System, method, and computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file

• US 8,732,199 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Danny Yen-Fu, Cox, David A., Kinstler, Sheryl S., Morgan, Fabian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rostami, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US13/456,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209882A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing

Abstract

A system, a method, and a computer readable media for identifying a user-initiated log file record in a log file are provided. The log file has a user-initiated log file record and a repeating pattern of log file records automatically generated by a software program. The system allows a user to identify first and second timestamp values corresponding to first and second times which identify a time interval of interest in the log file. The system further analyzes the log file to identify the user-initiated log file record having a timestamp value between the first and second timestamp values. The system further identifies the repeating pattern of log file records in the log file.

Claims

1. A method for identifying log file records, the method comprising:

a computer identifying a first plurality of log file records of commands in a log file, each log file record in the first plurality of log file records of commands having been automatically generated and entered into the log file by a software program in response to an expiration of one or more predetermined time interval, the first plurality of log file records of commands having at least a threshold level of similarity, the first plurality of log file records of commands being a subset of a second plurality of log file records of commands in the log file, the second plurality of log file records of commands having been entered into the log file between a first time and a second time;

the computer extracting the first plurality of log file records of commands from the second plurality of log file records of commands;

the computer identifying at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting, the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting being a log file record of commands that captures a command to perform at least one task selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task so that the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a record of a command to perform at least one task selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer displaying the identified at least one log file record in a graphical user interface that is devoid of the first plurality of log file records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of the commands after the extracting is a log file record that comprises a record of a first command to perform a first type of user initiated task and a record of a second command to perform a second type of user initiated task, the first type of user initiated task being selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task, the second type of user initiated task being different from the first type of user initiated task and being selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records by identifying similar commands executed at a first predetermined time interval and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and a second repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and a second repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of the commands after the extracting is a log file record that comprises a record of a first command to perform a first type of user initiated task and a record of the second command to perform a second type of user initiated task, the first type of user initiated task being selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task, the second type of user initiated task being different from the first type of user initiated task and being selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a record of a select command, a record of an insert command, and a record of a where command.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computer storing in response to a user action a file comprising the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting, the file being absent of log file records that are not records of a command to perform a user initiated task.

19. The computer readable storage device of claim 10, further comprising:

the computer executing at least one task selected from the group of consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task between the first time and the second time in response to first graphical user interface action by a user; and

the computer storing a first timestamp value corresponding to the first time and a second timestamp value corresponding to the second time, wherein the computer storing the second timestamp value initiates the computer extracting the first plurality of log file records of commands from the second plurality of log file records of commands, and wherein the computer storing the second timestamp value is performed in response to a second graphical user interface action by a user.

3. A computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored therein, said computer-executable instructions configured to be executed by a computer to implement a method for identifying log file records, the method comprising:

the computer identifying a first plurality of log file records of commands in a log file, each log file record in the first plurality of log file records of commands having been entered into the log file by a software program in response to an expiration of a predetermined time interval, the first plurality of log file records of commands having at least a threshold level of similarity, the first plurality of log file records of commands being a subset of a second plurality of log file records of commands in the log file, the second plurality of log file records of commands having been entered into the log file between a first time and a second time;

the computer extracting the first plurality of log file records of commands from the second plurality of log file records of commands;

the computer identifying at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting, the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting being a log file record of commands that captures a command to perform a user initiated task so that the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a record of a command to perform a user initiated task, wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, and wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time.

12. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records by identifying similar commands executed at a first predetermined time interval and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records.

13. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, the computer determining the first repeating pattern of log file records by identifying similar commands executed at a first predetermined time interval, the computer determining the second repeating pattern of log file records by identifying similar commands executed at a second predetermined time interval.

14. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records.

15. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and a second repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records.

16. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and a second repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of the commands after the extracting is a log file record that comprises a record of a first command to perform a first type of user initiated task and a record of a second command to perform a second type of user initiated task, the second type of user initiated task being different from the first type of user initiated task.

17. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a record of a select command, a record of an insert command, and a record of a where command.

18. The computer readable storage device of claim 3, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a user ID associated with a user and a transaction ID associated with a transaction.

4. A system comprising a memory device and a computer operably coupled to the memory device, the memory device having a log file stored therein, the computer comprising a computer readable storage device having computer-executable instructions stored therein, said computer-executable instructions configured to be executed by the computer to implement a method for identifying log file records, the method comprising:

the computer identifying a first plurality of log file records of commands in the log file, each log file record in the first plurality of log file records of commands having been entered into the log file by a software program in response to an expiration of a predetermined time interval, the first plurality of log file records of commands having at least a threshold level of similarity, the first plurality of log file records being a subset of a second plurality of log file records of commands in the log file, the second plurality of log file records of commands having been entered into the log file between a first time and a second time;

the computer extracting the first plurality of log file records from the second plurality of log file records;

the computer identifying at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting, the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting being a log file record of commands that captures a command to perform a user initiated task so that the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of commands after the extracting comprises a record of a command to perform a user initiated task, wherein the at least one log file record of commands remaining from the second plurality of log file records of the commands after the extracting is a log file record that comprises a record of a first command to perform a first type of user initiated task and a record of the second command to perform a second type of user initiated task, the second type of user initiated task being different from the first type of user initiated task.

20. The system of claim 4, wherein the computer extracting includes performing the extracting in response to a user action and wherein the computer extracting includes the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and to determine a second repeating pattern of log file records and the computer removing log file records of commands that are part of the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records from the second plurality of log file records, wherein the computer examining log file records of commands to determine a first repeating pattern of log file records and a second repeating pattern of log file records occurs prior to the first time so that at a time of the user action prior to the extracting the computer has determined the first repeating pattern of log file records and the second repeating pattern of log file records, the first type of user initiated task being selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task, the second type of user initiated task being different from the first type of user initiated task and being one selected from the group consisting of a user initiated migrate task, a user initiated assign task, and a user initiated submit task.