Filtering Message Data

This section describes various ways to filter message data in Message Analyzer so that you can focus on traffic that is isolated by specific message type, field value, address, port communication, string value, diagnosis type, and so on. You can use Filter Expressions to select specific data from saved files or live captures when a Data Retrieval Session or Live Trace Session is running, respectively. You can also apply Filter Expressions when you are working with trace results to narrow down your view to specific data of interest while filtering out all the rest. In addition, you can either specify built-in Filter Expressions, or you can manually create your own.

You can even create a Filter Expression that uses an Alias (typically a friendly name that replaces some cryptic field value; see Using and Managing Message Analyzer Aliases), and you can save such a filter in the centralized Filter Expression Library. This enables you to use the Filter Expression that incorporates an Alias as a Session Filter or a view Filter. Note that you can also create Filter Expressions that include Unions.


What You Will Learn
In the topics of this section, you will specifically learn about Message Analyzer filtering capabilities, which includes filtering imported data in a Data Retrieval Session, filtering data while it is captured in a Live Trace Session, filtering trace results, and learning how to create your own Filter Expressions, as described below.


In This Section

Filtering Loaded Input Data — apply a built-in or user-developed Session Filter or a Time Filter to a Data Retrieval Session to constrain input message volume; also use input file selection as a method of limiting input data.

Filtering Captured Input Data — apply numerous types of driver-level filters to focus on specific types of messages in a trace, so you can limit the amount of data you will capture in a Live Trace Session for problem solving. Provider-level filters include Fast Filters, Keyword bitmask filters, Level filters, WFP Layer Set filters, HTTP filters, host adapter NDIS layer filters, and Hyper-V-Switch extension layer filters.

Filtering Live Trace Session Results — assess the functions of built-in view Filters, so you can better utilize them to apply filtering to a set of trace results.

Filtering Column Data — make use of the Analysis Grid viewer Column Filter feature to quickly display only messages with fields that contain search text that you specify in a Column Filter Row text box.

Writing Filter Expressions — write your own Filter Expressions with the Message Analyzer Filtering Language, which is based upon the Open Protocol Notation (OPN) language.


Go To Procedures
To proceed directly to procedures that demonstrate the filtering features described in this task area, see Procedures: Using the Data Filtering Features.


See Also

Applying and Managing Filters