Table of Contents
What is Splunk and what does it do
Splunk is an enterprise application that is used for real-time data analysis and searches. Splunk works by ingesting raw data from a variety of sources and then allowing it to be indexed, searched, analyzed or filtered while stored forever in its in-memory index. The “index” can be accessed by the end user through the application. Splunk can be used in nearly any industry, however, it is most commonly associated as a tool for server and application management. Splunk does not require any agents to be deployed on the servers that provide the data being searched and analyzed. The data provided by the source can be logs, machine events, network packets and more.
How is Splunk different from New Relic
Splunk and New Relic are both used for real-time data analysis and searching, however, they each have different approaches to servicing their customers. Splunk focuses on providing a fully-built application that can be deployed and operated with little to no support from the vendor. New Relic focuses on providing a product that is easy to customize but still require some integration services. Splunk does not require any agents in order for it to function. Splunk simply stores the data into its in-memory index, which can be accessed by the end user. Splunk can be used with virtually any industry and can be installed on multiple servers and distributed across large networks. New Relic is used primarily with server and application management, which requires agents to be installed onto each server that has data being monitored in order for the data to be viewed from within the application. Splunk can be used on all Windows devices, but New Relic is only for use on Windows-based computers.
Splunk has become a popular tool for monitoring and collecting data, however it does not have the enterprise level support as compared to New Relic. This means that customers who have concerns about Splunk’s limitations should choose another vendor to service their needs. For instance, Splunk does not have an enterprise-level data retention policy; backups are only applied to the index after seven days. New Relic’s products have an enterprise-level support that is more in line with traditionally known enterprise software. New Relic also has a full SOC (security operations center), which Splunk does not.
Splunk can scale if the end user requires it to by installing the Splunk Distributed Monitoring (SDM) toolkit on their own servers. If there is a need for more functionality, Splunk can be configured to use Spark and Storm as well. Splunk can be installed on virtually any machines. Anyone with a server or workstation can install Splunk in order to access data via the Splunk Web interface and the Splunk mobile apps.
What are the benefits of using Splunk over New Relic
Splunk does not require any agents to be installed on the servers that have the data being monitored. Splunk can be used for monitoring across multiple servers and can also be used in virtually any industry. Splunk does not require any extra investment from you or from your IT department, as there is no additional cost needed for its installation. New Relic requires an additional investment just to install it on a server or two, with the cost varying based on its pricing plan chosen by New Relic. Splunk allows you to search through your data more quickly and easily by organizing, tagging and searching the information for you. Splunk also uses advanced streaming analysis of events that allows users to make determinations quicker.
Splunk is a more in-depth monitoring tool than New Relic. It has a feature where you can track your database transactions, allowing you to determine how much time it takes for data to go from the database, through your network and to the browser or app. This is something New Relic cannot provide. Splunk provides you with the ability to tag your data so that you can search for information quickly and make determinations of what exactly is going on based on the behavior of your data.
New Relic has an analytical dashboard where you can compare data between servers and determine which is performing better or worse, but this is not possible with Splunk. New Relic also provides notifications when a problem occurs, such as a slow database or high memory usage. Splunk provides historical information, so you can determine what has happened over time, but it does not provide notifications of a problem at present.
The cost of New Relic is also much lower than the cost of Splunk. New Relic provides its basic product free, with extra features costing money. This is not the case with Splunk, which costs more initially and requires more work to use and maintain properly.
When would you want to use Splunk over New Relic
Splunk is a great option to use when searching through multiple servers and when you need real-time results. Splunk is also a great choice if you need to search through your data without any additional investment. New Relic is best suited for server management, as it requires an agent to be installed on each monitored server. New Relic also requires an investment to install and use, as it costs more than Splunk. If you are looking for advanced streaming analysis of events then you would use Splunk. A significant advantage of using Splunk as opposed to New Relic is that Splunk does not require a server agent.
Many organizations have a mix of both Splunk and New Relic installed on their servers. As an IT administrator, you need to decide which product you want to use when searching through your recent logs. There are a few things to consider when deciding which set of tools you want to use.
## Overview -Splunk vs New Relic
Who should use Splunk and who should use New Relic
Splunk is a great option for server and application management. Splunk can be used in virtually any industry and can be installed on multiple servers and distributed across large networks. New Relic, on the other hand, is better suited for server management, as it requires an agent to monitor each monitored server. New Relic costs more than Splunk and requires an additional investment to implement.
Splunk is a popular open-source tool for data collection and analytics, which is used to monitor what is happening in real time in your IT infrastructure. While Splunk is excellent for real-time monitoring, it falls short when it comes to dynamic troubleshooting and collecting historical data, as the information has to be manually gathered. This requires an IT professional, who can then interpret the data and use it to troubleshoot server or network issues.
