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Oracle9iAS Clickstream Intelligence Administrator's Guide
Release 2 (9.0.2)
Part Number A90500-02
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3
Configuring Clickstream Intelligence

This chapter provides information about configuring and validating the sites for which data is stored in the Clickstream Intelligence database. The items described below appear as links on the Horizontal Navigation bar when you click the Configure tab.

In the sections that follow, you'll learn about the steps and procedures required for:

Site Configuration

You can configure data collection parameters for individual Web sites by selecting the Site link on the Horizontal Navigation bar. (When you log in to the Runtime Administrator, the Site link is selected by default). To configure global site parameters, see the "System Configuration" section of this chapter.

Any time you access a Clickstream Intelligence site, use the Site Navigation menu to configure the parameters that define the specific types of data you want to extract from Web server log files. The information you collect forms the basis of the pre-defined reports that comprise Clickstream Analytics.

The Site Configuration section of this chapter describes how to create, configure, and modify all options on the Site Navigation menu.

The Site Summary Page

The Site Summary page is the first page that appears upon successful login to Clickstream Intelligence. From the Site Summary page, you can:

Every site that you create appears on the Site Summary page.

Create a Web Site Definition

To begin using Clickstream Intelligence, you must first identify the Web site(s) from which log data is collected.

To create a site:

  1. Log in to Clickstream Intelligence with your username and password.

    The Site Summary page appears.

  2. Click Create a Site.

    The Create Site page appears.

  3. Supply the following information:

    • Name--the name of the source Website, no longer than 100 characters in length.

    • Short Name--a one-word name that uniquely identifies a site. You may use up to eight alphanumeric characters, no spaces, and no single quotes.

    • Base URL--the URL for the site.

    • Description--(optional) a brief description of the site.

    • User Group--enables you to categorize authenticated Web site users by specific groups that are customized and defined by your company.

    • Visitor Group--enables you to categorize unregistered site users by specific groups that are customized and defined by your company.

    • Time Zone--The default value is set to GMT

  4. When you have entered all required site information, click Submit.

    The Site Summary page appears with a message to confirm that the site has been created.

Delete a Site

If you want to permanently remove a site, do so from the Site Summary page.

To delete a Clickstream site:

  1. From the Site Summary page, click the radio button beside the site you want to delete.

  2. Click Delete.

    A Delete Confirmation appears.

  3. If you are certain you want to delete the site, click Delete.

    The Site Summary page appears with a Confirmation message indicating that the site has been deleted.

    Note:

    Because the directory for a deleted site remains in the file system directory structure, you must manually remove the directories associated with deleted sites. If the deleted site hasn't been loaded before, then no action is required.

Edit an Existing Site

To add or modify configuration information for a site, you must first select the site on the Site Summary page. Once the site is selected, simply select an item on the Site Navigation menu that describes the type of information you want to modify.

To select and edit an existing site:

  1. From the Site Summary page, select the radio button for the site you want to modify.

  2. Click Go.

    The Site Details page displays (by default).

    Note: The Site Details page represents the first of several options on the Site Navigation menu. To modify information other than Site Details, click the appropriate option on the Site Navigation menu. For detailed information about each Site Navigation menu option, reference the appropriate sections in this chapter.:

  3. Review and edit the appropriate site information.

  4. When you are finished, click Submit.

    The Site Details page displays a Confirmation message to indicate that your changes are saved.

The Site Navigation Menu

The Site Navigation menu enables you to define and edit a site's configuration information. The menu is displayed on the left side of your screen whenever you select a site from the Site Summary page. The items displayed on the menu are listed below:

It is important that you know which fields are available within your log format when you define the Site Navigation menu items described in the following sections. If you attempt to create or update configurations that are not recognized by your log format, your site(s) will fail Site Validation.

Defining Site Parameters for the First Time

When you configure a Site Navigation menu option for the first time, you may need to start the Configuration Wizard. For other menu options, you are prompted to create a new parameter. Specifically:

For detailed information about defining specific Site Navigation menu options, please reference the appropriate sections in this chapter.

Editing a Site's Configuration Parameters

Once you have selected a site from the Site Summary page, you can edit data collection specifications by selecting the appropriate item on the Site Navigation menu. Every time you click a Site Navigation menu option, its main page displays a summary of all existing definitions.

To edit the settings for a particular Site Navigation menu option, follow the steps below:

  1. Click the Site Navigation menu item that corresponds to the configuration settings you want to edit.

    The Summary page (main page) for the menu item appears.

