Method for translating computer generated log files

• US 8,874,426 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Hugh P.
• Primary Examiner(s): BAKER, MATTHEW H
• Application Number:
  US12/494,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,946 Days
• Field of Search: 704 2- 9
• US Class Current: 704/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/55 Rule-based translation

Abstract

A method of translating a computer generated log output message from a first language to a second language, including receiving a log output containing a plurality of messages in a first language and matching words and phrases in the log output messages to pre-established codes in a matched message index. Ambiguous matches are resolved by removing codes matched to ones of the words and phrases that have overlap with words and phrases matched to different codes. The codes in the matched message index are translated into a second language different than the first language to a corresponding second log output message in the second language and then the second log output message is output in the second language.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of translating a computer generated log output message file from a first language to a second language, said method comprising:

receiving a log output file into a computing device, said log output file containing log output messages in a first language;

analyzing each character of said log output messages and identifying occurrences of any character, word, or phrase, according to said first language, in a message index file, using said computing device;

matching, using said computing device, characters, words, and phrases in said log output messages in said first language having occurrence in said message index file to pre-established codes in said message index file, producing a matched message index comprising a string of data for each pre-established code having a match, each element of said string of data corresponding to said pre-established code on an element-by-element basis, said pre-established codes in said message index file identifying a correspondence of characters, words, and phrases in said first language with characters, words, and phrases in a second language corresponding in meaning to said characters, words, and phrases of said first language;

comparing, on an element-by-element basis, each string of data against every other string of data in said matched message index, using said computing device, identifying elements in a first string of data being completely overlapped by elements in another string of data as ambiguous matches, using said computing device;

resolving said ambiguous matches, using said computing device, by removing codes from said matched message index having been matched to ones of said characters, words, and phrases that have overlap with characters, words, and phrases matched to different codes;

translating, using said computing device, said log output messages in said first language into said second language using said codes in said matched message index by substituting characters, words, and phrases in said first language corresponding to matched codes with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding to said matched codes, producing log output messages in said second language, said second language being different from said first language; and

outputting said log output messages in said second language.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indexing, using said computing device, said log output messages in said computer generated log output message file with a message identifier and a language descriptor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing, using said computing device, said log output messages in said computer generated log output message file into a canonical form by including at least one message variable field in at least one of said log output messages,

said at least one message variable field further comprising data indicating a position of said at least one message variable field in said log output message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting, using said computing device, variable data from said computer generated log output message file in said first language.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

substituting, using said computing device, said variable data extracted from said computer generated log output message file into translated content of one of said log output messages in said second language.

6. A computer-implemented method of translating a computer generated log output message file from a first language to a second language, said method comprising:

receiving a computer generated log output message file containing a plurality of log output messages in a first language, into a computing device;

processing, using said computing device, said plurality of log output messages into a canonical form by including at least one message variable field in at least one of said plurality of log output messages, said at least one message variable field comprising data indicating a position of said at least one message variable field in said at least one of said plurality of log output messages;

analyzing, using said computing device, each character of each of said plurality of log output messages and identifying occurrences of any character, word, or phrase, according to said first language, in a message index file;

matching, using said computing device, characters, words, and phrases in said plurality of log output messages in said first language having occurrence in said message index file to pre-established codes in said message index file, producing a matched message index comprising a string of data for each pre-established code having a match, each element of said string of data corresponding to said pre-established code on an element-by-element basis;

comparing, on an element-by-element basis, each string of data against every other string of data in said matched message index, using said computing device, identifying elements in a first string of data being completely overlapped by elements in another string of data as ambiguous matches, using said computing device;

resolving said ambiguous matches, using said computing device, by removing codes from said matched message index having been matched to ones of said characters, words, and phrases that have overlap with characters, words, and phrases matched to different codes;

translating, using said computing device, a message in said plurality of log output messages in said first language into a second language using said codes in said matched message index by substituting characters, words, and phrases in said first language corresponding to matched codes with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding to said matched codes, producing a log output message in said second language corresponding to said message in said plurality of log output messages in said first language, said second language being different from said first language; and

outputting said log output message in said second language.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating, using said computing device, said pre-established codes in said message index file that identify a correspondence of characters, words, and phrases in said first language with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding in meaning to said characters, words, and phrases of said first language.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, using said computing device, unknown characters of said computer generated log output message file having no correspondence to at least one of said plurality of messages of said first language.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing, using said computing device, said unknown characters of said computer generated log output message file.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

identifying, using said computing device, unique characters of said computer generated log output message file having correspondence to only one of said plurality of messages in said first language.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

substituting, using said computing device, content of one of a corresponding message in said second language for said unique characters.

