Final answer:
The Socket Appender is a log4j appender that can be used for sending log data to an external system using network sockets, as an alternative to other appenders like JMS, SMTP, or Database Appenders.
Step-by-step explanation:
An alternative to using an additional appender in log4j for sending data to an external system is the Socket Appender. This appender is designed to send log events to a remote log server, typically using sockets. It's particularly useful in distributed applications where it's necessary to centralize logging. The JMS Appender sends messages to a Java Message Service (JMS) destination, while the SMTP Appender is used for sending log events via email, and the Database Appender is for logging to a database.