  2. Select the definition you want to modify and click Update.

    The Details page for the definition appears.

  3. Modify the appropriate information and click Submit.

    Your changes are saved.

    Note:

    The steps above do not apply to User, Visitor, Session, and Page parameters. Modification of these parameters requires reconfiguration. To do this, click the Reconfig button that appears below the current settings. For Page Parameters, click the Reset button.

Deleting Site Parameter Definitions

Once you have selected a site from the Site Summary page, you can delete certain data collection settings. To do this, first select an option on the Site Navigation menu. The main page for that option appears with a summary of all existing definitions. Then, choose the specific definition you want to remove.

To delete settings for an item on the Site Navigation menu:

  1. Click the Site Navigation menu option for which you'd like to make a deletion.

    The Summary page for that option appears.

  2. Click the radio button beside the definition you want to remove.

  3. Click Delete.

    A Delete Confirmation appears.

  4. If you are certain you want to delete the definition, click Delete again.

    A second Confirmation message appears to indicate that the definition has been deleted.

    Note:

    The steps above apply to all Site Navigation menu options except User, Visitor, and Session Identification- definitions for these options cannot be deleted. Instead, you can modify your specifications by clicking the Reconfig button.

    Additionally, you cannot delete settings for the Configuration Summary menu item, since it simply displays a summary of information that is configured elsewhere. To alter the information displayed on the Configuration Summary page, go to the Summary page for the specific Site Navigation menu item.

Creating New Parameter Definitions

New definitions can be created for all Site Navigation menu options except User, Visitor, and Session Identification. Every time you select a site menu option, the Summary page for the item is displayed. From this page, you can create a new definition by clicking the Create button at the bottom of the page.

Due to the similarities in the modification and deletion of site data collection parameters, the sections that follow focus on the creation of definitions for all configurable Site Navigation menu options. The following sections provide detailed instructions and explanatory text for all Site Navigation menu items.

Site Details

When you select a site from the Site Summary page and click Go, the Site Details page displays by default. This page enables you to enter or modify descriptive site information, such as the name, description, and user/visitor groups.

The fields displayed on the Site Details page are the same as those displayed on the Create a Site page. For information about specific fields on the Site Details page, see "Create a Web Site Definition".

User Identification Parameters

The User Identification page enables you to identify the method by which Clickstream Intelligence recognizes authenticated users. Authenticated users are individuals who have registered with a Web site or own a valid email address that is recognized by the Web site.

For a given site, identification of registered users is a three-step process:

    1. Select a method for identifying users. Information about each method is provided in the sections that follow.

    2. Define the parameters associated with the identification method you selected.

    3. Save the configuration.

Methods for identifying site users include Web server authentication, query string, or cookie value. To use any of these methods, you should first check that your Web log format supports identification by the method you select prior to configuring Clickstream Intelligence. Then, you must set your Web server to include the appropriate fields in the Web log. If you intend to identify users by the Web Server Authentication method, for example, the Authenticated User Name field must be included on the list of Selected Fields for the Data Format parameter, and also must be logged by your Web server. For more information, see "Define a New Data Format".

Web Server Authentication

The WebServer Authentication method identifies registered users by the username that is authenticated by the site's HTTP server. Following authentication by the Web server that hosts site content, this username is included in every record in the Web log file. This enables association of a session and its requests with a specific registered user of your site. You can select this method only if your Web log format supports Web server identification.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select User Identification from the Site Navigation menu.

  3. From the Select a Method for Identifying Authenticated Users page, click the radio button beside Web Server Authentication.

  4. Click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

User Identification by Query String

The query string method of user identification enables you to define the criteria for interpreting the query string portion of the URI in the clickstream Web server log. You can set Clickstream Intelligence to use any of the following query string components:

To identify users by query string, see the instructions that follow. To return to a previous step, click the Back button.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select User Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select a Method for Identifying Authenticated Users page, select the radio button beside Query String Parameter.

  4. Click Next.

    The Define Query String Method page appears.

  5. Select one of the following three methods to define query strings:

    • Use The Entire Query String: there are no additional parameters to configure for this option.

    • Use a variable in the query string: the Define Query String Named Parameter page appears. On this page, enter the following information:

      • Variable Name- the name of the parameter that represents the query string identifier or username

      • Variable Name Terminator- the character or string that follows each parameter name and separates it from its corresponding value

      • Variable Value Terminator- the character or string that separates entire name-value pairs in the query string

    • Use a positional value in the query string: the Define Query String Positional Parameter page appears. On this page, enter the following information:

      • Delimiter- enter the string or character that is used to separate the positional query string parameter in the query string

      • Position- locate the numeric position (beginning with 0) of the query string identifier

  6. When you have entered all required information for the query string option you chose above, click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your settings are saved.

