Unified logging service with a log viewer

• US 20050223282A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Petrov, Miroslav R., Frey, Gregor K., Stein, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems

Abstract

An integrated tracing and logging system for an enterprise network. One embodiment of the integrated logging and tracing system has an object-oriented architecture which includes a controller class with two sub-classes: a tracing sub-class and a logging sub-class. Instances of the tracing sub-class (tracing modules) are associated with specified program code regions of network applications. The tracing modules receive method calls from the network applications and process the method calls based on defined severity levels. Instances of the logging sub-class (logging modules) are associated with specified “categories” related to the enterprise network (e.g., system, database, etc). The logging modules receive and process method calls from network components associated with the categories. The integrated logging and tracing system may be accessed by a log viewer having a log viewer client to provide a user interface and a log viewer server to read one or more log messages.

Claims

1. An integrated tracing and logging system employed within a network comprising:

a tracing module associated with specified program code regions of an application, the tracing module to receive and process tracing method calls generated by the application when the specified program code regions are executed;

a logging module associated with specified categories related to the network, the logging module to receive and process logging method calls from network components associated with the categories; and

a log viewer module to provide an interface to the integrated tracing and logging system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the log viewer module comprises:

a log viewer client to provide a user interface; and

a log viewer server to access a message in at least one of the tracing module and the logging module.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the log viewer client is to provide a graphical user interface to access one or more log messages generated by at least one of the tracing module and the logging module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the log viewer client is to provide a first pane having one or more log messages from a first application server and a second pane having one or log messages from a second application server.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the log viewer client is to provide a graphical user interface to configure an output destination for the integrated tracing and logging system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the graphical user interface to configure an output destination comprises a dialog window to set an attribute of the output destination.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the attribute of the output destination includes at least one of

a severity level;

and

a filter.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more log messages are implemented as management beans.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the log viewer client is to provide a command line interface to access one or more log messages generated by at least one of the tracing module and the logging module.

10. A computer-implemented method employed within a network comprising:

creating an instance of a tracing controller associated with specified program code regions of an application, the tracing controller instance to receive and process tracing method calls generated by the application when the specified program code regions are executed;

creating an instance of a logging controller associated with specified categories related to the network, the logging controller to receive and process logging method calls from network components associated with the categories;

specifying an output destination to receive a log message from at least one of the tracing controller instance and the logging controller instance; and

accessing the log message with a log viewer, the log viewer having a log viewer server and a log viewer client.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein accessing the log message comprises:

accessing a first log message on a first application server;

accessing a second log message on a second application server; and

displaying the first log message and the second log message in a window of a graphical user interface of the log viewer client.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the first log message and the second log message in the window of the graphical user interface of the log viewer client comprises:

displaying the first log message in a first pane of the window; and

displaying the second log message in a second pane of the window.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the first log message in the first pane of the window;

selecting the second log message in the second pane of the window;

merging the first log message and the second log message; and

displaying the first log message and the second log message in a third pane of the window.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the first log message and the second log message in a window of a graphical user interface of the log viewer client further comprises:

displaying one or more log messages of the output destination in the window of the graphical user interface of the log viewer client.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

searching the one or more displayed log messages to determine which, if any, of the displayed log messages contain a search string.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying at least one of the one more displayed log messages having the search string;

creating a search results pane in the window of the graphical user interface; and

displaying the identified log message in the search results pane.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

displaying a representation of the output destination in the log viewer;

selecting the displayed representation of the output destination;

opening a dialog window to access an attribute of the displayed representation of the output destination; and

setting an attribute of the selected output destination with the opened dialog window.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein setting the attribute of the selected output destination comprises:

setting a severity level of the output destination.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein setting the attribute of the selected output destination comprises:

specifying a filter for the output destination.

20. A system comprising:

a means for creating an instance of a tracing controller associated with specified program code regions of an application, the tracing controller instance to receive and process tracing method calls generated by the application when the specified program code regions are executed;

a means for creating an instance of a logging controller associated with specified categories related to the network, the logging controller to receive and process logging method calls from network components associated with the categories;

a means for specifying an output destination to receive a log message from at least one of the tracing controller instance and the logging controller instance; and

a means for accessing the log message with a log viewer, the log viewer having a log viewer server and a log viewer client.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for accessing the log message with the log viewer comprises:

a means for accessing a first log message on a first application server;

a means for accessing a second log message on a second application server; and

a means for displaying the first log message and the second log message in a window of a graphical user interface of the log viewer client.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

a means for selecting the first log message in the first pane of the window;

a means for selecting the second log message in the second pane of the window;

a means for merging the first log message and the second log message; and

a means for displaying the first log message and the second log message in a third pane of the window.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a means for displaying a representation of the output destination in the log viewer;

a means for selecting the displayed representation of the output destination;

a means for opening a dialog window to access an attribute of the displayed representation of the output destination; and

a means for setting an attribute of the selected output destination with the opened dialog window.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for setting the attribute of the selected output destination comprises:

a means for setting a severity level of the output destination.

25. An article of manufacture comprising:

an electronically accessible medium providing instructions that, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to

create an instance of a tracing controller associated with specified program code regions of an application, the tracing controller instance to receive and process tracing method calls generated by the application when the specified program code regions are executed;

create an instance of a logging controller associated with specified categories related to the network, the logging controller to receive and process logging method calls from network components associated with the categories;

specify an output destination to receive a log message from at least one of the tracing controller instance and the logging controller instance; and

access the log message with a log viewer, the log viewer having a log viewer server and a log viewer client.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to access the log message cause the apparatus to

access a first log message on a first application server;

access a second log message on a second application server; and

display the first log message and the second log message in a window of a graphical user interface of the log viewer client

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to display the first log message and the second log message in a window of a graphical user interface of the log viewer client cause the apparatus to

display one or more log messages of the output destination in the window of the graphical user interface of the log viewer client.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the electronically accessible medium provides further instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to

search the one or more displayed log messages to determine which, if any, of the displayed log messages contain a search string.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the electronically accessible medium provides further instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to

identify at least one of the one more displayed messages having the search string;

and

create a search results pane in the window of the graphical user interface; and

display the identified message in the search results pane.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein the electronically accessible medium provides further instructions that, when executed by the apparatus, cause the apparatus to

display a representation of the output destination in the log viewer;

select the displayed representation of the output destination;

open a dialog window to access an attribute of the displayed representation of the output destination; and

set an attribute of the selected output destination with the opened dialog window.