logging

In computing, logging is the act of keeping a log of events that occur in a computer system, such as problems, errors or broad information on current operations. These events may occur in the operating system or in other software. A message or log entry is recorded for each such event. These log messages can then be used to monitor and understand the operation of the system, to debug problems, or during an audit. Logging is particularly important in multi-user software, to have a central overview of the operation of the system.

In the simplest case, messages are written to a file, called a log file. Alternatively, the messages may be written to a dedicated logging system or to a log management software, where it is stored in a database or on a different computer system.