Trace and Log Analysis: A Pattern Reference for Diagnostics and Anomaly Detection

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Factor Group

We borrowed the next trace and log analysis pattern name from factor groups in mathematics (or quotient groups⁵⁷). Here a group is, of course, not a mathematical group⁵⁸, but just a group (or set) of log messages or trace statements. However, every trace message has variable and invariant parts (Message Invariant). Variable parts usually contain some values, addresses, or status bits. They can even be string values. Such values from a set too and can be partitioned into disjoint (non-overlapping) subsets. For example, a window foreground status can be either true or false. Also, we can group messages into disjoint factor groups each one having either only true or only false foreground status. The following trace graph illustrates ...