Entity Definition Creation from Delimited Files
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern data centers face challenges in processing and indexing large volumes of unstructured machine-generated data due to its semantic meaning, making it difficult to perform effective indexing and searching operations.
Innovation Solution
The creation of entity definitions from files allows for the normalization of heterogeneous machine data, enabling efficient monitoring of services by associating entities with machine data and defining key performance indicators (KPIs) for service-level performance, using graphical user interfaces to configure and manage entity and service definitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If unstructured machine-generated data is processed directly, then data volume is maintained, but indexing and searching operations become difficult due to lack of semantic meaning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating entity definitions from files before processing machine-generated data. This pre-configuration establishes semantic meaning and data associations in advance, enabling efficient indexing and searching without losing semantic information during subsequent data processing operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces entity definitions as an intermediary layer between raw machine data and processing operations. These definitions serve as mediators that provide semantic context and structure, allowing indexing and searching to operate on meaningful entities rather than raw unstructured data
2Adaptability or versatility
If entity definitions are created manually through graphical interfaces, then flexibility and control are improved, but time and effort required for configuration increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary configuration of entity definitions from files, allowing users to prepare and validate definitions before deployment. This approach maintains full configurability while reducing on-site configuration time by performing setup work in advance
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service capabilities by automatically processing entity definition files and creating definitions without requiring manual graphical interface operations for each entity. This automation maintains flexibility while significantly reducing configuration time and effort
3Productivity
If heterogeneous machine data is normalized using entity definitions, then service monitoring efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases due to additional configuration requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements universality by creating entity definitions that can normalize multiple types of heterogeneous machine data through a single configuration framework. This multi-functional approach enables diverse data sources to be monitored efficiently using unified entity definitions, improving productivity without proportionally increasing complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Processing devices receive a file having entries having data items separated by delimiters. Each data item has an ordinal position. The processing device(s) cause display of a table, having rows and columns, in a graphical user interface. Each data items of a particular entry appears in a respective column of the same row. Each column corresponds to the ordinal position of its respective data item. User input is received designating, for each respective column, a field name and an entity definition component type to which the respective column pertains, and stores for each of the data items of the particular entry a value of an element of an entity definition. The element has the element name designated for the respective column in which the data item appeared, and is associated with an entity definition component having the type designated for the respective column in which the data item appeared.