User Identification by Cookie Value

Cookies contain information related to users and their online preferences. Identifying users by cookie value enables you to track registered site users by the entire cookie string with which they are associated, or by other identifiers located within the cookie itself.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select User Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select a Method for Identifying Authenticated Users page, select the radio button beside by Cookie Value.

  4. Click Next.

    The Define Cookie Method page appears.

  5. Enter the cookie variable name in the field provided.

  6. Select one of the following three options to describe the cookie variable name:

    • Use the Entire Cookie Variable: there are no additional parameters to configure for this option.

    • Use a subvariable in the cookie variable: the Define Cookie Named Parameter page appears. On this page, enter the following information:

      • Variable Name- the name of the parameter that identifies the cookie variable

      • Variable Name Terminator- the character or string that follows each variable name and separates it from its corresponding value

      • Variable Value Terminator- the character or string that separates entire name-value pairs in the cookie string

    • Use a positional value in the cookie variable : the Define Cookie Positional Parameter page appears. On this page, enter the following information:

      • Delimiter- enter the string or character that is used to separate the positional value in the cookie string

      • Position- locate the numeric position (beginning with 0) of the query string identifier

  7. When you have entered all required information for the query string option you chose above, click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your settings are saved.

Visitor Identification Parameters

The Visitor Identification page enables you to define the way Clickstream Intelligence identifies site visitors. Visitors are defined as unregistered Web site users. Many visitors are often first-time users of the site.

For a given site, identification of visitors is a three-step process:

Methods for identifying site visitors include Client hostname or IP address only, query string, cookie value, or visitor field. To use any of these methods, you should check that your Web log format supports identification by the method you select prior to configuring Clickstream Intelligence. Then, you must set your Web server to include the appropriate fields in the Web log. To identify visitors by Client Hostname or IP Address, for example, either the Client Hostname or the Client IP Address field must be included on the list of Selected Fields for the Data Format parameter, and also must be logged by your Web server. For more information, see "Define a New Data Format".

Client Hostname or IP Address

The Client Hostname or IP Address Only method tracks the IP address or hostname of the client that visitors use to connect to your Web site. To use this method of visitor identification, follow the steps below. If you want to return to a previous step, click the Back button.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select Visitor Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select a Method for Identifying Unique Visitors page, click the radio button beside Client Hostname or IP Addess Only.

  4. Click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Visitor Identification by Query String

You can set Clickstream Intelligence to use any of the following query string components:

The configuration procedure for visitor identification by query string is the same as that required to identify users by query string. For detailed information on how to specify visitor query string identification settings, see the section titled "User Identification by Query String".

Visitor Identification by Cookie Value

When visitors are identified by cookie value, you must apply one of the following three options to the cookie variable that you specify:

The configuration procedure for visitor identification by cookie value is the same as the steps required to identify users by cookies. For detailed instructions on how to do this, see the section titled "User Identification by Cookie Value".

Visitor Identification by Visitor Field

Follow the steps below if you want Clickstream to recognize visitors by a visitor field in the Web log. To return to a previous step, click the Back button.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select Visitor Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select a Method for Identifying Unique Visitors page, select the radio button beside Visitor Field.

  4. Click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Session Identification Parameters

The Session Identification page enables you to specify the way in which Clickstream Intelligence identifies unique sessions. A session is defined as the sequence of requests made by a user or visitor during a particular visit to a Web site. Once a user stops making Web site requests for a given period of time--referred to as a session threshold--the next hit to the Web site begins a new session.

For a given site, session identification is a three-step process:

Methods for identifying sessions include visitor ID and timeout period, query string parameter, cookie value, and session field. To use any of these methods, you should check that your Web log format supports identification by the method you select prior to configuring Clickstream Intelligence. Then, you must set your Web server to include the appropriate fields in the Web log. To identify sessions by cookie value, for example, the Cookie String field must be included on the list of Selected Fields for the Data Format parameter, and must also be logged by your Web server. For more information, see "Define a New Data Format"

Session Identification by Visitor ID and Timeout Period

To identify sessions by visitor and a pre-determined timeout period, follow the steps below. If you want to return to a previous step, click the Back button.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select Session Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select Session Construction Method page, click the radio button beside By Visitor ID and Timeout Period.

