Log Management Best Practices for Better It Governance: A Delphi Study of Log Management Systems Administrators and Managers

Abstract

Log management systems make application, server, operating system, and other information system (IS) logs available to system administrators, programmers, cybersecurity personnel, IT managers, and others to administer, secure, troubleshoot, and support ISs. These systems are often managed in unsystematic and ad hoc ways, making them less effective than they could be. The present study addressed a research question that asked, to what extent do log management practices show system quality, information quality, and service quality impacting information systems’ organizational use, user satisfaction, and net benefits of these log management systems, as described by log management system administrators and managers? A three-round, online qualitative Delphi study was conducted to gather information from log management system administrators and managers with a minimum of three years of experience managing these systems. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive, analytical, and axial pattern coding. Three major themes emerged from the data analysis. First, measurements of quality and success focus on business benefits and product features. Second, log management systems provide IS and business benefits, including increased stability and better IT management decision-making. Third, a blended IS success/task-technology fit model better represents how log management system administrators and managers view, measure, evaluate, and run their systems. With the increasing dependency on complex and inscrutable computer systems, log management systems are becoming indispensable, but more research is needed to improve system use.