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Simple Log Service:Log consumption vs. log query

Last Updated:Jun 10, 2026

SLS provides log consumption and log query features. Both read log data but differ in latency, cost, and use cases.

Log consumption

Works like Kafka: sequential (FIFO) read/write over full data.

  • Each Logstore has one or more shards. Data is written to a random shard.

  • Logs are read in batches from a specified shard in write order.

  • Set the start position (cursor) based on log receive time to begin batch reads from a shard.

Log query (LogSearch)

Query and analyze large volumes of logs. Supports conditional queries and SQL-based statistics.

  • Filter data with query conditions.

  • Combine conditions with AND, NOT, and OR operators. Collect SQL-based statistics on results.

  • Queries span all shards.

Differences

Feature

Log query

Log consumption

Keyword search

Supported

Not supported

Read small amounts of data

Fast

Fast

Read full data

Slow (100 ms per 100 logs). Not recommended.

Fast (10 ms per 1 MB). Recommended.

Distinguish reads by topic

Differences

Not supported. The shard is the only identifier.

Distinguish reads by shard

No. Queries span all shards.

Required. Specify a target shard per read.

Cost

High

Low

Scenarios

Monitoring, troubleshooting, and analysis.

Full data processing: stream and batch processing.