  4. Click Next.

    The Define Session Timeout Period page appears.

  5. Enter a value into the Maximum Period of Inactivity field. This number represents the length of time, in minutes, before a visitor is timed out from the Web site.

  6. Click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Session Identification by Query String

You can set Clickstream Intelligence to identify sessions by query string in three different configurations:

The configuration procedure for session identification by query string is the same as that required to identify users and visitors by query string. For detailed information on how to set up session query string identification parameters, see the section titled "User Identification by Query String".

Session Identification by Cookie Value

To identify sessions by cookie value, choose one of the following three options for the cookie variable that you specify:

The configuration procedure for session identification by cookie value is the same as that required to identify users and visitors by cookies. For detailed instructions on how to do this, see the "User Identification by Cookie Value" section of this chapter.

Session Identification by Session Field

To use the session field in the Web log to identify distinct sessions, follow the steps below. If you want to return to a previous step, click the Back button.

  1. Select the site you want to configure from the Site Summary page and click Go.

  2. Select Session Identification from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen.

  3. From the Select Session Construction Method page, select the radio button beside Session Field.

  4. Click Next.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Data Sources

The Data sources parameter designates the location of the Web server from which clickstream data is obtained. You can utilitze Clickstream's Collector Agent to automatically retrieve Web logs from a remote host via HTTP or FTP protocol, or you can specify a local directory on which data is located (called a local data source).

For each designated data source, you must define one data format. If you want to add new formats to the list of options displayed on the Create Data Source page, go to the System Configuration tab and click the Data Formats option on the System Navigation menu.

You may also place data filters on your defined data source. Filters "pre-process" Web data and enable you to define exactly the type of information you want to extract from log files. If no filter options are available for selection on the Create Data Sources page, you must first define one or more data filters via the System Navigation menu. To learn more about defining data filters for your system, see the "Data Filters" section of this chapter.

The Data Source Summary page enables you to view, create, update, and delete a site's data sources. The sections below describe how to view and create new data sources. For information about editing and deleting data sources, see the general instructions in the following sections of this chapter:

View All Data Sources

To view all data existing sources, click the View All Data Sources button at the bottom of the Data Source Summary page.

The All Data Sources page displays, in table format, the data sources that have been defined for all sites in the system. Specific information - such as the name, short name, data format, type, and the site to which the data source belongs - is displayed for each data source listed in the table.

Create a Data Source

To specify a new data source for a site, follow the steps below. Fields accompanied by an asterisk (*) are required.

  1. Select Data Sources from the Site Navigation menu.

    The Data Source Summary page appears.

  2. Click Create Data Source.

    The Create Data Source page appears.

  3. Supply the following descriptors for the new data source:

    • Name: a unique name that identifies the data source

    • Short name: a one-word name for the data source

    • Description: (optional)

    • Protocol: Clickstream supports HTTP and FTP; you can also designate a local source.

  4. Provide source Definition information. The fields displayed are dependent upon your protocol selection: local, HTTP, or FTP. Any of the following fields may be displayed:

    • Host: (HTTP and FTP) The computer from which a site's Web log data originates

    • Port: (HTTP and FTP) Enter a positive integer for non-standard ports only. Default values are set to: HTTP=80 and FTP=21.

    • Username: (HTTP and FTP) The name used to connect to the data source machine. This field is required for FTP.

    • Password: (HTTP and FTP) The password that corresponds to the username which enables access to the data source machine.

    • Path: (all) Indicates the location of your Web log files; typically the portion of a URL following the host:port

    • Data Format: (all) Select a format from the pull-down menu, or Define a New Data Format

    • Time Zone: (all) The time zone in which dates are recorded by in the log files. This parameter enables Clickstream Intelligence to adjust the log file time zone to that of the Web site. This field is optional and has no effect on Apache formats.

    • Default Server Name: (all) Enables you to specify the hostname of the server, for situations in which the specified data format does not include a "Server Name" field. This field is optional.

  5. If you want to use filters to pre-process data retreived from the data source, follow the steps below. Filters are optional.

    • Go to the Filters section of the Create Data Source page and select the filter(s) you want from the Available Filters window.

      (If no filters are available for selection, you must first Create a Data Filter.)

    • Use the Move arrows to move the filters to the Selected Filters window.

  6. When you are finished entering data source information, click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears and the new data source appears on the Data Source Summary page.

