Event logging and performance analysis system for applications

Abstract

An event logging and analysis mechanism which creates an event object for event of an application to be logged. The event logging mechanism logs into the event object the start time, end time and other information regarding the event. The analysis of the collected event objects may include hierarchical and contextual grouping as well as aggregation of events considered to be identical. The mechanism operates independent of the application whose events it logs and can be turned on and off independently. A user may define the levels of hierarchy and contexts upon which to analyze the event objects.

1 . A method of logging events for at least one application that operates on an operating system of a first computer, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a particular application to log an event of the application;   determining that event logging is turned on;   in response to said request and said determination, creating an event object corresponding to the event in a first memory space that is separate from a second memory space in which said application operates;   receiving, from the application temporal data regarding the event;   storing the received temporal data in the event object; and   processing the stored temporal data in order to produce processed event data when it is determined that the event logging is turned off,   wherein said receiving the request, said creating, said receiving the data, said storing, and said processing are performed by an event logging mechanism that is part of said operating system and operating independently from said application on the first computer on which said application operates.