Syslog Message Validation Using Meta Regular Expressions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing syslog message validation methods, such as sequential parsing algorithms, are inefficient, complex, and difficult to maintain, requiring traversal through each field of the message and being non-portable across platforms, leading to slow validation times and extensive code changes with updates in standards or languages.
Innovation Solution
The use of meta regular expressions, formed from sets of regular expressions representing various message component patterns, allows for a pattern-matching algorithm to validate syslog messages by comparing incoming messages against these patterns, reducing the need for complex parsing and enabling faster validation and easier updates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sequential parsing algorithms are used to validate syslog messages, then the validation process is thorough and checks each field, but the validation time increases and system productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-compiling regular expressions for each syslog message field before validation occurs. These pre-compiled patterns are stored and ready for rapid matching, eliminating the need to parse and validate each field sequentially during runtime. This allows the system to quickly validate incoming syslog messages by comparing them against pre-prepared patterns, thereby maintaining thorough validation while significantly improving validation speed.
2Ease of operation
If sequential parsing algorithms are used to validate syslog messages, then each field can be checked individually, but the code complexity increases and maintenance difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by using regular expressions as template patterns that define the expected format of each syslog message field. Instead of implementing complex parsing logic that traverses and validates each field individually, the system copies the structure and validation rules into pre-compiled regular expression patterns. These patterns serve as reusable templates that automatically validate message structure, thereby reducing code complexity while preserving field-by-field validation capability.
3Ease of manufacture
If sequential parsing algorithms are used to validate syslog messages, then the validation logic is explicit and follows the message structure, but portability across different platforms decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using regular expressions as a platform-independent validation mechanism. Regular expressions provide a universal language for defining text patterns that can be applied across different programming languages and platforms without modification. The pre-compiled patterns serve as universal templates that maintain explicit validation logic while ensuring consistent behavior across diverse system environments, thereby achieving both explicitness and portability.
4Manufacturing precision
If sequential parsing algorithms are used to validate syslog messages, then the validation process follows the message structure step-by-step, but any format changes require extensive code modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the syslog message validation into separate, independent regular expression patterns for each message field. Each pattern segment validates a specific portion of the message (e.g., timestamp, hostname, message content) independently. This segmentation allows individual field patterns to be modified or updated without affecting other fields, thereby maintaining validation accuracy while significantly reducing the effort required to adapt to format changes.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for validating a syslog message having a plurality of message components. The method includes providing a meta regular expression. The meta regular expression is formed from a set of regular expressions with each of the regular expressions corresponding to one of the plurality of message components. The meta-regular expression represents a plurality of message component patterns, each of the message component patterns representing a different ordering of individual regular expressions of the set of regular expressions. The method further includes comparing the syslog message with the meta regular expression. The syslog message is deemed valid if the syslog message matches one of the plurality of message component patterns represented by the meta regular expression.