Method, apparatus, and system for capturing data exchanged between server and a user

• US 20030145071A1
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Owen, Joseph H. Jr., Boyers, Albert S., Choragudi, Ram, Straut, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,138 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Data exchanged between at least one server and at least one user is intercepted in a capturing module that operates independently from the server and the user. A copy of the intercepted data is stored in a database. The intercepted data that is destined for the server is forwarded to the server, or the intercepted data that is destined for the user is forwarded to the user. The intercepting and storing are performed transparently to the user. Interception of data may be performed continuously, and storing of data may be performed during a predetermined time window or at predetermined time intervals. The intercepted data may include events, attributes, images, user identifications, requests, and/or responses. Only a predetermined portion of the data and/or data that satisfies predefined rules is stored. The user may be a web server or a web browser, and the server may be a web server. The data may be exchanged in the form of an Internet protocol and assembled into a web page view for the user. Interception and storing may be performed concurrently for capturing data exchanged simultaneously between a plurality of servers and the user, the server and a plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users.

Claims

1. A method for capturing data exchanged between at least one server and at least one user, the method comprising the steps of:

intercepting data exchanged between the server and the user in a proxy server that operates independently from the server and the user;

storing the intercepted data; and

forwarding the data from the server or the user to the user or the server, respectively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the intercepting and storing are performed transparently to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes at least one of events, attributes, images, user identifications, requests, and responses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is exchanged in the form of an Internet protocol and is assembled into a web page view for the user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein only a predetermined portion of the data is stored.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein only requests or responses are stored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a web server or a web browser, and the server is a web server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of intercepting is performed continuously, and the step of storing is performed during a predetermined time window or at predetermined time intervals.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting data that satisfies predefined rules among the intercepted data, wherein the step of storing stores the selected data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising replaying data exchanged between the server and the user, using the stored data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein data is exchanged between a plurality of servers and the user, the server and a plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps are performed concurrently for capturing data exchanged simultaneously between the plurality of servers and the user, the server and the plurality of users, or the plurality of servers and the plurality of users.

13. An apparatus for capturing data exchanged between at least one server and at least one user, the apparatus including:

intercepting means operating independently from the server and the user for intercepting data exchanged between the server and the user;

storage means for storing the intercepted data; and

forwarding means for forwarding the intercepted data from the server or the user to the user or the server, respectively.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the intercepting and storing are performed transparently to the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data includes at least one of events, attributes, images, user identifications, requests, and responses.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data is exchanged in the form of an Internet protocol and is assembled into a web page for display to the user.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein only a predetermined portion of the data is stored.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein only requests or responses are stored.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the user is a web server or a web browser, and the server is a web server.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data is intercepted continuously and is stored during a predetermined time window or at predetermined time intervals.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for selecting data that satisfies predefined rules among the intercepted data, wherein the selected data is stored in the database.

22. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising means for replaying data exchanged between the server and the user using the stored data.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein data exchanged between a plurality of servers and the user, the server and a plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users is captured.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein data exchanged simultaneously between the plurality of servers and the user, the server and the plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users is captured concurrently.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor performs intercepting and storing transparently to the user.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the data includes at least one of events, attributes, images, user identifications, requests, and responses.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the data is exchanged in the form of an Internet protocol and is assembled into a web page for display to the user.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein only a predetermined portion of the data used to display the web page is stored.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein only requests or responses are stored.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the user is a web server or a web browser, and the server is a web server.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the data is intercepted continuously and is stored during a predetermined time window or at predetermined time intervals.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein data that satisfies predefined rules is selected from among the intercepted data, and the selected data is stored.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the stored data is used for replaying data exchanged between the server and the user.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein data exchanged between a plurality of servers and the user, the server and a plurality of users, or a plurality of servers and a plurality of users is captured.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein data simultaneously exchanged between the plurality of servers and the user, the server and the plurality of users, or the plurality of servers and the plurality of users is captured concurrently.

24-1. A system for capturing data, comprising:

at least one server;

at least one user, wherein the server and the user exchange data; and

at least one proxy server connected between the server and the user and operating independently from the server and the user, wherein the proxy server intercepts data exchanged between the server and the user, stores the intercepted data, and forwards the data from the server or the user to the user or the server, respectively.