Patent ID: 8244746

Claim:
A computer-readable recording medium storing a program that causes a computer that serves as a linking apparatus to link related messages, execution of the program causes the computer to execute a procedure, the procedure comprising: receiving a message or trace information; selecting, from the received message or the trace information, a plurality of pairs of a key character string and value thereof, the plurality of pairs being used to link related messages; registering the selected pairs in a trace data storage unit of the computer as a new trace record or updating an existing trace record that includes some of the selected pairs; identifying a transfer destination for the pairs included in the newly registered or updated trace record based on a first rule; transmitting, as outgoing trace information, the pairs to the identified transfer destination; when receiving a search command including a first pair of a key character string and value thereof, searching the trace data storage unit of the computer using the first pair and returning data of a found trace record to a source of the search command, when receiving a message collection command including a second pair of a key character string and value thereof, searching the transaction management table storage unit of the computer using the second pair and transmitting the message collection command including a found message to one of a linking apparatus identified using a second rule and a source of the received message collection command.