Automated analysis and visualization of complex data

• US 9,785,688 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bandera, Deborah H., Bell, Denise A., Little, Alex D., York, Billy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista, Xiomar L
• Application Number:
  US14/283,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20150339032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs

Abstract

A system, and computer program product for automated analysis and visualization of log data are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A subset of information to be visualized is selected from a set of information. Each information in the set comprises a result of a corresponding analysis technique applied to the log data. For an information in the subset of information, a tagged portion of the log data is analyzed according to the corresponding analysis technique to discern the information. The information corresponds to a tag used in conjunction with the tagged portion. For the information, a manner of visualizing the information is selected. A set of graphical visualizations comprising a corresponding graphical visualization for each information is generated, including a visualization in the selected manner of visualizing the information. The graphical visualizations in the set are combined such that a subset of graphical visualization is selectable for presentation.

Claims

1. A computer usable program product comprising a computer readable storage device including computer usable code for automated analysis and visualization of log data, the computer usable code comprising:

computer usable code for selecting, from a set of information, a subset of information to be visualized, wherein each information in the set comprises a result of a corresponding analysis technique applied to the log data;

computer usable code for analyzing, for an information in the subset of information, a tagged portion of the log data according to the corresponding analysis technique to discern the information, wherein the information corresponds to a tag used in conjunction with the tagged portion;

computer usable code for selecting, for the information, a manner of visualizing the information;

computer usable code for generating a set of graphical visualizations comprising a corresponding graphical visualization for each information in the subset of information, including a visualization in the selected manner of visualizing the information; and

computer usable code for combining the graphical visualizations in the set such that a subset of graphical visualization is selectable for presentation, wherein the set of graphical visualizations is generated from a log of an effort to solve a problem reported in the log data, and wherein a first graphical visualization in the set of graphical visualizations represents a discrete event in the effort.

2. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the analysis technique comprises a manner of interpreting the tagged portion of the log data.

3. The computer usable program product of claim 2, wherein the manner of interpreting the tagged portion of the log data comprises:

determining that a set of entries in the log data are related to an event, wherein the event relates to the information; and

summarizing the set of entries to discern the information.

4. The computer usable program product of claim 2, wherein the manner of interpreting the log data comprises:

determining that an entry in the log data is related to the information;

determining that the entry includes an indication of other log data that should be analyzed with the entry;

analyzing the other log data;

including a portion of the entry in the information; and

including a result of the analysis of the other log data in the information.

5. The computer usable program product of claim 1, further comprising:

computer usable code for selecting from a configuration, the manner of visualizing the information, wherein the manner of visualizing the information is saved as a visualization preference of a user.

6. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the log data comprises a record of a problem reported in a trouble ticket, wherein the record comprises a set of entries and omits the information, and wherein the information is computed from a subset of the set of entries.

7. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein a first graphical visualization in the set of graphical visualizations represents a first duration of time a particular group was responsible for solving a problem reported in the log data, and wherein the first graphical visualization causes a gap in responsiveness of the particular group to become graphically observable, wherein no graphical visualization in the set of graphical visualization is specifically generated for the gap in the responsiveness.

8. The computer usable program product of claim 1, graphical visualizations collectively represents a record of an effort to solve a problem reported represents a discrete event in the effort, and wherein a selecting action causes a second graphical visualization to become observable relative to the first graphical visualization and provide supplemental information about the discrete event.

9. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is transferred over a network from a remote data processing system.

10. The computer usable program product of claim 1, wherein the computer usable code is stored in a computer readable storage medium in a server data processing system, and wherein the computer usable code is downloaded over a network to a remote data processing system for use in a computer readable storage medium associated with the remote data processing system.

11. A data processing system for automated analysis and visualization of log data, the data processing system comprising:

a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises;

computer usable code for selecting, from a set of information, a subset of information to be visualized, wherein each information in the set comprises a result of a corresponding analysis technique applied to the log data;

computer usable code for analyzing, for an information in the subset of information, a tagged portion of the log data according to the corresponding analysis technique to discern the information, wherein the information corresponds to a tag used in conjunction with the tagged portion;

computer usable code for selecting, for the information, a manner of visualizing the information;

computer usable code for generating a set of graphical visualizations comprising a corresponding graphical visualization for each information in the subset of information, including a visualization in the selected manner of visualizing the information; and

computer usable code for combining the graphical visualizations in the set such that a subset of graphical visualization is selectable for presentation, wherein the set of graphical visualizations is generated from a log of an effort to solve a problem reported in the log data, and wherein a first graphical visualization in the set of graphical visualizations represents a discrete event in the effort.