Migrate from Papertrail to SolarWinds Observability SaaS FAQ

This page is for customers that have been notified that their Papertrail account is undergoing a migration to SolarWinds Observability SaaS. If you have not been notified but would like to test a partial migration, contact sales (swo-sales@solarwinds.com). Perform a full migration yourself by migrating your logs and canceling your Papertrail account at any time.

Frequently asked questions

Why is SolarWinds Papertrail transitioning to the new platform — SolarWinds Observability SaaS?

SolarWinds Observability SaaS is our new platform for growing out cutting edge features, and ensuring long term security and stability.
In the future, migrated users will also be able to take advantage of our full Observability platform, including some of our powerful AIOps functionality.

Do I need to enter my plan and billing data into SolarWinds Observability SaaS?

No, your plan information and your billing data have been automatically moved to SolarWinds Observability SaaS billing system..

What if I have a question about my billing or want to change my plan?

Once you move across to the new platform you will be able to self-manage there. In the meantime, if you want to change your plan, email swo-sales@solarwinds.com. Your account reps will be able help with your billing related questions..

Is my price for logs changing?

No, during this migration, SolarWinds will handle the collection and submission of sales tax. This will now be included in your billing as you transition to the new system. If your organization is exempt from sales tax, provide your exemption certificate to salestax@solarwinds.com.

I have questions about features as compared to Papertrail.

For questions on how a feature behaves in SWO or if there’s something you’d like to see us add or improve upon, reach out to our support team: technicalsupport@solarwinds.com.
When using the new platform, you can also leave feedback directly in-app by selecting Help > Give Feedback in the left navigation panel.

How will the migration work?

We’re migrating accounts in tiers. When your Papertrail org is selected for migration, you’ll see a new button available to click and we’ll provide information on what you can expect for the migration steps themselves.

How is my SolarWinds Papertrail log data showing up in SolarWinds Observability SaaS?

Your log data is being forwarded from Papertrail to SolarWinds Observability SaaS. When the time comes for you to move to the new platform, the logs as well as the retention periods you have in Papertrail will all be the same.

What happens to my Papertrail account?

Your SolarWinds account will become restricted after you choose to migrate. There will be some historical information available to your Papertrail account, however core items such as logs and alerts will now only be accessible in SolarWinds Observability SaaS.

Will I be able to make adjustments to my log sources?

Yes. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, you can add a new log destination or update your previous ones to account for changes you need to make for your Syslog servers and other sources..

The SolarWinds Observability SaaS documentation reference quite a few other features — can I evaluate these as well?

Not yet. After the full migration process is completed for all users, we’ll start rolling out options for evaluating more options. In the meantime, ask your account rep for a demo and they’ll be happy to show you how other features of SolarWinds Observability SaaS will help you out in the near future.

How is syslog data volume calculated?

The data is calculated the same way it was in Papertrail: The volume is equal to the message payload + 50 bytes for any header data.

Can I purchase more log volume and additional features?

Yes, to purchase more log volume or to add more features, select the Add Data button in the top ribbon.

What happens to my archives?

You will have 30 days to retrieve them from Papertrail.

What roles are available in the new platform?

The roles available in SolarWinds Observability SaaS are outlined in User roles and access levels. Billing only members, those who can change plans and payment, are given admin role in the new platform.

I notice some features missing in SWO?

Some features have not been copied across like-for-like. The new platform has a lot of advantages over the last one: We have an AIOps engine and we plan to engage that service for improving logging features. If there’s anything missing that’s a big gap for you and your team, let us know via the Give Feedback option in the help menu — our product team is ready to collect your feedback and engage with you.