Granted Patent B1

US 7,031,981 · App. 10/027,081 · Granted Apr 18, 2006

Abstract

Claims (80)

1. A computer-implemented method for report selection in a system that provides a plurality of reports, comprising:

populating a database with selected data elements of a plurality of data types;

creating a database content table that indicates the data types of the data elements present in the database;

establishing a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements identifying a set of data types required for the associated report;

determining for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements; and

outputting a set of report identifiers for which the data types of data elements in the database satisfy the associated sets of report requirements.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

creating a report description table that associates report names with the report identifiers; and

displaying a list of report names that correspond to the set of report identifiers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the list of report names displayed are selectable and linked to respective report functions that generate report data in accordance with predefined formats.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising reading the selected data elements from a sequential data file prior to populating the database.

5. A computer-implemented method for selection of reports of log data generated by software executing on a host data processing system, wherein the log data are stored by the host system in a sequential log file of log records of different log record types, the method comprising:

establishing a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements including a set of log-record-type identifiers indicating which of the log record types contain log data required for the associated report;

reading selected log records from the log file;

storing log data from the selected log records in a relational log-data database;

creating a database content table that indicates the log record types of the selected log records;

determining for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements; and

outputting a set of report identifiers of reports for which the log data in the database content data table satisfies the set of report requirements of associated report definitions.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising for each log record type of the selected log records, storing log data from the selected log records of the log record type in a respective log data table.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

reading a plurality of sets of selected log records from the log file;

storing log data from the plurality of sets of selected log records in respective relational log-data databases;

creating respective database content tables for the respective relational log-data databases.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

reading a plurality of sets of selected log records from the log file;

storing log data from the plurality of sets of selected log records in respective relational log-data databases;

creating respective database content tables for the respective relational log-data databases.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

creating a report description table that associates report names with the report identifiers; and

displaying a list of report names that correspond to the set of report identifiers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the list of report names displayed are selectable and linked to respective report functions that generate report data in accordance with predefined formats.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

creating a report description table that associates report names with the report identifiers; and

displaying a list of report names that correspond to the set of report identifiers.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the list of report names displayed are selectable and linked to respective report functions that generate report data in accordance with predefined formats.

13. A computer-implemented method for processing log data generated by software executing on a host data processing system, wherein the log data are stored by the host system in a sequential log file of log records of different log record types, the method comprising:

reading selected log records from the log file in response to a first request that includes a first code indicating at least one user-specified log record type;

transmitting the selected log records from the host system to a second data processing system;

converting log data from the selected log records to a format suitable for storage in a relational database and storing the data of the second format in a relational database by the log record types, wherein the selected log records are converted and stored in the relational database at the second data processing system;

establishing a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements including a set of log-record-type identifiers indicating which of the log record types contain log data required for the associated report;

creating a database content table that indicates the log record types of the selected log records;

determining for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements; and

outputting a set of report identifiers of reports for which the log data in the database content data table satisfies the set of report requirements of associated report definitions.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising for each log record type of the selected log records, storing log data from the selected log records of the log record type in a respective log data table.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

reading a plurality of sets of selected log records from the log file;

storing log data from the plurality of sets of selected log records in respective relational log-data databases;

creating respective database content tables for the respective relational log-data databases.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

creating a report description table that associates report names with the report identifiers; and

displaying a list of report names that correspond to the set of report identifiers.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the list of report names displayed are selectable and linked to respective report functions that generate report data in accordance with predefined formats.

18. An apparatus for report selection in a system that provides a plurality of reports, comprising:

means for populating a database with selected data elements of a plurality of data types;

means for creating a database content table that indicates the data types of the data elements present in the database;

means for establishing a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements identifying a set of data types required for the associated report;

means for determining for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements; and

means for outputting a set of report identifiers for which the data types of data elements in the database satisfy the associated sets of report requirements.

19. An apparatus for selection of reports of log data generated by software executing on a host data processing system, wherein the log data are stored by the host system in a sequential log file of log records of different log record types, the method comprising:

means for establishing a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements including a set of log-record-type identifiers indicating which of the log record types contain log data required for the associated report;

means for reading selected log records from the log file;

means for storing log data from the selected log records in a relational log-data database;

means for creating a database content table that indicates the log record types of the selected log records;

determining for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements; and

means for outputting a set of report identifiers of reports for which the log data in the database content data table satisfies the set of report requirements of associated report definitions.

20. A log data processing system, comprising:

a host data processing system configured for execution of a plurality of application programs, the host system further configured to store log data pertaining to the application programs in a sequential log file of log records of different log record types; and

a second data processing system coupled to the host system, the second system configured to initiate reading of selected log records from the log file in response to a first request that includes a first code indicating at least one user-specified log record type, convert log data from the selected log records to a format suitable for storage in a relational database, and store the data of the second format in a relational database by the log record types, wherein the second data processing system is further configured to establish a report table containing for each report a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements including a set of log-record-type identifiers indicating which of the log record types contain log data required for the associated report, create a database content table that indicates the log record types of the selected log records, determine for each report identifier whether the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the associated set of requirements, and output a set of report identifiers of reports for which the log data in the database content data table satisfies the set of report requirements of associated report definitions.

21. A computer-implemented method for report selection in a system that provides a plurality of reports, comprising:

storing information that indicates data types of data elements present in a database;

storing for each of a plurality of reports a set of report information, each set of report information including a report identifier and an associated set of report requirements, each set of report requirements identifying a set of data types required for the associated report;

selecting from the sets of report information, a set of report identifiers for which the data types of the data elements present in the database satisfy the set of report requirements associated with each report identifier; and

outputting the selected set of report identifiers.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

storing respective report names in association with the report identifiers; and

displaying a list of report names that correspond to the selected set of report identifiers.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the list of report names displayed are selectable and linked to respective report functions that generate report data in accordance with predefined formats.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

reading data elements from a sequential data file; and

populating the database with the data elements.

Assignments (12)