Method to efficiently evaluate a log pattern

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions readable and executable by at least one electronic processor to perform a log pattern analysis method by applying a log pattern to log data undergoing analysis comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for a set of fields, wherein the log data undergoing analysis are stored on a server accessible by the at least one electronic processor via an electronic network, the log pattern analysis method comprising:

constructing a retrieval query to select log events that are in a time interval and that also satisfy at least one additional constraint associated with the log pattern and defined on one or more filter fields of the set of fields;

downloading a sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis from the server to the at least one electronic processor via the electronic network, wherein the sub-set is selected from the log data undergoing analysis by the retrieval query;

applying the log pattern to the downloaded sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis to identify log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis; and

controlling a display screen to display a report of the log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 storing further instructions readable and executable by at least one electronic processor to perform a retrieval constraint generation method operating on historical log data comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for the set of fields, the retrieval constraint generation method comprising:

normalizing selected fields of the set of fields in the log pattern to generate at least one normalized log pattern item wherein the selected fields do not include the one or more filter fields;

identifying matching normalized log events that match the at least one normalized log pattern item in normalized log data wherein the normalized log data are generated from the historical log data by normalizing the selected fields in the historical log data; and

generating the at least one additional constraint from values of the one or more filter fields in the matching normalized log events.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the log data undergoing analysis is generated by a medical imaging system undergoing diagnosis and the historical log data is different from the log data undergoing analysis.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein:

the retrieval constraint generation method further includes storing a data structure containing both the log pattern and the at least one additional constraint, and

the log pattern analysis method further includes retrieving the log pattern and the at least one additional constraint from the stored data structure.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the historical log data is the log data undergoing analysis and the constructing of the retrieval query includes:

determining the time interval as one or more time intervals encompassing the matching normalized log events.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2 wherein the generating of the at least one additional constraint from values of the one or more filter fields in the matching normalized log events includes:

generating the additional constraint that the one or more filter fields match the corresponding filter fields of at least one of the matching normalized log events.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the log data undergoing analysis is generated by a medical imaging system undergoing diagnosis in response to a service call, and the constructing of the retrieval query includes:

determining the time interval relative to a time of the service call.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more filter fields include a type of log event and an event category.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , storing further instructions readable and executable by the at least one electronic processor to perform a logging method comprising receiving log data including at least the log data undergoing analysis from one or more medical imaging systems via the electronic network.

10. A log pattern analysis device, comprising:

an electronic processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor to:

perform a retrieval constraint generation method operating on historical log data comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for the set of fields, the retrieval constraint generation method comprising:

normalizing selected fields of the set of fields in the log pattern to generate at least one normalized log pattern item wherein the selected fields do not include the one or more filter fields;

identifying matching normalized log events that match the at least one normalized log pattern item in normalized log data wherein the normalized log data are generated from the historical log data by normalizing the selected fields in the historical log data; and

generating at least one additional constraint from values of the one or more filter fields in the matching normalized log events; and

perform a log pattern analysis method by applying a log pattern to log data undergoing analysis comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for a set of fields, wherein the log data undergoing analysis are stored on a server accessible by the at least one electronic processor via an electronic network, the log pattern analysis method comprising:

constructing a retrieval query to select log events that are in a time interval and that also satisfy the at least one additional constraint associated with the log pattern and defined on one or more filter fields of the set of fields;

downloading a sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis from the server to the at least one electronic processor via the electronic network, wherein the sub-set is selected from the log data undergoing analysis by the retrieval query;

applying the log pattern to the downloaded sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis to identify log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis; and

controlling a display screen to display a report of the log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis.

11. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 , wherein the log data undergoing analysis is generated by a medical imaging system undergoing diagnosis and the historical log data is different from the log data undergoing analysis.

12. The log pattern analysis device of claim 11 , wherein:

the retrieval constraint generation method further includes storing a data structure containing both the log pattern and the at least one additional constraint, and

the log pattern analysis method further includes retrieving the log pattern and the at least one additional constraint from the stored data structure.

13. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 wherein the log data undergoing analysis is generated by a medical imaging system undergoing diagnosis in response to a service call, and the constructing of the retrieval query includes:

determining the time interval relative to a time of the service call.

14. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 , wherein the historical log data is the log data undergoing analysis and the constructing of the retrieval query includes:

determining the time interval as one or more time intervals encompassing the matching normalized log events.

15. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 , wherein the generating of the at least one additional constraint from values of the one or more filter fields in the matching normalized log events includes:

generating the additional constraint that the one or more filter fields match the corresponding filter fields of at least one of the matching normalized log events.

16. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more filter fields include a type of log event and an event category.

17. The log pattern analysis device of claim 10 , storing further instructions readable and executable by the at least one electronic processor to perform a logging method comprising receiving log data including at least the log data undergoing analysis from one or more medical imaging systems via the electronic network.

18. A log pattern analysis method, comprising:

retrieving historical log data comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for the set of fields;

normalizing selected fields of the set of fields in the log pattern to generate at least one normalized log pattern item wherein the selected fields do not include the one or more filter fields;

identifying matching normalized log events that match the at least one normalized log pattern item in normalized log data wherein the normalized log data are generated from the historical log data by normalizing the selected fields in the historical log data;

generating at least one additional constraint from values of the one or more filter fields in the matching normalized log events;

applying a log pattern to log data undergoing analysis comprising log events which are time stamped and which are defined by values for a set of fields,

constructing a retrieval query to select log events that are in a time interval and that also satisfy the at least one additional constraint associated with the log pattern and defined on one or more filter fields of the set of fields;

downloading a sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis from the server to the at least one electronic processor via the electronic network, wherein the sub-set is selected from the log data undergoing analysis by the retrieval query;

applying the log pattern to the downloaded sub-set of the log data undergoing analysis to identify log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis; and

controlling a display screen to display a report of the log pattern hits in the log data undergoing analysis.

19. The log pattern analysis method of claim 18 , wherein the log data undergoing analysis is generated by the medical imaging system undergoing diagnosis in response to a service call, and the constructing of the retrieval query includes:

determining the time interval relative to a time of the service call.

20. The log pattern analysis method of claim 18 , further including:

receiving log data including at least the log data undergoing analysis from one or more medical imaging systems via an electronic network.