Trace Matching Using Temporal Logic for Performance Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Performance analysis of computer applications is labor-intensive due to the complexity of trace log files, which contain long chains and concurrent event sequences, making it difficult to identify and analyze performance problems efficiently.
Innovation Solution
An automated method using temporal logic formulas and metric expressions to process event sequences, comparing these formulas with input traces to identify matching sequences, extract attributes, and evaluate metrics, thereby reducing manual effort and effectively identifying performance issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual analysis methods are used to examine trace log files, then detailed performance analysis can be performed, but the analysis process becomes extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical analysis with an automated computer-implemented method that uses temporal logic formulas and metric expressions to systematically process trace log files. The system automatically compares formulas against traces, identifies matching event sequences, extracts attributes, and evaluates metrics without human intervention, thereby maintaining analysis precision while dramatically reducing time consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service performance analysis by allowing users to define their own temporal logic formulas and metric expressions that automatically analyze trace data according to specific performance criteria. The automated method performs the entire analysis workflow independently, from pattern matching to metric evaluation, eliminating the need for manual trace examination while preserving detailed analysis capabilities.
2Productivity
If automated methods are introduced to reduce manual effort, then analysis speed increases, but the complexity of the analysis system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex analysis task into distinct modular components: temporal logic formula definition, trace pattern matching, attribute extraction, and metric evaluation. Each component handles a specific aspect of the analysis, making the overall system more manageable despite its automated capabilities. This modular structure allows the system to achieve high productivity through automation while keeping complexity organized and controllable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces temporal logic formulas and metric expressions as intermediary representations that bridge user requirements and trace data. These formal specifications act as mediators that automatically translate performance analysis requirements into systematic processing steps, enabling high-throughput automated analysis without requiring the system to handle every detail of trace interpretation directly.
3Measurement precision
If detailed examination of long chains and concurrent event sequences is performed, then accurate performance problem identification is achieved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring performance issues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining temporal logic formulas that capture expected performance patterns and metric expressions that define performance thresholds. These pre-prepared specifications are then automatically compared against trace data, eliminating the need for manual examination of complex event chains. The system maintains high detection accuracy by using carefully crafted formulas that anticipate performance problems before they manifest in raw trace data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transforms the complex problem of analyzing long chains and concurrent events into parameter-based evaluation by extracting specific attributes from matching event sequences and evaluating them against metric expressions. This parameter transformation approach converts difficult-to-measure trace characteristics into quantifiable metric values that can be systematically assessed for performance issues, reducing analysis difficulty while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for identifying and analyzing performance traces are provided. Temporal logic formulas are patterns that can be compared with traces and individual events to identify the existence of certain behavior. Traces, sequences of time-stamped events in time order, are compared with one or more temporal logic formulas to identify the event sequences that match the formulas. The temporal logic formulas can be written in the simple temporal logic language that is presented. When a formula matches an event sequence, attributes from the event sequence are extracted and metric expressions are evaluated based on these attributes. The extracted attributes and the results of the metric expression are returned. This temporal logic pattern matching process can efficiently identify and analyze performance traces and significantly reduce manual effort for identifying performance problems.