Analyzing a group of values extracted from events of machine data relative to a population statistic for those values

摘要

A metric value is determined for each event in a set of events that characterizes a computational communication or object. For example, a metric value could include a length of a URL or agent string in the event. A subset criterion is generated, such that metric values within the subset are relatively separated from a population's center (e.g., within a distribution tail). Application of the criterion to metric values produces a subset. A representation of the subset is presented in an interactive dashboard. The representation can include unique values in the subset and counts of corresponding event occurrences. Clients can select particular elements in the representation to cause more detail to be presented with respect to individual events corresponding to specific values in the subset. Thus, clients can use their knowledge system operations and observance of value frequencies and underlying events to identify anomalous metric values and potential security threats.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
organizing raw machine data collected from one or more remote hardware devices, into a set of searchable, time-stamped events, wherein the collected raw machine data is produced by one or more components in an information technology environment and relates to operations or activities in that information technology environment, wherein each event in the set of searchable, time-stamped events is searchable based on its associated time stamp; executing a computer-implemented search to identify a subset of the set of searchable, time-stamped events satisfying search criteria that includes having a time stamp occurring within a specified time period; while or after identifying the subset of the set of searchable, time-stamped events, applying a schema to the raw machine data included in each event in the subset of the set of searchable, time-stamped events in order to impose structure on the raw machine data and to extract a set of values that relate to a same category; calculating a population statistic based on the set of values; receiving a criterion for determining whether a value in the set of values is within a range of the population statistic; applying the criterion to each value in the set of values to determine: (i) values in the set of values that are within the range of the population statistic, and (ii) values in the set of values that are outside of the range of the population statistic; creating a subset of values in the set of values using one of: (i) the values in the set of values determined to be within the range of the population statistic, or (ii) the values in the set of values determined to be outside of the range of the population statistic; and causing graphical display of information relating to the subset of values.