Methods and apparatus for declarative log collection

A storage area network (SAN) infrastructure server for retrieving log files comprising:

• a log collection utility operable to compute an identity of a set of log files on a SAN node in a storage area network (SAN);
• a task definition operable to store each of a plurality of the computed identities, the log collection utility responsive to the task definition for generating, from the identity of the log files, a collection script operable to retrieve each of the identified log files, the collection script generated independently of an operating system of the SAN node;
• an interface to a SAN infrastructure operable to send the collection script to the SAN node, the log collection utility further operable to receive, from the interface, each of the log files collected by the collection script;
• the log collection utility further operable to:
• determine, based on system load, whether to compress collected log files at a host or at a server;
• selectively compress the collected log files at the host or at the server based on the determine;
• aggregate, on each host, the collected log files obtained from the collection script;
• transmit, by each host, the collected log files to the server;
• identify categories of log files, categories including at least one of infrastructure, agent or 3rd party applications;
• and
• aggregate transmitted log files from each host at the server in a common repository, the log files arranged by categories.

A computer program product having a computer readable storage medium operable to store computer program logic embodied in computer program code encoded thereon as an encoded set of processor based instructions for performing a method of retrieving log files in a heterogeneous storage area network (SAN), comprising:

• computer program code for computing an identity of a set of log files in a network environment including a plurality of nodes, the network environment including a storage area network (SAN) having SAN nodes;
• computer program code for generating, from the identity of the the log files, a collection script operable to retrieve each of the identified log files, the collection script generated independently of an operating system of a SAN node;
• computer program code for sending the collection script to the SAN node;
• computer program code for receiving, from the SAN node, each of the log files collected by the collection script;
• computer program code for determining, based on system load, whether to compress collected log files at a host or at a server;
• computer program code for selectively compressing the collected log files at the host or at the server based on the determining;
• computer program code for aggregating, on each host, the collected log files obtained from the collection script;
• computer program code for transmitting, by each host, the collected log files to the server;
• computer program code for identifying categories of log files, categories including at least one of infrastructure, agent or 3rd party applications;
• and
• computer program code for aggregating transmitted log files from each
• host at the server in a common repository, the log files arranged by categories.