12. An apparatus that translates a computer generated log output message file from a first language to a second language, said apparatus comprising:

an input device that receives a log output message file containing a plurality of log output messages in a first language;

a processor that;

analyzes each character of a message of said plurality of log output messages in said first language and identifies occurrences of any character, word, or phrase, according to said first language, in a message index file;

matches characters, words, and phrases in said message in said log output message file containing a plurality of log output messages to pre-established codes in said message index file, producing a matched message index comprising a string of data for each pre-established code having a match, each element of said string of data corresponding to said pre-established code on an element-by-element basis;

compares, on an element-by-element basis, each string of data against every other string of data in said matched message index, identifying elements in a first string of data being completely overlapped by elements in another string of data as ambiguous matches;

resolves said ambiguous matches by removing codes matched to ones of said characters, words, and phrases that have overlap with characters, words, and phrases matched to different codes; and

translates said message of said plurality of log output messages in said first language into a second language using said codes in said matched message index by substituting characters, words, and phrases in said first language corresponding to matched codes with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding to said matched codes, producing a log output message in said second language corresponding to said message of said plurality of log output messages in said first language, said second language being different from said first language; and

an output device that outputs said log output message in said second language.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, said processor further processing said plurality of log output messages into a canonical form by including at least one message variable field in at least one of said plurality of log output messages,

said at least one message variable field comprising data indicating a position of said at least one message variable field in said message.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, said processor further extracting variable data from said computer generated log output message file in said first language.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, said processor further substituting said variable data extracted from said computer generated log output message file into translated content of one of said log output messages in said second language.

16. An apparatus that translates a computer generated log output message file from a first language to a second language, said apparatus comprising:

an input device that receives a log output message file containing a plurality of log output messages in a first language;

a processor that;

processes said plurality of log output messages into a canonical form by including at least one message variable field in at least one of said plurality of log output messages, said at least one message variable field comprising data indicating a position of said at least one message variable field in said at least one of said plurality of log output messages;

analyzes each character of said at least one of said plurality of log output messages in said first language and identifies occurrences of any character, word, or phrase, according to said first language, in a message index file;

matches characters, words, and phrases in said at least one of said plurality of log output messages to pre-established codes in said message index file, producing a matched message index comprising a string of data for each pre-established code having a match, each element of said string of data corresponding to said pre-established code on an element-by-element basis;

compares, on an element-by-element basis, each string of data against every other string of data in said matched message index, identifying elements in a first string of data being completely overlapped by elements in another string of data as ambiguous matches;

resolves said ambiguous matches by removing codes matched to ones of said characters, words, and phrases that have overlap with characters, words, and phrases matched to different codes; and

translates said at least one of said plurality of log output messages into a second language using said codes in said matched message index by substituting characters, words, and phrases in said first language corresponding to matched codes with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding to said matched codes, producing a log output message in said second language, said second language being different from said first language; and

an output device that outputs said log output message in said second language.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, said processor further generating said pre-established codes in said message index file that identify a correspondence of characters, words, and phrases in said first language with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding in meaning to said characters, words, and phrases of said first language.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, said processor further identifying unknown characters of said computer generated log output message file having no correspondence to said at least one of said plurality of log output messages of said first language.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, said processor removing said unknown characters of said computer generated log output message file.

20. A tangible computer program product for translating a computer generated log output message file from a first language to a second language, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being readable and executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by said digital processing apparatus, a log output message in a first language;

analyzing each character of said log output message and identifying occurrences of any character, word, or phrase, according to said first language in a message index file, using said digital processing apparatus;

matching, using said digital processing apparatus, characters, words, and phrases in said log output message to pre-established codes in said message index file, producing a matched message index comprising a string of data for each pre-established code having a match, each element of said string of data corresponding to said pre-established code on an element-by-element basis;

comparing, on an element-by-element basis, each string of data against every other string of data in said matched message index, using said digital processing apparatus, and identifying elements in a first string of data being completely overlapped by elements in another string of data as ambiguous matches, using said digital processing apparatus;

resolving said ambiguous matches, using said digital processing apparatus, by removing codes matched to ones of said characters, words, and phrases that have overlap with characters, words, and phrases matched to different codes;

translating, using said digital processing apparatus, said log output message in said first language into a second language using said codes in said matched message index by substituting characters, words, and phrases in said first language corresponding to matched codes with characters, words, and phrases in said second language corresponding to said matched codes, producing a log output message in said second language corresponding to said log output message in said first language, said second language being different from said first language; and

outputting, using said digital processing apparatus, said log output message in said second language.