Virtual-log-file method and system

A method for creating and displaying a virtual log file by a virtual-log-file system comprising one or more processors, one or more memories, and computer instructions, stored in one or more of the one or more memories that, when executed by one or more of the one or more processors, control the virtual-log-file system, the method comprising:

• requesting and receiving physical log-file entries from local and remote physical log files by
• accessing stored information that includes local file-system locations and/or network addresses of the local and remote physical log files;
• accessing stored filter information to obtain one or more filters that are applied to log-file entries of the local and remote physical log files to select physical log-file entries to request from the local and remote physical log files;
• and
• using the one or more filters and the local file-system locations and/or network addresses to request and receive physical log-file entries that each passes a filter applied to the contents of the physical log-file entries;
• aggregating the received physical log-file entries into a virtual log file, a portion of which is stored in one or more of the one or more memories;
• displaying a portion of the virtual-log-file entries contained within a logical display window on a display device;
• and
• in response to inputs to the virtual-log-file system,
• scrolling the logical display window backwards and forwards along the sequence of virtual-log-file entries, obtaining additional physical log-file entries to place in memory when scrolling moves the logical display window past the virtual-log-file entries currently stored in the one or more of the one or more memories,
• selecting one or more virtual-log-file entries as anchor virtual-log-file entries and storing a reference to each of the one or more selected anchor virtual-log-file entries, and
• directing repositioning of the logical display window to display a selected anchor virtual-log-file entry using the stored reference to the anchor virtual-log-file entry.

A physical data-storage device that stores computer instructions that, when executed by a virtual-log-file system comprising one or more processors and one or more memories, control the virtual-log-file system to create and display a virtual log file by:

• requesting and receiving physical log-file entries from local and remote physical log files by
• accessing stored information that includes local file-system locations and/or network addresses of the local and remote physical log files;
• accessing stored filter information to obtain one or more filters that are applied to log-file entries of the local and remote physical log files to select physical log-file entries to request from the local and remote physical log files;
• and
• using the one or more filters and the local file-system locations and/or network addresses to request and receive physical log-file entries that each passes a filter applied to the contents of the physical log-file entries;
• aggregating the received physical log-file entries into a virtual log file, a portion of which is stored in one or more of the one or more memories;
• displaying a portion of the virtual-log-file entries contained within a logical display window on a display device;
• and
• in response to inputs to the virtual-log-file system,
• scrolling the logical display window backwards and forwards along the sequence of virtual-log-file entries, obtaining additional physical log-file entries to place in memory when scrolling moves the logical display window past the virtual-log-file entries currently stored in the one or more of the one or more memories,
• selecting one or more virtual-log-file entries as anchor virtual-log-file entries and storing a reference to each of the one or more selected anchor virtual-log-file entries, and
• directing repositioning of the logical display window to display a selected anchor virtual-log-file entry using the stored reference to the anchor virtual-log-file entry.