Relational Logging Design Pattern

Observability and traceability of developed software are crucial to its success in software engineering. Observability is the ability to comprehend a system’s internal state from the outside. Monitoring is used to determine what causes system problems and why. Logs are among the most critical technology to guarantee observability and traceability. Logs are frequently used to investigate software events. In current log technologies, software events are processed independently of each other. Consequently, current logging technologies do not reveal relationships. However, system events do not occur independently of one another. With this perspective, our research has produced a new log design pattern that displays the relationships between events. In the design we have developed, the hash mechanism of blockchain technology enables the display of the logs’ relationships. The created design pattern was compared to blockchain technology, demonstrating its performance through scenarios. It has been determined that the recommended log design pattern outperforms blockchain technology in terms of time and space for software engineering observability and traceability. In this context, it is anticipated that the log design pattern we provide will strengthen the methods used to monitor software projects and ensure the traceability of relationships.