Event selector to generate alternate views

• US 10,185,740 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Original Assignee: Splunk Inc.
• Inventors: Lamas, Divanny I., Robichaud, Marc Vincent, Yestrau, Carl Sterling
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Heffington, John M
• Application Number:
  US15/011,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0766 Error or fault reporting or storing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

An event view selector for a search user interface is described. In one or more implementations, a service may operate to collect and store data as events and apply a late binding schema to extract events that match the search criteria and provide search results for display via the search user interface. The search user interface exposes an event view selector operable to enable transitions between multiple different views of the events associated with different levels of detail. The views may include at least a raw view, a list view, and a table view. Responsive to receiving an indication of a view selected via the event view selector, the selected view may be exposed via the search user interface.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from input to a search screen, a search query on events in a data store, each event comprising a time stamp and a portion of machine data that reflects activity in an information technology environment of at least one computing system and is associated with one or more fields, wherein a field is defined by an extraction rule for extracting a sub-portion of text from the portion of machine data in an event by identifying a pattern in the portion of machine data to produce a field value and a field name for the field for the event;

causing display in the search screen of a search results set that is responsive to the receiving of the search query using a raw view of one or more events of a plurality of the events of the search results set in a first display format that displays for at least a first event of the one or more events, the portion of machine data of the first event in a cell, the displayed portion of machine data corresponding to a plurality of field values of the fields of the first event without displaying field names in the cell, wherein the raw view comprises a list of the plurality of the events;

causing display of a graphical display element, that when selected, causes display of the search results set using an alternate view of the one or more events in a second display format, the second display format being a list format or a table format; and

causing a transition in the displayed list in the search screen from the display of the search results set using the raw view of the one or more events in the first display format to the display of the search results set using the alternate view of the one or more events in the second display format based on a user selection of the graphical display element,

wherein the transition causes display of the field values and field names of the fields associated with the first event produced using the extraction rule in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transition replaces the displayed portion of machine data in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events with the field values of the first event and field names of the fields.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the list format displays, for each event, respective field values of selected fields of the event proximate to the portion of machine data of the event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising extracting the field values of the fields associated with the first event from the portion of machine data of the first event, each field extracted using the extraction rule that defines the field.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display format displays each event without identifying any field values of fields of the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the extraction rule comprises a regular expression.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of machine data reflects at least one of security-related or information technology management information of the at least one computing system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of machine data of the first event comprises a character string from which multiple ones of the field values are extracted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display format is the list format that represents the one or more events as a list of rows, each row corresponding to an event of the one or more events and comprising at least some field values of the event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second display format is the list format that represents the one or more events as a list of rows, each row corresponding to an event of the one or more events and comprising a field value of the event and a field name of a field comprising the field value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising in the alternate view, receiving a deselection, by the user, of a field of the one or more of the events, and in response to the deselection, causing removal from the display each field value of the deselected field for each event of the one or more events.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the display of the raw view in the first display format and the display of the alternate view in the second display format each receive the one or more events from a common search results set of the search query.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the field values are identified in the alternate view based on the fields corresponding to the fields values being selected, by the user, in a fields sidebar displayed with the raw view.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a search in response to the receiving of the search query, the search applying a late-binding schema to the one or more of the events in which the extraction rule is applied to the one or more of the events to generate the field defined by the extraction rule.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising a fields sidebar displayed with the alternate view, the fields sidebar identifying unselected fields corresponding to the one or more of the events, each unselected field being identified by a respective field name and being selectable, by the user in the fields sidebar, to:

cause respective field values of the unselected field to be identified in the alternate view for each event in the one or more events; and

cause update to the displayed fields sidebar to identify the unselected field as being selected by the user.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from input to a search screen, a search query on events in a data store, each event comprising a time stamp and a portion of machine data that reflects activity in an information technology environment of at least one computing system and is associated with one or more fields, wherein a field is defined by an extraction rule for extracting a subportion of text from the portion of machine data in an event by identifying a pattern in the portion of machine data to produce a field value and a field name for the field for the event;

causing display in the search screen of a search results set that is responsive to the receiving of the search query using a raw view of one or more events of a plurality of the events of the search results set in a first display format that displays for at least a first event of the one or more events, the portion of machine data of the first event in a cell, the displayed portion of machine data corresponding to a plurality of field values of the fields of the first event without displaying field names in the cell, wherein the raw view comprises a list of the plurality of the events;

causing display of a graphical display element, that when selected, causes display of the search results set using an alternate view of the one or more events in a second display format, the second display format being a list format or a table format; and

causing a transition in the displayed list in the search screen from the display of the search results set using the raw view of the one or more events in the first display format to the display of the search results set using the alternate view of the one or more events in the second display format based on a user selection of the graphical display element,

wherein the transition causes display of the field values and field names of the fields associated with the first event produced using the extraction rule in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events.

17. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the transition replaces the displayed portion of machine data in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events with the field values and field names of the fields associated with the first event.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the list format displays, for each event, respective field values of selected fields of the event proximate to the portion of machine data of the event.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the table format displays columns corresponding to fields of the one or more of the events and respective field values of the plurality of fields in rows.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the first display format displays each event without identifying any field values of fields of the event.

21. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the extraction rule comprises a regular expression.

22. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the portion of machine data reflects at least one of security-related or information technology management information of the at least one computing system.

23. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the portion of machine data comprises a portion of raw machine data.

24. A computer-implemented system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from input to a search screen, a search query on events in a data store, each event comprising a time stamp and a portion of machine data that reflects activity in an information technology environment of at least one computing system and is associated with one or more fields, wherein a field is defined by an extraction rule for extracting a subportion of text from the portion of machine data in an event by identifying a pattern in the portion of machine data to produce a field value and a field name for the field for the event;

causing display in the search screen of a search results set that is responsive to the receiving of the search query using a raw view of one or more events of a plurality of the events of the search results set in a first display format that displays for at least a first event of the one or more events, the portion of machine data of the first event in a cell, the displayed portion of machine data corresponding to a plurality of field values of the fields of the first event without displaying field names in the cell, wherein the raw view comprises a list of the plurality of the events;

causing display of a graphical display element, that when selected, causes display of the search results set using an alternate view of the one or more events in a second display format, the second display format being a list format or a table format; and

causing a transition in the displayed list in the search screen from the display of the search results set using the raw view of the one or more events in the first display format to the display of the search results set using the alternate view of the one or more events in the second display format based on a user selection of the graphical display element,

wherein the transition causes display of the field values and field names of the fields associated with the first event produced using the extraction rule in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the transition replaces the displayed portion of machine data in the cell in the list of the plurality of the events with the field values and field names of the fields associated with the first event.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the list format displays, for each event, respective field values of selected fields of the event proximate to the portion of machine data of the event.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the table format displays columns corresponding to fields of the one or more of the events and respective field values of the plurality of fields in rows.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first display format displays each event without identifying any field values of fields of the event.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the extraction rule comprises a regular expression.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the portion of machine data reflects at least one of security-related or information technology management information of the at least one computing system.