Computer-implemented method for handling log file

• US 10,079,739 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Durney, Jean-Philippe, Huang, Jui Hsiang, Liu, Jeffrey C. H., Tseng, Joey H. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US14/597,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,342 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709223, 709227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/062 related to network traffic

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for handling logs includes the steps of: accessing a log definition by an application, wherein the log definition describes a log message format including a first parameter and a second parameter, and assigns parameter identifications P1, P2 for the first parameter and the second parameter, respectively; the application generating a log message in the log message format, wherein the first log contains a combination of the parameter identification P1 and a value of the first parameter and a combination of the parameter identification P2 and a value of the second parameter; a log disseminating program, using the parameter identification P1, sending the value of the first parameter to a first recipient associated beforehand with the parameter identification P1; and the log disseminating program, using the parameter identification P2, sending the value of the second parameter to a second recipient associated beforehand with the parameter identification P2.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing log files created by a computer system associated with a webpage server, wherein the processing of the log files reduces an original size of the log files comprising:

accessing, by a server application executed by a processor of the webpage server, an online log file definition describing a first log file message format comprising a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the online log file definition assigns parameter identifiers P1, P2 to the first parameter and the second parameter, respectively, and wherein the parameter identifiers P1 and P2 correspond to metadata associated with textual data electronically stored in a log file;

creating, by the server application executed by the processor of the webpage server, an online first log file message by the server application according to the first online log file message format, wherein the first online log file message contains a combination of the parameter identifier P1 and a value of the first parameter and a combination of the parameter identifier P2 and a value of the second parameter;

sending, electronically via an electronic communications network, by a log disseminating program executed by the processor of the webpage server, according to the parameter identifier P1, the value of the first parameter in the first online log file message to a first recipient associated with the parameter identifier P1 in advance; and

sending, electronically via an electronic communications network, by the log disseminating program executed by the processor of the webpage server, according to the parameter identifier P2, the value of the second parameter in the online first log file message to a second recipient associated with the parameter identifier P2 in advance, wherein the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter reduce an original size of the first log file and are sent simultaneously to the first recipient and the second recipient, and wherein the first recipient is using a first computer to electronically receive the value of the first parameter and the second recipient is using a second computer to electronically receive the value of the second parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, prior to sending by the log disseminating program the value of the first parameter, further comprising:

receiving the parameter identifier P1 from the first recipient and associating the parameter identifier P1 with the first recipient by the log disseminating program before sending the value of the first parameter by the log disseminating program; and

receiving the parameter identifier P2 from the second recipient and associating the parameter identifier P2 with the second recipient by the log disseminating program after sending the value of the first parameter by the log disseminating program and before sending the value of the second parameter by the log disseminating program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first recipient is identical to the second recipient, and the first recipient is associated with at least two distinct log file message formats.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a log file message format identifier M1 to the first log file message format by the log file definition, wherein the first log file message further comprises the log file message format identifier M1;

sending the value of the first parameter in the first log file message, by the log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P1, to the first recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P1 is created in advance; and

sending the value of the second parameter in the first log file message, by the log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P2, to the second recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P2 is created in advance.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

creating a second log file message in the second log file message format by the application, wherein the second log file message contains a combination of a parameter identifier P3 and a value of the third parameter and a combination of a parameter identifier P4 and a value of the fourth parameter;

sending a value of the third parameter in the second log file message, by the log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P3, to a third recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P3 is created in advance; and

sending a value of the fourth parameter in the second log file message, by the log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P4, to a fourth recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P4 is created in advance,

wherein the log file definition further describes a second log file message format comprising a third parameter and a fourth parameter, such that the log file message format identifier M2 is assigned to the second log file message format, and assigns parameter identifiers P11, P12 are assigned to the third parameter and the fourth parameter, respectively.

6. The method of claim 5, prior to sending by the log disseminating program the value of the first parameter, further comprising:

receiving the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P1 from the first recipient and associating the log file message format identifier M1 and the parameter identifier P1 with the first recipient by the log disseminating program before sending a value of the first parameter by the log disseminating program; and

receiving the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P3 from the third recipient and associating the log file message format identifier M2 and the parameter identifier P3 with the third recipient by the log disseminating program before sending a value of the third parameter by the log disseminating program.

7. A computer-implemented method for processing log files created by a computer system associated with a webpage server, wherein the processing of the log files reduces an original size of the log files, comprising:

accessing, by a server application, an online log file definition describing a first log file message format and a second log file message format, wherein the log file definition further assigns log file message format identifiers M1, M2 to the first log file message format and the second log file message format, respectively;

creating an online first log file message in the first log file message format by the server application, wherein the first log file message further comprises the log file message format identifier M1;

sending, electronically by a log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M1, the first log file message to a first recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M1 is created in advance;

creating an online second log file message in the second log file message format by the server application, wherein the second log file message further comprises the log file message format identifier M2; and

sending, by the log disseminating program according to the log file message format identifier M2, the online second log file message to a second recipient whose association with the log file message format identifier M2 is created in advance, wherein the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter reduce an original size of the first log file and are sent simultaneously to the first recipient and the second recipient, and wherein the first recipient is using a first computer to electronically receive the value of the first parameter and the second recipient is using a second computer to electronically receive the value of the second parameter.

8. The method of claim 7, prior to sending by the log disseminating program the first log file message, further comprising:

receiving the log file message format identifier M1 from the first recipient and associating the log file message format identifier M1 with the first recipient by the log disseminating program before sending the first log file message by the log disseminating program; and

receiving the log file message format identifier M2 from the second recipient and associating the log file message format identifier M2 with the second recipient by the log disseminating program after sending the first log file message by the log disseminating program and before sending the second log file message by the log disseminating program.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first recipient is identical to the second recipient.

10. A computer system, comprising:

a host, comprising;

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory stores therein a computer-executable command; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the computer-executable command to implement a method for processing log files created by a computer system associated with a webpage server, wherein the processing of the log files reduces an original size of the log files, comprising;

accessing, by a server application, an online log file definition describing a first log file message format comprising a first parameter and a second parameter, wherein the online log file definition assigns parameter identifiers P1, P2 to the first parameter and the second parameter, respectively;

creating an online first log file message by the server application according to the first online log file message format, wherein the first online log file message contains a combination of the parameter identifier P1 and a value of the first parameter and a combination of the parameter identifier P2 and a value of the second parameter;

sending, electronically by a log disseminating program according to the parameter identifier P1, the value of the first parameter in the online first log file message to a first recipient associated with the parameter identifier P1 in advance; and

sending, electronically, by the log disseminating program according to the parameter identifier P2, the value of the second parameter in the first online log file message to a second recipient associated with the parameter identifier P2 in advance, wherein the value of the first parameter and the value of the second parameter reduce an original size of the first log file and are sent simultaneously to the first recipient and the second recipient, and wherein the first recipient is using a first computer to electronically receive the value of the first parameter and the second recipient is using a second computer to electronically receive the value of the second parameter.