On April 27, 2005, a guest lecturer for Professor Windows will show you how the Log Parser works, specifically Version 2.2, which was released in January 19, 2005.  The guest lecturer is none other than Gabriele Giuseppini, the creator of the tool. As you may know, Version 2.0 was the first version available outside Microsoft. Log Parser 1.0 was a Microsoft internal test tool that was developed to automate tests for IIS logging. So many internal users gave it an "A+" rating that Gabriele made Version 2.0 public as a free Web download in November 2001. Shortly after that, version 2.1 shipped as part of the IIS 6.0 Resource Kit, containing important updates to the SQL engine capabilities. The latest version (Version 2.2) contains a large number of input and output formats, and other significant upgrades to the SQL engine core.

If you're still confused on it's use, have no fear.  I felt the same way; therefore, I've asked Gabriele to write an article explaining:

1. How Does Log Parser Work? (Log Parser gives you a way to create a data processing pipeline by mixing and matching input formats and output formats as needed, using a query written in a dialect of the SQL language to create the plumbing between these two components)
2. Give three common scenarios of how the tool is used:

  • Searching for Data - One of the most common applications of Log Parser involves searching for specific information in a particular set of data;
  • Exporting Logs to a SQL Database - Log Parser can help in these cases as well, by providing a "SQL" output format that       can be used to upload query results to a table in a database;
  • Creating Reports - Generating an HTML Page and/or Generating Charts.

Log Parser has become so popular over the past five years that:

  1. Gabriele decided to write a book about it (published by Syngress Publishing).
  2. The Scripting Guys thought about getting into the act of touting this fantastic tool, they wrote a Tales from the Script article about it -- which, by the way, shows how to programmatically use the Log Parser scriptable COM objects, how to select input and output formats from a script, how to set properties, and how to consume records generated by a Log Parser query. 
  3. And last but not least, the Unofficial Log Parser Support Site contains a Log Parser forum, resources, and knowledge base. 

It's an awesome article...stay tuned!

- Mike Kim [MSFT] -- These postings are provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.