Method for condensing reported checkpoint log data

1. A method of generating condensed reports of checkpoint log data, the method comprising:

reading a log record comprising a plurality of log entries that report on the status of, and events occurring in, a software application that generates the log entries, wherein status and event information in the plurality of log entries is relevant to a determination of errors and inefficiencies in the software application;

reading a log entry count and a log entry size from a header of the log record;

demarcating log entries within the log record with information from the log entry count and the log entry size;

parsing the log record into log entries;

receiving a query expression;

applying the query expression against each parsed log entry; and

generating a condensed log report comprising only log entries that satisfy the query expression.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising discarding log entries in the log record that do not satisfy the query expression.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising constructing a new log record comprising log entries satisfying the query expression.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the query expression with at least one condition and at least one parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising providing the query expression with an offset value that defines an offset within each log entry for applying the query expression.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising selecting a parameter type from the group consisting of Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC), alphanumeric, character, number, decimal, and null.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting a type identifier for the query expression from the group consisting of Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC), alphanumeric, character, numeric, decimal, and null.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the query expression with an exclude condition configured to exclude log entries satisfying the condition from the condensed log record.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the condensed log record to a user.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising passing the condensed log record to an Information Management System (IMS) formatting utility configured to format binary data in the condensed log report in a format suitable for the user.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising accessing log records within a set of log records based on a time stamp.

12. A method of condensed reporting of checkpoint log data, the method comprising:

receiving a query expression with an offset value that defines an offset for applying the query expression to an individual log entry and a time range from a user;

retrieving a plurality of checkpoint log records from a storage device with a time stamp within the time range provided by the user;

reading each checkpoint log record comprising a plurality of log entries that report on the status of, and events occurring in, a software application that generates the log entries;

reading a log entry count and a log entry size from a header of each checkpoint log record;

utilizing the log entry count and the log entry size in the header of each checkpoint log record to demarcate log entries in each checkpoint log record;

parsing each checkpoint log record into log entries, each log entry having a common format;

applying the query expression against each parsed log entry;

generating a condensed checkpoint log report comprising log entries satisfying the query expression from multiple checkpoint log records; and

presenting the condensed checkpoint log report to an Information Management System formatting utility configured to convey binary data in the condensed checkpoint log record in a hexadecimal format.