When using Alibaba Cloud CDN to retrieve resources, CDN generates a large amount of log data. CDN is integrated with Simple Log Service (SLS) to deliver log data to SLS in real time for further analysis. Then, you can use the results to troubleshoot issues and make business decisions at the earliest opportunity.
Feature overview
When you use CDN, a large amount of network log data is generated. The real-time log delivery feature allows you to collect and deliver the logs to SLS. Then, you can consume the logs in SLS to monitor your business and identify issues. After you enable the real-time log delivery feature, you are charged for log entries delivered to SLS.
For more information, see What is Simple Log Service?
Usage notes
Monitoring data vs. billing data: Resource Monitoring is based on client IP regions and carriers. Billing is based on traffic and bandwidth at CDN POPs in each billing region. The two datasets use different statistical methods, so the numbers may not match. Use the charts in Resource Monitoring to track bandwidth trends, not to reconcile billing. To query metering data that corresponds to your bills, see Resource usage overview.
Monitoring data vs. log data: Traffic data from Resource Monitoring (and usage queries) is typically 1.1 times the traffic calculated from CDN logs. For details, see Why is the traffic amount found by using the Monitoring & Usage Analytics or Usage Statistics feature or the usage statistics feature different from the logged traffic amount?
Differences between real-time logs and offline logs
Log latency
Real-time logs have a latency of three minutes or less. In contrast, offline logs typically have a data latency of up to 24 hours.
Log analysis
The real-time log feature integrates the log storage and analysis capabilities of Simple Log Service. It offers four preset analysis reports: Basic Data, Access Errors, Frequently Requested Resources, and User Composition. The feature also supports custom log analysis, providing a one-stop solution for log storage and analysis. In comparison, offline logs support only log shipping to Object Storage Service and do not have built-in analysis capabilities.
Benefits
Low latency
Log data is available within three minutes, which allows you to quickly analyze access logs, identify issues, and respond promptly.
One-stop service
Offline log analysis is multi-step: you must download logs, upload them to a data warehouse, and then cleanse and model the data before analysis. This process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The real-time log feature integrates the storage and analysis capabilities of Simple Log Service to streamline this workflow.
Billing rules
You are charged for real-time log delivery based on the number of log entries delivered to a specific service. Log delivery fees do not include storage or data analysis fees.
Billable item | Billing rule | Billing method | Billing cycle |
Log entries | After you enable real-time log delivery, you are charged for log entries delivered to a specific service. | Pay-as-you-go | You are charged on a daily basis. Bills are issued 3 to 4 hours after the end of each billing cycle. |
Scenarios
You can use real-time log delivery to troubleshoot issues that may occur when the delivery of your content is accelerated. You can also use the collected log data to analyze user access statistics. CDN provides the following types of reports:
Analysis scenario | Description |
CDN Basic Data | Helps you understand the overall service quality of Alibaba Cloud CDN and the access efficiency for end users, such as cache hit ratio, access latency, and download speed. This allows you to respond quickly to service quality issues. |
CDN Access Errors | Helps you quickly locate the source of access exceptions, such as issues with specific URIs, origin server failures, unavailable POPs, or network problems in certain regions or with specific ISPs. |
CDN Frequently Requested Resources | Provides insights into popular resources by identifying top domain names, URIs, provinces, and ISPs. This data helps you evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and determine if traffic during peak hours meets expectations, enabling you to adjust your operational strategy. |
CDN User Composition | Helps you understand the composition of your website's user base, including client types, provinces, and ISPs. This report can also identify top users by the number of visits or the amount of data downloaded. |
For information about real-time log delivery, see Configure real-time log delivery.
For information about the log analysis module and typical scenarios of access data analysis, see Best practices for shipping and analyzing Alibaba Cloud CDN real-time logs in Simple Log Service.