Node Logging - Definition & Overview

Logging is an essential aspect of monitoring, debugging, and ensuring optimal network and application functionality. Node, or Node.js, is an open-source, back end environment that allows developers to write with JavaScript code directly onto a computer, as opposed to through its browser.

Node logging provides engineers and developers with a logging system that allows them to manage and control what text gets logged and to where it's sent. Node logging helps with debugging by saving information about an application and giving developers the insight to identify causes of various incidents and errors.

Node systems are also excellent for structured logging with JSON formatting. JSON, as an extension of JavaScript, gives developers more intricate logging patterns so they can track/analyze data fields and complex call graphs.

Node logging is a necessary part of maintaining, managing, and ensuring consistency within your applications and systems.

Node logging libraries are used to manage and maintain the various log events that developers create. Libraries make it easier to manage logs from a unified source, allowing applications to function more efficiently.

Without an optimal node logging library, it’s difficult to gain insights into how your applications are working, especially at the enterprise level. Node logging libraries give developers the tools to home in on aspects of their application through automated logging processes that make it easier and simpler to interact with log files.

Some of the most common examples of node logging libraries and tools include:

• Winston - Winston is one of the most widely used node logging libraries, and it allows developers to customize transports, use different transports, seamlessly handle exceptions, utilize a variety of defined error levels, and manage profiling.

• Pino - Pino’s cost and JSON logger speed make it an appealing pick for many IT teams. Pino underscores the importance of log processing best practices by ensuring that log processes are run through separate mechanisms and processes, which will help mitigate complications from Node’s single-thread event loop model.

• Morgan - Morgan helps to simplify the log request process on your applications by automatically generating log requests, saving developers the time and energy it would take to manually generate requests. While Morgan can be used on its own, it’s often used in conjunction with other node logging libraries, like Winston.

• Node-Loggly - Due to its single-threaded nature, node-loggly is best suited for non-blocking and event-driven networks. Node-Loggly is compatible and in accordance with Loggly API, which allows developers to manage input and output of data more efficiently.

While you will still want to manually use a standard console log, logging libraries are often necessary if you want to scale, optimize app functionality, and ensure that applications are running at peak performance.

Before you can start the development process with your team, you need to have a plan for defining logs, managing logs, and applying the right monitoring system to minimize crashes and issues. These best practices will ensure that your node logging needs are met and that your apps run smoothly and efficiently.

• Defining log levels - It’s important to define your log levels prior to the building process so you can differentiate between the various log events. Defining log levels will allow you to manage log events more effectively and with more consistency, which can help you to seamlessly gain the information you need.

• Log management system & SIEM - Especially for larger projects, log management systems and SIEM solutions can help identify and manage logs more effectively. While similar to log management systems, SIEM tools provide more advanced features and can centralize large aggregates of data with ease.

• Monitoring tools - Monitoring tools can optimize logging activities by helping you to keep track of server performance and the causes of crashes, bugs, or other application issues. Because error tracking through node logging has been a challenge for developers, monitoring tools are a great supplement to your tracking strategies.

Logging is an essential and important part of preventing and alleviating errors within your applications, and having the necessary logging tools and best practices in place will help to ensure your apps are running smoothly and error free.

Sumo Logic offers excellent support for structured logging functionality, helping IT organizations make the most of their event logs. Sumo Logic’s state-of-the-art, cloud-based security solution comes at a lower cost than competitors, has a shorter time to deployment, and a more sophisticated and modern approach to enterprise security and data analysis.

Optimize your node logging strategy with Sumo Logic today.