Towards Log Slicing

Abstract

This short paper takes initial steps towards developing a novel approach, called log slicing, that aims to answer a practical question in the field of log analysis: Can we automatically identify log messages related to a specific message (e.g., an error message)? The basic idea behind log slicing is that we can consider how different log messages are “computationally related” to each other by looking at the corresponding logging statements in the source code. These logging statements are identified by 1) computing a backwards program slice, using as criterion the logging statement that generated a problematic log message; and 2) extending that slice to include relevant logging statements.The paper presents a problem definition of log slicing, describes an initial approach for log slicing, and discusses a key open issue that can lead towards new research directions.

Untitled

“…On the other hand, approaches like log slicing, presented in study by J.H. Dawes et al (2023), work in a similar way and even solve related problems, for example log identification. Although their way of determining the related context given a particular log invocation looks interesting, adaptive logging emphasizes that it's best to solve those aspects during log generation phase, rather than during processing phase afterwards, as this can help in both limiting the amount of information to process and also in limiting load that runtime machine needs to deal with.…”