Internal Domains and Internal Sites

Internal domains and internal sites are used by Clickstream Intelligence to classify and categorize Web server log data. An internal domain is typically a domain name that resides within your organization, or a domain name that you want to classify as "internal" for reporting purposes. Similarly, an internal site is a site that is internal to your organization and located somewhere within the realm of your Web site. Both can be used to further classify and characterize log data that is utilized in the creation of analytical reports.

For example, when you specify one or more internal domain names for a particular site, you enable Clickstream to distinguish "internal domains" from all other domains that appear in the site's log files. When you run a Top Referrers by Internal Domain report, Clickstream views the site's loaded server log files and creates a report by analyzing data pertaining to internal domains only.

Configuration of Internal Domain and Internal Site parameters is optional because neither influences how a site's log data is transformed when it is loaded into the database. Configuration of both parameters is recommended, however, to ensure the generation of accurate report results. For example, if you do not specify at least one internal domain, all domains retrieved from your log files are considered to be external. This misrepresentation of log data may ultimately affect analytical report results.

The following section describes how to define a new internal domain/site. For specific information about editing and deleting internal domains and internal sites, see the general instructions at the beginning of this chapter:

Define a New Internal Domain or Internal Site

The following steps describe the specification of an internal domain name for a given Web site. To set up an internal site, follow the same procedure, but select the Internal Sites option from the Site Navigation menu.

  1. Go to the Site Summary page and select the site for which you want to specify a new internal domain.

  2. Click Go.

  3. Select Internal Domains from the Site Navigation menu on the left side of your screen

    The Internal Domains page appears.

  4. Click Create Internal Domain.

    The Create Internal Domain page appears.

  5. Enter the internal domain name in the space provided.

  6. Click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Local Search Engines

A local search engine is one that enables customers to search within your Web site for pages containing specific keywords. The local search engine parameter influences how log data from an internal search application is transformed when loaded into the database. Specifically, it determines the way that search phrases are parsed from the Web log and loaded into the Search dimension. If a local search engine is not defined for a site, certain data cannot be loaded into the Search dimension and reports, such as the Top Local Search Phrases report, cannot be created.

The section that follows details the steps required to define a new internal search engine. For specific information about editing and deleting local search engines, see the general instructions in the following sections of this chapter:

Define a New Local Search Engine

  1. Go to the Site Summary page and select the site for which you want to specify a local search engine.

  2. Click Go.

  3. Select Local Search Engines from the Site Navigation menu.

    The Local Search Engines main page appears.

  4. Click the Create Local Search Engine button.

    The Create Local Search Engine page appears.

  5. Provide the following information

    • URI Stem- the portion of a URL that follows the host and port, but precedes the query string. The URI stem indicates the actual path to the program that returns your search results.

    • Parameter- (optional) the name of the query string parameter that identifies the search expression. The parameter typically follows the URI stem and immediately precedes the search keyword; it may be a word, number, symbol, or any combination of these elements.

  6. Click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Page Parameter Rules

Page parameters refer to the set of query string parameters in a URL (called name-value pairs) that indicate unique page content. Clickstream Intelligence identifies new pages by combining the stem, or file name, of the URI with the names and values of all page parameters that are configured for that particular stem.

As an example, consider the following Web log entries that represent multiple hits to a particular file or URI stem:

Although each hit refers to the same stem (pageXYZ.html), the actual page content returned by the server varies with the parameter values contained in the query string of the request. In the example above, action is a parameter with values equal to "create," "update," and "delete." Depending on parameter value, the server returns different content for the file "pageXYZ.html." This and similar analyses of query string parameters may enable you to determine which pages customers access on your site.

While some parameters contribute to the identity and content of the requested page, other parameters in the query string do not affect which page is returned to the user. In order to accurately identify unique pages requested from your site, these non-page parameters should be excluded from consideration. For example, a shopping cart identifier or session identifier in the query string has no influence upon the page content displayed to the user.

Clickstream Intelligence enables you to define page parameter rules on two levels:

At both the Global and Individual levels, you can specify the query string parameters that are to be considered page parameters by selecting one of the following options:

Global Page Parameter Rules

When you define global page parameters, you indicate which query string parameters are relevant when identifying page content for all files or URI stems on your Web site. Global parameters apply only to the pages for which individual page parameter rules are not defined.

  1. Go to the Site Summary page and select the site for which you want to configure page parameter ruless.

  2. Click Go.

  3. Select Page Parameter Rules from the Site Navigation menu.

    The Global Page Parameter Rules page appears.

