US5847972A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus for graphically analzying a log-file
Assignee: Sound View Innovations LLC
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Filing: 1993-09-24
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Granted: 1998-12-08
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Expires: 2013-09-24
Abstract
Abstract A technique for interactively analyzing system log-files. System log-files, which are monitored by technical personnel and systems specialists to determine system performance, status, and software faults, are often generated during various hardware and software monitoring operations. Each log-file contains time stamped reports. This technique is especially useful for analyzing large log-files. A new release of software may contain many incremental versions that must be tested. The testing of each incremental version may generate a log-file containing thousands of reports. Using this technique, reports are correlated, faults are isolated, and temporal patterns are recognized more quickly and efficiently than by using conventional, non-graphical techniques.
Inventors
- 👤 Stephen Gregory Eick
- 👤 Paul Jay Lucas
- 👤 Jeffrey Donald Schmidt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 16:18
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/36; G06F11/362; G06F11/3636; G06F11/30; G06F11/32; G06F11/323; G06F2201/00; G06F2201/835
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
Apparatus comprising: means for originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; means for visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages; each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a first characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; each symbol having a position that is determined by the time-stamp and a second characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; and means for displaying the message corresponding to any symbol.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
92 words
Apparatus comprising: means for originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; means for visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages; each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a first characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; each symbol having a position that is determined by the time-stamp and a second characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; and means for displaying the message corresponding to any symbol.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein values of said characteristic are monotonically ordered.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each symbol is a line-segment of varying inclination and varying color.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each symbol is a line-segment varying in inclination, color and texture.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each symbol is a geometric shape varying in color.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each symbol is a geometric shape varying in texture.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: each symbol is a geometric shape varying in color and texture.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for searching the message for a textual pattern.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a total of occurrences of messages of a specific type.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said time interval is adjustable.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a total of all messages time stamped within a time interval.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said time interval is adjustable.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for displaying a selector window that allows selected values of an attribute to not be displayed.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus comprising: a processor; a random access memory; a mass storage device having a plurality of unprocessed log file messages stored therein; a relational data base process performed by said processor to process said plurality of unprocessed log file messages into a set of relations stored in said random access memory; and display means for visually displaying non-textual geometric representations of said relations derived from said plurality of log file messages.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
71 words
Apparatus comprising: a processor; a random access memory; a mass storage device having a plurality of unprocessed log file messages stored therein; a relational data base process performed by said processor to process said plurality of unprocessed log file messages into a set of relations stored in said random access memory; and display means for visually displaying non-textual geometric representations of said relations derived from said plurality of log file messages.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
89 words
A method comprising the steps of: originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages, each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a characteristic of its respective message; locating each symbol at a position that is determined by its respective time-stamp and a second characteristic of its respective message; selecting one of said plurality of symbols; and displaying the message corresponding to said selected symbol.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
89 words
A method comprising the steps of: originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages, each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a characteristic of its respective message; locating each symbol at a position that is determined by its respective time-stamp and a second characteristic of its respective message; selecting one of said plurality of symbols; and displaying the message corresponding to said selected symbol.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus comprising: means for originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; means for visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages; each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a first characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; each symbol having a position that is determined by the time-stamp and a second characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; and means for turning off the displaying of all symbols except those having a characteristic that they are from a selected module.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
104 words
Apparatus comprising: means for originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics; means for visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages; each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a first characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; each symbol having a position that is determined by the time-stamp and a second characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message; and means for turning off the displaying of all symbols except those having a characteristic that they are from a selected module.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said selected module is a processor module.
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| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-12-07 | 2006-06-08 | 2006-12-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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