Rendering System Log Data

• US 20110066973A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sazegari, Ali, Plom, Richard
• Application Number:
  US12/558,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20110066973A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/808
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display

Abstract

Messages generated by processes on a computer system are aggregated into process groups. The process groups can be displayed in a single user interface using a number of graphs and plots to provide a holistic view of message activity for a given process group, and for all processes running on the computer system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving messages from processes running on a computer system;

associating messages with process groups;

associating messages with message types; and

generating a user interface for displaying message activity by process groups and message types.

2. The method of claim 1, where process groups are specified by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, where the user interface includes grouped bar graphs having one or more process group segments, each process group segment associated with a process group.

4. The method of claim 3, where each grouped bar graph is associated with a message type.

5. The method of claim 4, where the message type indicates a severity level.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving input selecting one or the process group segments; and

responsive to the selection, displaying message activity for the selected process group segment.

7. The method of claim 1, where the user interface includes a plot showing message activity for all process groups.

8. The method of claim 7, where the plot includes markers indicating a time of occurrence of messages of a specified message type.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

receiving input through a user interface element in the user interface, the input specifying a message type to be used as plot data.

10. The method of claim 1, where the user interface includes a message viewer for displaying messages and messages metadata, the messages being color coded to indicate a message type or a process group.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving input through a user interface element in the user interface, the input specifying a process group.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving input through a user interface element in the user interface, the input specifying a one or more rules for managing messages.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving messages from processes running on a computer system;

associating messages with process groups and message types;

selecting messages for display based on one or more rules; and

generating a user interface for displaying the selected messages by process groups or message types.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving input through a user interface element in the user interface, the input specifying the one or more rules.

15. The method of claim 13, where generating a user interface comprises:

generating for first portion of the user interface for displaying one or more grouped bar graphs, each grouped bar graph having one or more process group segments;

generating a second portion of the user interface for displaying a plot message activity for two or more process groups; and

generating a third portion of the user interface for displaying a message view for displaying flat messages in a list with message metadata.

16. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving messages from processes running on a computer system;

associating messages with process groups;

associating messages with message types; and

generating a user interface for displaying message activity by process groups and message types.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where process groups are specified by a user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, where the user interface includes grouped bar graphs having one or more process group segments, each process group segment associated with a process group.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, where each grouped bar graph is associated with a message type.

20. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving messages from processes running on a computer system;

associating messages with process groups and message types;

selecting messages for display based on one or more rules; and

generating a user interface for displaying the selected messages by process groups or message types.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, comprising:

receiving input through a user interface element in the user interface, the input specifying the one or more rules.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, where generating a user interface comprises:

generating for first portion of the user interface for displaying one or more grouped bar graphs, each grouped bar graph having one or more process group segments;

generating a second portion of the user interface for displaying a plot message activity for two or more process groups; and

generating a third portion of the user interface for displaying a message view for displaying flat messages in a list with message metadata.