Posted by Craig Kelly on 06/30/05 04:25

<JazeMail@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've only ever used built in SQL Server tools but have been looking at
> log tools. I looked at Log Explorer 4.02 from lumigent.com and was very
> impressed with what I saw. The prices tag per instance was a bit hefty
> I felt though. I've been over to LogPI.com and am reading some of the
> "features" I've yet to d/l the evaluation demo. The price is over half
> that of Log Explorer (I'm converting to local currency on the fly
> here).
> Questions.... logPI any good? Log Explorer worth the extra $?
> Anyone using either and have any opinions to share?
> Are 3rd party tools worthwhile?
>
> Unrelated but for my info.... does/will Yukon come with a similar built
> in tool? I haven't had a chance to look at Yukon yet.
> Cheers
> Jay

Jay,

[I have no affiliation with Lumigent other than as a satisfied customer.]

When we bought Log Explorer (about 8 months ago), we didn't evaluate LogPI,
so I can't comment on it. However, we've been very happy with Log Explorer
and what we're able to do with it. I probably traded 4 or 5 emails with
technical staff and had one conference call before we bought it: they were
very knowledgeable and very forthcoming. After we purchased it, every email
I sent to our technical contact was answered promptly (some in less than 15
minutes). It's still my feeling that the technical and sales support we got
went beyond the norm for software in that price range.

Overall, we feel like we got much more than our money's worth. To put the
money in perspective, our company is considered small (privately owned, ca
150 employees) and while we're not averse to spending money it's not unusual
for us to go 3 - 12 months without spending any money on IT software.

Although we played with it extensively after we got it, our main reason to
buy was as a safety net (for when "OH CRAP!" was heard coming from a
developer's cubicle :). 8 months later, we actually get the most use out of
the various emails that can be sent by Log Explorer: now I actually know
when a developer decides to just recompile a new version of a stored proc on
the main database on our main data server. It's always nice to have
documentation before beating someone senseless :)

Of course, I'd have paid double if it had come with an SDK, but that's
another story entirely.

On the negative side, I have heard people (but I don't remember the source)
complain about tech support they received from Lumigent. We've had nothing
but positive things to say about them, but my experience isn't broad enough
to tell you if we're the exception or the norm.

Craig

[Back to original message]