Method and apparatus for graphically analzying a log-file

Apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a random access memory;
• a mass storage device having a plurality of unprocessed log file messages stored therein;
• a relational data base process performed by said processor to process said plurality of unprocessed log file messages into a set of relations stored in said random access memory;
• and
• display means for visually displaying non-textual geometric representations of said relations derived from said plurality of log file messages.

A method comprising the steps of:

• originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics;
• visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages, each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a characteristic of its respective message;
• locating each symbol at a position that is determined by its respective time-stamp and a second characteristic of its respective message;
• selecting one of said plurality of symbols;
• and
• displaying the message corresponding to said selected symbol.

Apparatus comprising:

• means for originating a plurality of time-stamped messages, each message having a set of characteristics;
• means for visually displaying a plurality of symbols, each symbol corresponding to a respective message of said plurality of messages;
• each symbol having an appearance that varies according to a first characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message;
• each symbol having a position that is determined by the time-stamp and a second characteristic of the set of characteristics of its respective message;
• and
• means for turning off the displaying of all symbols except those having a characteristic that they are from a selected module.