Logstalgia

Logstalgia is an open-source software utility that functions as a visualization tool for web server traffic. It can either replay or stream web server access logs, in the form of a retro arcade game simulation.

The visualization is depicted as a pong-like battle between a torrent of requests and the web server itself. Requests are displayed as colored balls, the same color as the host, and they travel across the screen in order to arrive at their requested location. Successful ones are hit by a paddle while unsuccessful ones are missed and can pass through.

The paths of these requests are summarized in the available space by identifying common path prefixes, and related paths are grouped under headings. For example, paths that end in PNG, GIF or JPG are grouped under the Images header. Those that don’t match any groups are placed in a Miscellaneous section.

The display is rendered using OpenGL, and a 3D accelerated video card is required to run the utility. Several standardized access.log formats used by web servers are supported, including Apache and Nginx.

Logstalgia is designed to play logs in real-time, and it is advisable to use a log from a busy web server in order to get interesting results.