System Logs

Text files and databases that record system events, errors, and diagnostic information. Crucial for diagnosing MDM issues via mdmclient logs.

What to Know

System Logs provide detailed evidence of what the operating system and applications are doing behind the scenes, including error messages, security events, authentication attempts, and system state changes. When troubleshooting mysterious device issues, crashes, or security incidents, system logs contain the technical details necessary to identify root causes. Without log analysis, troubleshooting becomes guesswork rather than evidence-based diagnosis.

Common Scenarios

Enterprise IT: Corporate IT reviews system logs to diagnose MDM enrollment failures, authentication issues with enterprise services, kernel panics, and application crashes. Logs provide concrete evidence of what failed and when, enabling targeted fixes rather than trial-and-error troubleshooting.

MSP: MSPs analyze client device system logs when troubleshooting persistent issues that don’t produce obvious error messages. Log analysis helps identify failing services, software conflicts, and hardware issues that would otherwise require extensive on-site diagnosis.

Education: School IT examines system logs to diagnose classroom management software failures, student authentication issues, and shared device sync problems. Log data reveals the specific errors causing problems across large deployments of student devices.

In Addigy

Addigy enables remote log collection via custom scripts that gather relevant log files and upload them for offline analysis. Administrators can also use Addigy’s Remote Desktop feature to access Console and view real-time logs during troubleshooting sessions without requiring physical device access.