Log location discovery and management

1. A computer implemented method for managing log information, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request to discover log information, invoking a set of discovery agents to discover the log information for logs located on a set of managed nodes;

querying the set of managed nodes for information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes;

obtaining known log pattern information and known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes;

identifying, by the set of discovery agents, the log information on the set of managed nodes based upon the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes; and

storing the log information in a repository knowledge base containing log information.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the log information comprises one or more of log location information, log pattern information, and application pattern information.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a user-specified criteria.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

comparing, using at least one of a pattern matcher and a file type matcher, the information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes with the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the pattern matcher analyses data regarding at least one of physical properties and physical content of the log information to determine a match between the logs and the applications on the set of managed nodes.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein querying further comprises use of a serviceability agent on each of the set of managed nodes.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the log information in a local cache of the discovery agents.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating an application context for the log information identified.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

requesting a file transfer service, capable of selectively compressing the identified log information identified from the set of managed nodes in accordance with user specified criteria.

10. A data processing system for managing log information, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus, the storage device containing computer executable program code;

a communications unit connected to the bus; and

a processor connected to the bus, wherein the processor executes the computer executable program code to:

responsive to receiving a request to discover log information, invoke a set of discovery agents to discover the log information for logs located on a set of managed nodes;

query the set of managed nodes for information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes;

obtain known log pattern information and known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes;

identify, by the set of discovery agents, the log information on the set of managed nodes based upon the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes; and

store the log information in a repository knowledge base containing log information.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 , further comprising computer executable program code to:

compare, using at least one of a pattern matcher and a file type matcher, information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes with the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the pattern matcher analyses data regarding at least one of physical properties and physical content of the log information to determine a match between the logs and the applications on the set of managed nodes.

13. The data processing system of claim 10 , further comprising computer executable program code to store the log information in a local cache of the discovery agents.

14. The data processing system of claim 10 , further comprising computer executable program code to generate an application context for the log information identified.

15. The data processing system of claim 10 , further comprising a file transfer service, capable of selectively compressing the log information identified from the set of managed nodes in accordance with user specified criteria.

16. A computer program product for managing log information, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable recordable type medium having computer executable program code tangibly embodied thereon, the computer executable program code comprising:

computer executable program code responsive to receiving a request to discover log information, for invoking a set of discovery agents to discover the log information for logs located on a set of managed nodes;

computer executable program code for querying the set of managed nodes for information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes;

computer executable program code for obtaining known log pattern information and known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes;

computer executable program code for identifying, by the set of discovery agents, the log information on the set of managed nodes based upon the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information associated with the applications on the set of managed nodes; and

computer executable program code for storing the log information in a repository knowledge base containing log information.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer executable program code for comparing, using at least one of a pattern matcher and a file type matcher, the information regarding applications on the set of managed nodes with the known log pattern information and the known application pattern information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the pattern matcher analyses data regarding at least one of physical properties and physical content of the log information to determine a match between the logs and the applications on the set of managed nodes.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer executable program code for storing the log information in a local cache of the discovery agents.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising computer executable program code for generating an application context for the log information identified.