Machine-generated data
Machine Generated Data (MGD) describes information which was automatically created from a computer or other machine. While Machine Generated Data can be created due to some action by a human (ex: apache web logs, etc.), it excludes data manually entered by an end user (ex: personal hobbies on a social media site, video, pictures, etc.).
Growth
In 2009, Gartner published that data will grow by 650% over the following five years. [1]
Examples of Machine Generated Data
* Computer, network, and other equipment logs * Satellite and similar telemetry (whether for espionage or science) * Location data such as RFID chip readings, GPS system output, etc. * Temperature and other environmental sensor readings * Sensor readings from factories, pipelines, etc. * Output from many kinds of medical device, in hospitals and (increasingly) homes alike
(1) http://www.dbms2.com/2010/01/17/three-broad-categories-of-data/
(2) http://www.dbms2.com/2010/04/08/machine-generated-data-example/
(3) http://www.infobright.com/Blog/Entry/machine_generated_data
(4) http://federalevidence.com/blog/2008/december/machine-generated-data-was-not-statement-and-raised-no-hearsay-or-confrontation-c
(5) http://blog.sciencelogic.com/gartner-ten-technologies-to-watch/06/2009