  4. Select one of the following options from the pull-down menu:

    • All

    • None

    • Include Following- the screen refreshes and a parameter field appears. Define a parameter to include, and click Add Parameter. Repeat this process to specify additional parameters.

    • Exclude Following- the screen refreshes and a parameter field appears. Define a parameter to exclude, and click Add Parameter. Repeat this process to specify additional parameters.

  5. Click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Individual Page Parameter Rules

Individual page parameters apply to a specific file or URI stem that belongs to your site. Parameters specified on an individual (file-specific) level override any settings that may be defined on the Global Parameter Rules page for your Web site.

  1. Go to the bottom of the Global Page Paramater Rules page and click the Create Individual Page Parameter Rule button.

    The Individual Page Parameter Rule page appears.

  2. Provide the following information:

    • URI Stem: the portion of a URL that follows the host and port, but precedes the query string.

    • Parameters: specify All, None, Include Following, or Exclude Following. To include or exclude parameters, you must enter a Parameter Name in the field provided and click Add Parameter. (To include or exclude additional parameters, repeat this step.)

  3. Click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Configuration Summary

Once you have configured Clickstream Intelligence, you can see a summary of your settings by selecting Configuration Summary from the Site Navigation menu.

Settings for all Site Navigation menu items are displayed on the Configuration Summary page. If you have not configured particular menu options or need to modify existing information, simply click the appropriate item on Site Navigation menu and edit as necessary. Otherwise, you can validate your site to see if the configuration is valid.

Site Validation

Before you can load data into the Clickstream database, a site's configuration must be validated. Validation is the process by which site parameters are checked for proper configuration.

The validation step checks for the following:

To validate a site, click the Validate button at the bottom of the Configuration Summary page. If one or more validation processes are unsuccessful, an error screen appears to indicate what has failed. To correct the faulty setting(s), you must return to the page containing the error.

When you have correctly configured Clickstream Intelligence, the Validate Site Configuration page displays a Confirmation message to indicate that your site configuration is Valid. Now your site's data can be loaded into the Clickstream warehouse. For more information on populating the database, see Chapter 4, "Loading the Clickstream Database".

Note:

Each time you alter a site's configuration parameters, you need to re-validate the site from the Configuration Summary page.

System Configuration

System configuration parameters are used to effect changes in some or all of the sites listed on your Site Summary page. To access these configuration parameters, click the System link located on the left side of the Horizontal Navigation bar at the top of your screen. The System Cofiguration section of this chapter describes how to set up all items displayed on the System Navigation menu.

The System Navigation Menu

All system configuration parameters can be accessed from the System Navigation menu that is located along the left side of your screen. You can select menu options to do any of the following:

Configuration of some System Navigation menu items is optional. Defining additional resource types, for example, is not essential for site validation. Similarly, when incoming Web data has already been filtered, there is no need to configure settings for data filters. On the other hand, if your log format does not correspond to one of the pre-defined types, you need to specify one or more data formats.

Data Formats

When you click the System tab, the Data Format Summary page appears by default. It lists all data formats defined for the system. These data formats correspond to the options from which you may choose when setting up a site's Data Sources. For more information about data sources, see "Create a Data Source".

For any given data format, you must specify the log file fields that appear in the Clickstream log. Fields that appear in a given data format's log file must be listed in the Selected Fields window; data fields not present in the log should be listed in the Available Fields window. All Selected Fields must be listed in the order that they appear in the Web log file.

The Data Format Summary page displays all log formats defined for your system. From this page, you may create, edit, and delete data formats.

Define a New Data Format

Data formats are defined from the Create Data Format page. For each data format, you must indicate which log file Fields are logged by the Web server. To identify the fields that appear in the clickstream log, list them in the Selected Fields window by clicking the arrow buttons that move fields from the Available Fields to the Selected Fields window. You must also specify the order that the fields appear in the log file for the format you're defining. To do this, use the arrow buttons embedded in the Selected fields window.

If you plan to identify registered users by the Web Server Authentication method, for example, the Authenticated Username field must be listed in the Selected Fields window for the appropriate data format. By doing this, you indicate that Authenticated Username is a field that is logged by the Web server, and therefore appears in the log file for the particular data format.

To define a new data format:

  1. Select Data Formats from the System Navigation menu.

    The Data Format Summary page appears.

  2. Click the Create a Data Format button.

    The Create Data Format page appears.

  3. Enter the following information:

    • Type: select from Apache, W3C Extended Log File Format, or IIS Extended Log File Format. The data format you select determines the options that are displayed in the Available Fields window (see Step 4).

