Fivetran Platform Connector and External Logging Service Comparison
Use сase
You are considering using Fivetran log data but aren’t sure which option is best for your use case. You are deciding between accessing this data in your destination using the Fivetran Platform Connector or an external logging service.
Recommendation
Fivetran's logs provide metadata about your connections, syncs, and account activity to help you diagnose issues, track usage, and monitor performance. The key decision is where that data should land:
Fivetran Platform Connector - delivers log events and metadata into your destination so you can query and join them with your warehouse data. This option is best for:
- Reporting
- Analytics
- Ad hoc investigations
External Logging Service - Fivetran sends log events directly to a logging provider that specializes in real-time monitoring and alerting workflows. This option is best for:
- Active monitoring
- Alerting
What is different in practice?
The table below breaks down how the two approaches differ in log scope, structure, sync behavior, and operational workflow.
| Aspect | Fivetran Platform Connector | External Logging Services | User Experience Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Log data scope and event coverage | • Delivers log events plus account/destination metadata into a destination schema (for example, role/membership info, lineage metadata, and usage data). • Log events include connections, dashboard user actions, and schema change data. • Fivetran writes log events for all connections in the destination or account to the destination. | • Log events only, streamed directly to the external service designed for event data and monitoring workflows. • Fivetran retains connection logs for one week; external services are recommended if you need access to logs older than seven days (retention depends on provider). • Fivetran writes log events for all connections in the destination or account to the connected external service. | Platform Connector adds broader contextual metadata for deeper analysis in your warehouse, while external services focus on operational visibility from log events. |
| Log structure and data model | • Logs land in tables such as LOG, CONNECTOR_SDK_LOG, and AUDIT_TRAIL, plus metadata tables for schemas, tables, columns, and lineage.• The LOG table stores event type, routine, and JSON message data for analysis in SQL. | • Events are emitted in a standardized JSON format with fields like event, data, created, connection_id, and sync_id.• Datadog, New Relic, and Splunk explicitly describe JSON log ingestion for filtering and queries in their log explorers. | Platform Connector provides SQL analytics in your destination; external services provide JSON-based log exploration in each provider’s UI. |
| Sync frequency and schedule | • Default sync is once per day, configurable on the connection’s Setup tab. • LOG and CONNECTOR_SDK_LOG tables append new data; initial sync and full resync backfill 7 days of history for these tables. | Logs are sent directly to the external service for active monitoring and alerting workflows, and retention is managed by the provider (often months). | Platform Connector is a scheduled warehouse sync; external services are optimized for near-real-time monitoring. |
| Observability, alerting, and filtering | • Best for analytics, reporting, and long-term investigations using SQL in your destination. • Sample query patterns and destination querying are documented for platform connector data. | • Optimized for monitoring, alerting, and lifecycle management of log events. • Each provider documents how to filter logs by connection, dashboard activity, or dbt jobs: • CloudWatch: {ACCOUNT_ID}/{GROUP_ID}/{CONNECTOR_TYPE}/{SCHEMA_NAME} log stream pattern.• Google Cloud Logging: {ACCOUNT_ID}-{GROUP_ID}-{CONNECTOR_TYPE}-{SCHEMA_NAME} pattern.• Azure Monitor: logs in fivetran_CL with KQL filtering examples.• Splunk: channel.* fields for account, group, service, and schema filters.• Datadog / New Relic: service/logger filters for Fivetran logs. | External services provide native alerting and dashboards; Platform Connector provides SQL-based analysis in your warehouse. |
| Access scope and configuration constraints | Automatically added to every destination and can be set up account-wide by an Account Administrator. | One external logging service per destination and per account. Fivetran writes log events for all connections in the destination or account to the connected service. | The Fivetran Platform Connector is automatically available in every destination and can be enabled account-wide by an admin, while external logging requires explicitly configuring a single provider per destination/account. |
| Plan and availability differences | Available on all plans. | Requires an Enterprise or Business Critical plan. | The Fivetran Platform Connector is available on all plans, while external logging services are limited to Enterprise or Business Critical plans. |
Choosing between the two
Choose Fivetran Platform Connector if you need the following:
- Warehouse-native analytics and reporting
- Joined analysis with your destination data
- Historical analysis using SQL over log + metadata tables
Choose external logging services if you need the following:
- Real-time monitoring and alerting workflows
- Provider-native dashboards and long retention
- Centralized operational logging outside the warehouse