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Dev MaxxingAdvancedReliability and Observability60 sec
Log
A log is a timestamped record of a discrete event that happened in a running system, such as a request being handled or an error occurring.
What matters
Logs give a detailed, chronological trail of what actually happened in a system, which is often the first thing engineers check when investigating an unexpected problem.
Example
A log entry might record 'Request to /checkout failed with a timeout at 14:32:07', giving a specific, timestamped detail to investigate.
Common misconception
A log is not the same as a metric; a log captures one specific discrete event, while a metric tracks a number that changes over time.
Recall question
What does a single log entry capture that distinguishes it from a metric?
Keywords and related concepts
logevent recorddebuggingmetric