IT management vendor LayerX has released a new free version of IT Search product, Punq (portable utility for network query), available for Windows, OSX and Linux. Punq serves as a common collection and query point for event logs from all of an enterprise's networked devices. The Punq product is a subset of LayerX's Arbitrator product, their full-featured unified management solution.

Like other IT search products on the market, Punq offers a common platform to collect and index event logging from the servers, networking gear and applications within an enterprise. When an administrator needs to research a particular issue, they can simply run searches on the Punq databases to see the problem from all possible angles. Furthermore, Punq also offers the ability to save common searches, speeding up repetitive tasks.
As an enterprise's needs grow beyond basic search functionality, they can migrate into the full Arbitrator solutions, which have specific modules for security assessment, VoIP quality management and compliance reporting. The Arbitrator also features a response system that would allow an automated response to architecture issues as they arise. Beyond pure upselling, the Punq product also enables LayerX's partners to offer services, such as PCI compliance auditing, without forcing customers to purchase the full software package.

Like LayerX, a number of vendors in the IT search space have moved their entry level products to a free model.  For example, LayerX's competitor, Splunk, also offers a free version of their product. The difference, of course, is what each vendor delivers in their no-charge option.  The Punq product is limited to strictly event collection and IT search, but does not limit the amount of data that can be collected. Splunk, on the other hand, offers the full feature set of its base product, but limits users to 500MB of log data that can be captured. Customers, particularly small business users, should look at what their requirements are, as well as how much data they expect to collect and store when evaluating these products.

For enterprises taking their first steps into centrally managing the events and alerts from the disparate systems across their networks, Punq might serve as a good starting point. Without size limitations and the ability to roll up the archive into the full Arbitrator product as the requirements evolve, Punq solves the initial need of event collection while opening the door to enhanced analysis down the road.