When it comes to your analytics tools, would you say they’re getting easier to manage overall, or is it increasingly difficult? Can you easily scale to meet new compliance requirements, or is there so much custom work required that the pace of change is too much for your team to handle? Do you feel in control over how and where your observability data flows, or do you feel beholden to your vendors? This blog post will shed light on how you can ease the strain on your downstream systems.

You Might Have a Log Jam of Data on Your Hands

If you’re an outdoors person, you might come across a river and notice that the flow of a water has stopped because of an accumulation of tree trunks, branches, pieces of wood, and whatever else one might find in a forest, there is usually one “log” in the mix that, if removed, would restore the flow of the river back to its natural state. This is called the key log — the one thing that would fix the problem almost immediately. Find the key log, and the river’s normal flow is restored naturally.

If you currently have your own log jam of data, things will only worsen as more data comes in, more tools get integrated, and more regulations around that data and those tools get enacted. Like any good log jam, your situation could have evolved over time, but it could also result from a recent influx of data or newly integrated tools. Luckily for you, the solution is the same either way — find the technology that can act as the key log to get data flowing properly.

What Technology Can Unlock My Log Jam?

When a log jam forms, it’s extremely common for that area of a river to become a breeding ground for different species of fish, and a sprouting area for vegetation, compounding the issue. The same is likely to happen to your data situation — things are going to get more and more difficult the longer you let the problems go unresolved. The best time to fix the problem was years ago. The second best time is today.

If it’s your job to fix the observability data log jam, you could spend the time and effort to solve each problem one by one. And if by some miracle you were able to finish the job, the river of data would eventually flow as usual. Your team will now be on the hook for keeping the data flowing day after day and year after year. One way or another, you have to gain control over your observability data. You could build your own solution in “the river” that you’ll be on the hook to maintain. However, if you’re understaffed, you’re pressed for time, and your tools aren’t working as efficiently as possible because they are bogged down with superfluous data in vendor-controlled formats, then maybe it’s time to see if there’s a better way.

So, What Do I Do Then?

When it comes to managing your observability data, Cribl Stream is the key to gaining better control of your data. With Cribl’s solution integrated into the center of your data management strategy, your organization has radical control of where, when, and how data is moved. With your newfound ability to reduce, redact, replace, normalize, and enrich data before routing it to its destination, you’ll gain control and choice over your data.

In addition to data processing, Stream adds the possibility of easily routing full-fidelity copies of data to low-cost storage. Not all data is created equal — the majority of observability and security data only needs to be kept to meet compliance requirements or for unexpected investigations. Keeping all of this data in traditional storage can really clog up your SIEM and UEBA tools. Stream’s Replay feature allows you to easily retrieve and replay copies of data from your object storage – if and when you actually need it.

If your tools are difficult to use or integrate with each other, and they don’t have all of the capabilities you need, it’s in your best interest to address the issue — the sooner you do, the easier it will be to resolve. Cribl is built around protocols first and then around specific vendors as needed, meaning you can bring any source into the equation and send that data to any analysis system — or to multiple destinations at a time. We believe it’s essential that your organization decides how to integrate your tools — not your other vendors.

The amount of data you’re working with isn’t slowing down anytime soon, so you might as well get rid of any obstacles in the way. Why struggle to keep up with digital transformation when you can integrate Cribl Stream? You’ll finally achieve full control of your data, empowering you to choose how to treat your data to best support your business goals.

Is Stream your key log? Only one way to find out!  The fastest way to get started with Cribl Stream is to try the Free Cloud Sandboxes.