    • Name: the name that identifies the data format.

    • Short Name: a unique name that describes the data format. You may use up to eight alphanumeric characters.

    • Description: (optional) a brief description of the data format.

  4. Select the Fields that describe the type of clickstream data contained in the log files with your defined data format type. You must select all fields that appear in your log file, even if you do not intend to collect data all of the selected fields.

    • Selected Fields: fields that appear in the Web server log files.

    • Available Fields: fields that represent Web log data types that do not appear in the Web log.

    To select a field, click on the field in the Available Fields window and click the right arrow button to move it to your Selected Fields window.

  5. When you have entered all required data format settings, click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

    Note:

    The ten General Purpose Fields listed in the Available Fields window are generic fields that can be defined and customized according to your particular data format.

Data Filters

Clickstream Intelligence uses data filters to identify the characteristics of the data retrieved from Web server log files. Each time you create or modify a data source for a site, you can select one or more filters to refine the data collected. (For more information about data sources, see "Create a Data Source".)

The Data Filter Summary page enables you to create, update, and delete data filters.

All data filters listed on the Data Filter Summary page can be used by any site in your system when you configure the Data Source option on the Site Navigation menu. Specifically, each data filter that you create from the Create Data Filter page becomes an Available Filter for the Data Sources parameter. When you delete a data filter from the Data Filter Summary page, it is removed from the Available Filters section on the Data Sources form for all sites.

Create a Data Filter

The following instructions describe the steps required to define a data filter. Each time a data filter is created, you can specify conditions for the data it acts upon. Each time you select a type of condition, you must enter a specific value and then designate how that value relates to, or operates on, the filter you're defining. All data filters must contain at least one condition.

  1. Select Data Filters from the System Navigation menu.

    The Data Filter Summary page displays.

  2. Click the Create Data Filter button.

    The Create Data Filter page appears.

  3. Enter the following information:

    • Filter Name: (required) specify a name that identifies the filter.

    • Description: (optional) a brief description of the filter.

  4. Create the Filter Definition. To do this, you must define one or more conditions:

    • Select a Data Field from the pull-down menu that describes the type of condition you are defining, and click Add Condition. The data field you choose determines which operators you can select.

    • Select an Operator from the pull-down menu that indicates how your defined value is handled.

      For example, you can set your filter to contain, equal, begin, or end with your defined value. Time and date fields display different operators, as described above.

    • Enter a value in the field provided that defines the word, number, or symbol that appears in your specified data field.

      For some fields, you must enter values in a specific format. Request Date, for example, enables you to select a date via the Date Picker (click the calendar icon). For the Request Time field, you must enter a time in HH:MM:SS format

  5. (Optional) Click one of the following radio buttons below the condition list:

    • Match all of the conditions- the data filter acts upon log data only when all of your defined conditions are met

    • Match any of the conditions -the data filter acts upon log data when any of your conditions are met

  6. When you are finished defining the data filter, click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your information is saved.

Resource Types

Resource types are the file extensions that characterize data received from a Web server. A server provides many types of resources to clients, and associates each kind of resource with a unique extension. This extension defines the resource type. For example, text documents are often categorized by the resource type .txt, while images may be identified by the extensions .gif, .jpg, or .png. You can configure Clickstream Intelligence to recognize one or more resource types. Many are pre-defined and set to default values upon installation.

The Resource Type summary page displays all exising resource types for your system. From this page, you may create, edit, and delete the resource types you want to track:

Typically, the Resource Type page is used for addition and modification of file extension definitions. While deleting a resource type removes its definition from Clickstream, it does not remove the resource from which it originates. When resource types sent from the server correspond to deleted extensions, Clickstream Intelligence assumes the following specific default values:

Create a Resource Type

The following procedure describes how to define a resource type from the Create Resource Type page.

  1. Select Resource Types from the System Navigation menu.

    The Resource Type Summary page displays.

  2. Click Create Resource Type.

    The Create Resource Type page appears.

  3. Enter the following information:

    • Name: the letter combination that represents the file extension

    • Description: (optional) characterizes and describes the resource type

    • MIME Type: (optional)

    • Delivery Method: select dynamic (such as personalized content on an HTML page) or static (such as an image file)

    • Identifies Page: (Yes/No)

    • Type: use the pull-down menu to select the best descriptor of your resource; such as audio for a music file, image for a picture, and so on.

