Extended Log Ontology

The Extended Log Ontology is a lightweight OWL ontology based on the Extended Log Format. The format is designed for monitoring HTTP communication between two different computer systems such as client computers, proxy servers, and web servers. It can describe all technical communication details of a single HTTP transmission. The format has an open design which can be extended with additional fields in order to further describe a recorded transmission. It can be used by web servers to monitor incoming client requests or applied by proxy servers to log all HTTP communication between several client computers and their contacted servers. A recorded HTTP transmission is represented by a log entry which describes the transmission's technical communication details. A log entry consists of several fields, each of which covers a particular detail such as the IP address of the client computer or the requested URL. Several log entries are combined into log files which are usually stored at the system that conducts the logging. Example web servers which support the Extended Log Format include the Microsoft web server IIS and Oracle WebLogic. The Extended Log Format Ontology provides an OWL ontology of the Extended Log Format by mapping each of the format's fields to ontological classes and properties. The ontology has a lightweight design which is primarily based on data properties. This allows the ontology to be used for creating simple log files without an unnecessary overhead.