AWStats (Advanced Web Statistics) is a powerful open-source web analytics reporting tool designed for analyzing server log files from various Internet services including web, streaming media, mail, and FTP servers. Written in Perl and distributed under GNU GPL v3, AWStats has been serving the analytics community since 2000, with development led by Laurent Destailleur. The platform supports extensive server log formats including Apache (NCSA combined/XLF/ELF), Microsoft IIS (W3C), WebStar, and most web, proxy, WAP, and streaming media servers. AWStats operates through both CGI web interface and command-line execution, providing flexibility for different deployment scenarios and user preferences. Comprehensive reporting features include unique visitors and visit duration tracking, authenticated user monitoring, hourly/daily/monthly usage breakdowns, geographical analysis with Maxmind geo-location databases, browser and operating system detection (123 browsers, 45 OS), search engine and keyword analysis (122 search engines), and robot/crawler identification (381 robots detected). AWStats offers multiple output formats including dynamic CGI reports, static HTML/XHTML pages, and experimental PDF export. The platform features customizable themes and color schemes, multi-language support, and XML database storage for external application integration. While powerful for technical users, AWStats requires proper configuration knowledge and security considerations, particularly when providing public access to analytics reports. The tool excels in server-based analytics where complete log file access and detailed technical metrics are required.