log aggregation
also: centralized logging, log management, log collection
Log aggregation is the process of collecting log files from multiple sources (servers, applications, containers) into a centralized location for analysis, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
In distributed systems, logs are scattered across many machines and services. Log aggregation gathers these disparate logs into one searchable repository, making it far easier to track down issues that span multiple systems.
Common tools include ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Splunk, Loki, and Datadog. For example, an e-commerce platform running web servers, databases, and payment processors sends all logs to a central server where operators can query them with a single search rather than SSH-ing into each machine.
Log aggregation enables faster incident response, compliance auditing, and performance analysis by providing a unified view of system behavior across your entire infrastructure.