It makes it easy for developers to see information, that would normally only be available for the hosting department.

Check it out here: http://www.gfi.com/eventsmanager/

I came across a really cool tool today. Not exactly new, but still pretty cool. It's called Windows SteadyState and it makes it easy to manage computers used for shared access, such as computers in libraries or schools.

Personally I see some possibilities in making a very specific paranoia disappear: You know the feeling - some visiting family member or your media naranja wants to use your laptop. But your laptop is not just any laptop. Your laptop contains code lines counted in hundreds of thousands, it contains all your mail for several yeas back and of course many of your latest party pictures. The laptop in question is indeed your precious one. ;)

Of course, all that data (or at least the important stuff) is backed up on a regular basis, and of course you have created a special account for them to use, which, among other things, disables access to the business section of the disk drive. But still, there are still things that you cannot control in ACLs and policies (yet): why is she hovering her cup of hot tea directly over the keyboard, why is he balancing the laptop on one knee while playing with the remote control to the TV?

Windows SteadyState can help you in a simple way, and make your efforts last. It makes it easy to take some 2. rank computer and make it the "shared" computer in the household, sparing your laptop from manhandling by barbarians with no respect for technology! :)

Check Windows SteadyState out here...