  4. When you are finished entering information, click Submit. (Or to clear all fields and start over, click Reset.)

    A Confirmation message displays on the Resource Type Summary page to indicate that your entry is saved.

Referring Search Engines

A referring search engine is used to query the Internet. Unlike a local search engine, which is internal to your company, a referring search engine is external to your company and not affiliated with your business. When analyzing log data, information related to referring search engines may indicate key areas of customer interest, common keywords entered by Internet users, or the search engines from which site visitors arrive.

The Referring Search Engines summary page displays all external search engines that have been defined for your system. From this page, you may create, edit, and delete referring search engines.

Create a Referring Search Engine

To define a new referring search engine for your system, follow the instructions below.

  1. Select the Referring Search Engines option from the System Navigation menu.

    The Referring Search Engines summary page displays.

  2. Click the Create Referring Search Engine button.

    The Create Referring Search Engine page appears.

  3. Enter the following information:

    • Host: the name of the search engine (Use the following format: www.typesearchenginehere.com )

    • URI Stem: the portion of the URL that follows the host and port, but precedes the query string. The URI stem indicates the actual path to the search program that provides the search results.

    • Parameter- (optional) the name of the query string parameter that identifies the search expression. The parameter typically follows the URI stem and immediately precedes the search keyword; it may be a word, number, symbol, or any combination of these elements.

  4. When you are finished entering the information above, click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears to indicate that your entry is saved.

System Parameters

System parameters identify the directory in which Clickstream Intelligence is installed, the directory to which Clickstream Intelligence writes log files, and the directory from which remote data source log files are collected. These system-level properties are stored in the click-app.xml file and can be modified or updated online from the System Parameters page.

All parameters displayed on the System Parameters main page must be defined.

Process Definitions

Process definitions define the criteria that Clickstream Intelligence uses to perform specific tasks, or processes, related to the database. When clickstream data is loaded into the database, for example, you perform a specific type of process called "Load Clickstream." The parameters that specify how to perform this process comprise each process definition.

The Process Definitions page enables you to do the following:

Every time you create a new definition, you must provide a unique name and specify the process type. After a type is selected, the Create Process Definition page refreshes and fields specific to the process type are displayed. You can create definitions for five process types. To learn more about the specific parameters associated with each type of process, see the one of the following sections in this chapter:

Create a Process Definition

To create a process definition from the Process Definitions page, select the process type for which you are creating a definition. Then, enter information for the specific parameters that apply to your definition type.

  1. Select Process Definitions from the System Navigation menu.

    The Create Process Definition page displays.

  2. Provide a name for the process definition you are creating.

  3. Enter a short name (8 alphanumeric characters or less) to identify the definition.

  4. Select the type of process you want to define. Use the pull-down menu to select one of the following process types:

    The page refreshes and parameters specific to your process type appear.

  5. Provide information in all required fields for your chosen process type.

  6. Click Submit.

    A Confirmation message appears on the Process Definitions page to indicate that your settings are saved.

Load Clickstream

The Load Clickstream process enables the transfer and storage of data into the database. The following descriptions correspond to the fields for which you must enter information when creating a definition for the Load Clickstream process.

Load Dimensions

The Load Dimensions process enables the loading of new data into the Clickstream dimensions via the interface tables. The following descriptions correspond to the fields for which you must enter information when creating a definition for the Load Dimensions process.

Refresh Summaries

The Refresh Summaries process enables you to pre-calculate and aggregate data from the facts and dimensions, and then store the summarized data in a set of tables that are pre-defined by Clickstream Intelligence. This data is used to enhance performance and is required to keep Clickstream Analytics updated with the most current data.

The following descriptions correspond to the fields for which you must enter information when creating a definition for the Refresh Summaries process.

Resolve IP Addresses

The Resolve IP Addresses process enables you to perform reverse DNS lookups for IP addresses that are loaded into the Clickstream Intelligence database. Once the reverse DNS lookup is complete, Clickstream Intelligence can use the user-friendly hostnames to determine the demographics for particular IP addresses.

The following descriptions correspond to the fields for which you must enter information when creating a definition for the Resolve IP Addresses process.

Restore a Previous Version

The Restore a Previous Version process enables you to undo any changes to data that have been performed since a given point in time. Clickstream Intelligence enables you to roll back to a previous version of data stored in your warehouse by clicking the Undo button that appears when a process has an error or has been temporarily stopped.

The following descriptions correspond to the fields for which you must enter information when creating a definition for the Restore a Previous Version process.

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