Log aggregation is the process of collecting and consolidating log data from multiple sources—such as servers, applications, containers, and network devices—into a centralized location for analysis, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Logs typically capture events, errors, system performance data, and user activities, which are critical for diagnosing issues and tracking system health.

Log aggregation is essential in large, distributed systems where logs are generated from multiple instances and servers. By centralizing logs, administrators can more easily analyze system behavior across the infrastructure, track events in real-time, and correlate incidents. Tools like Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana (ELK Stack), Splunk, and Fluentd are commonly used for log aggregation, providing visualization, search, and alerting functionalities.

By aggregating logs, IT and DevOps teams gain deeper visibility into their systems, allowing them to troubleshoot problems faster, detect security threats, and optimize system performance. It also enables compliance monitoring and auditing by ensuring that a complete record of events is available for review.