LogLogic unveiled its first open source community initiative Monday designed to provide another alternative to Microsoft's Windows event-collection technology. The appliance-based log-management software vendor hopes Project Lasso will spur IT professionals to advance developments around managing log data.

Log data is the automatic record of events by computer programs, including operating systems, applications and firewalls, and by devices like servers and routers. It's important in IT troubleshooting and in complying with regulations such as the Sarbanes-Oxley rules governing U.S. public companies.

LogLogic made the announcement at the Interop conference in Las Vegas.

Project Lasso is based on the InterSect Alliance's popular Snare for Windows open source project that collects Windows event log data.

LogLogic developed Project Lasso in response to feedback that, while customers liked Snare, they were looking for a different take on the software, according to Andy Lark, chief marketing officer with LogLogic. The vendor has worked on Project Lasso for about seven months to base the implementation on central log collection and processing, not management by agents as Snare offers, he said.

"We have several other open source initiatives in the works," Lark said. Probably appearing during the next 12 months, these projects involve different methods of collecting and collating log data from homegrown and enterprise applications, as well as initiatives around training and education, he added.

LogLogic also will offer and support Project Lasso as part of its own log management and intelligence offerings.

Users can download Project Lasso from LogLogic's Web site. It's free under the GNU general public license. The company also plans to make the project available on SourceForge.net in the near future.

In other Interop news, LogLogic Monday released its Compliance Suite, PCI Edition targeting the payment card industry (PCI) data security standard established by MasterCard and Visa. The PCI standard states that companies must log and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data including log data. The suite will automate the management, collection and storage of PCI log data, according to Lark.

Pricing for the suite starts at $10,000, and it runs on LogLogic's appliances.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.