Distributed plug-and-play logging services

• US 20040034510A1
• Filed: 08/16/2002
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Laux, Thorsten, Pfohe, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention log information by reading a configuration file to determine a destination for sending logging information. The logging information is sent to the destination. Additional logging information is generated. It is determined whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a new destination instead of the destination. When the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the new destination, the additional logging information is sent to the destination. When the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination, the additional logging information is sent to the new destination.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system having a program, the method comprising the steps performed by the program of:

reading a configuration file to determine a destination for sending logging information;

sending the logging information to the destination;

generating additional logging information;

determining whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a new destination instead of the destination;

when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the new destination,

sending the additional logging information to the destination; and

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination,

sending the additional logging information to the new destination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a local computer and the new destination is a remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the destination is a remote computer and the new destination is a local computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file is located on a local computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file is located on a remote computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

obtaining a log object for sending the log information to the destination.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

obtaining a manager object for reading the configuration file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the manager object is obtained by the log object.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether the configuration file has been updated includes repeatedly monitoring the configuration file at a predetermined time interval.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a watchdog thread repeatedly monitors the configuration file for an update of the configuration file at the predetermined time interval.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination,

notifying the manager object that the configuration file has been updated;

reading the configuration file to determine the new destination for sending the logging information;

notifying the log object to obtain an identity of the new destination from the manager object; and

obtaining at the log object the identity of the new destination from the manager object.

12. A method in a data processing system having a program, the method comprising the steps performed by the program of:

obtaining a manager object for reading a logging method identifier from a configuration file, the logging method identifier identifying a first logging method for logging information to a destination selected from a group of destinations consisting of a local destination and a remote destination, the first logging method selected from a group of logging methods each associated with one of the group of destinations;

the manager object reading the configuration file to determine the first logging method identifier;

obtaining a log object including the first logging method responsive to the manager object determining the first logging method identifier;

the log object sending the logging information to the destination using the first logging method;

generating additional logging information;

determining whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a second logging method identifier identifying a second logging method, the second logging method selected from the group of logging methods and being different from the first logging method;

when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the second logging method identifier,

the log object sending the additional logging information to the destination using the first logging method; and

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the second logging method identifier,

notifying the manager object that the configuration file has been updated;

the manager object reading the configuration file to determine the second logging method identifier;

the manager object notifying the log object to obtain the second logging method identifier from the manager object;

the log object obtaining the second logging method identifier from the manager object;

replacing the first logging method in the log object with the second logging method; and

the log object sending the additional logging information to a new destination associated with the second logging method using the second logging method.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a program in a data processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

reading a configuration file to determine a destination for sending logging information;

sending the logging information to the destination;

generating additional logging information;

determining whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a new destination instead of the destination;

when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the new destination,

sending the additional logging information to the destination; and

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination,

sending the additional logging information to the new destination.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the destination is a local computer and the new destination is a remote computer.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the destination is a remote computer and the new destination is a local computer.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the configuration file is located on a local computer.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the configuration file is located on a remote computer.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

obtaining a log object for sending the log information to the destination.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

obtaining a manager object for reading the configuration file.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the manager object is obtained by the log object.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein determining whether the configuration file has been updated includes repeatedly monitoring the configuration file at a predetermined time interval.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein a watchdog thread repeatedly monitors the configuration file for an update of the configuration file at the predetermined time interval.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination,

notifying the manager object that the configuration file has been updated;

reading the configuration file to determine the new destination for sending the logging information;

notifying the log object to obtain an identity of the new destination from the manager object; and

obtaining at the log object the identity of the new destination from the manager object.

24. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a program in a data processing system to perform a method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a manager object for reading a logging method identifier from a configuration file, the logging method identifier identifying a first logging method for logging information to a destination selected from a group of destinations consisting of a local destination and a remote destination, the first logging method selected from a group of logging methods each associated with one of the group of destinations;

the manager object reading the configuration file to determine the first logging method identifier;

obtaining a log object including the first logging method responsive to the manager object determining the first logging method identifier;

the log object sending the logging information to the destination using the first logging method;

generating additional logging information;

determining whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a second logging method identifier identifying a second logging method, the second logging method selected from the group of logging methods and being different from the first logging method;

when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the second logging method identifier,

the log object sending the additional logging information to the destination using the first logging method; and

when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the second logging method identifier,

notifying the manager object that the configuration file has been updated;

the manager object reading the configuration file to determine the second logging method identifier;

the manager object notifying the log object to obtain the second logging method identifier from the manager object;

the log object obtaining the second logging method identifier from the manager object;

replacing the first logging method in the log object with the second logging method; and

the log object sending the additional logging information to a new destination associated with the second logging method using the second logging method.

25. A data processing system comprising:

a secondary storage device having a configuration file;

a memory comprising a program that reads a configuration file to determine a destination for sending logging information, sends the logging information to the destination, generates additional logging information, determines whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a new destination instead of the destination, sends the additional logging information to the destination when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the new destination, and sends the additional logging information to the new destination when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination; and

a processing unit that runs the program.

26. A data processing system comprising:

means for reading a configuration file to determine a destination for sending logging information;

means for sending the logging information to the destination;

means for generating additional logging information;

means for determining whether the configuration file has been updated to indicate a new destination instead of the destination;

means for sending the additional logging information to the destination when the configuration file has not been updated to indicate the new destination; and

means for sending the additional logging information to the new destination when the configuration file has been updated to indicate the new destination.

27. A computer-readable memory device encoded with a program having a data structure, the program run by a processor in a data processing system, the data structure comprising:

a method for logging information to a destination, wherein the program monitors a configuration file for changes to indicate that the program is to use a new method for logging the information to a new destination, such that when the configuration file changes, the program replaces the method with the new method for logging the information to the new destination.