How to centralize logs from multiple servers
Updated 7/20/2026
Logging into each server to search logs becomes impossible when you have several. Centralized logging sends all logs to one place.
How it works
Each server runs an agent that ships its logs to a central server, where you can search and filter them from an interface.
Popular options
- Grafana Loki: lightweight, integrates with Grafana (see Prometheus and Grafana).
- Graylog: a complete solution with a powerful search interface.
- ELK stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana): very powerful, but resource-heavy.
Simple example with Loki
The central server runs Loki, and each server runs the Promtail agent that ships the logs. You then view them in Grafana.
Why it is worth it
- You search in one place, not server by server.
- You keep the logs even if a server goes down.
- You can alert based on logs, see alerts and notifications.
The central log server needs storage space, ideally a plan with a bigger disk.
Put this guide into practice on your own VPS
EU cloud servers, billed hourly, ready in minutes, with one-click installs for dozens of apps.
See pricingRelated tutorials
How to monitor database performance
See slow queries, connections and database usage, to keep it fast.
Updated 7/20/2026Monitoring & loggingHow to monitor disk space and avoid running out
A full disk stops services and corrupts data. Here is how to track space and get alerts in time.
Updated 7/20/2026Monitoring & loggingHow to monitor a website and SSL expiry
Do not let your site go down or your SSL certificate expire without knowing. Here is how to track them automatically.
Updated 7/20/2026