Web site quality assurance system and method

• US 6,519,616 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grisinger, Daniel, Buggs, C. Marlon D., Zamora-McKelvy, Michele, Stroble, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/476,599
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 709/217, 707/501.1, 707/500, 707/10, 707/100, 707/1
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system and method for use in assuring the quality of a web site are disclosed. The system and method are particularly directed to the quality assurance of a telephone directory web site that, in response to queries submitted by visitors to the web site, returns telephone listings including links to web pages relating to listed businesses or individuals. The system and method of the present invention allow a user thereof to easily access and view data records generated during periodic tests of the web site. Each record corresponds with a listing in the directory and includes at least one data field having data indicative of the outcome of a search verification test (e.g. a string code such as “OK”) and at least one data field having data indicative of the outcome of a link verification test (e.g. an HTTP result code such as “404”). A first interface, displayed by a client, provides for submission of search criteria (e.g. a particular HTTP result code) to a server in communication with the client. A list of records found by the server meeting the submitted search criteria is displayed in a second interface by the client. In displaying the list of records, at least the data indicative of the outcome of the link verification test is displayed for each listed record. In this manner, the system and method of the present invention facilitate identification of listings having links that are failing.

Claims

1. A system for use in assuring the quality of a web site that, in response to queries submitted by visitors to the web site, returns listings from a directory including links to web pages associated with the listings, said system comprising:

a database including a plurality of records, wherein each said record corresponds to a listing in the directory and includes at least one data field having data indicative of an outcome of a search verification test and at least one data field having data indicative of an outcome of a link verification test;

a server enabled for searching said database for records meeting search criteria submitted to said server;

at least one client in communication with said server;

a first interface, displayable by said at least one client, enabled for receiving search criteria and submitting search criteria received thereby to said server; and

a second interface, displayable by said at least one client, enabled for displaying a list of said records meeting said submitted search criteria, wherein at least said data indicative of said outcome of said link verification test is displayed for each said listed record.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said data indicative of said outcome of said link verification test comprises an HTTP result code returned when following the link associated with the listing.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said first interface is enabled for submission of said search criteria including HTTP result codes.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the web site returns listings from a telephone directory in response to queries by at least one of names associated with the listings in the directory, headings of categories into which the listings are grouped, and telephone numbers associated with the listings, and wherein said data indicative of said outcome of said search verification test comprises at least one string code indicating whether the listing was properly returned by the web site when a query comprising at least one of a name, category heading and telephone number from the listing is submitted to the web site.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein each said record of said database further includes a data field having data indicating a name associated with the listing, a data field having data indicating a listing identification number associated with the listing, and a data field having data indicating a date on which said search verification and link verification tests were executed, and wherein said first interface is enabled for submission of said search criteria including at least one of a name, a listing identification number, and a date.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first and second interfaces comprise first and second web pages, respectively, that are displayable by said at least one client using a web browser.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a computer executable search verification routine enabled for generating said data indicative of said outcome of said search verification test for listings in the directory; and

a computer executable link verification testing routine enabled for generating said data indicative of said outcome of said link verification test for listings in the directory.

8. The system of claims 7 further comprising:

a computer executable scheduling routine enabled for periodically initiating execution of said computer executable link verification testing routine and said computer executable search verification routine.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a third interface, displayable by said at least one client, enabled for displaying at least said data indicative of said outcome of said search verification test for a particular record listed in said second interface.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said third interface comprises a third web page that is displayable by said at least one client using a web browser.

11. A method for use in assuring the quality of a web site that, in response to queries submitted by visitors to the web site, returns listings from a directory including links to web pages associated with the listings, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a database including a plurality of records, wherein each record in the database corresponds to a listing in the directory and includes at least one data field having data indicative of an outcome of a search verification test and at least one data field having data indicative of an outcome of a link verification test;

establishing communication between at least one client and a server, wherein the server is enabled for searching the database for records meeting search criteria submitted to the server;

displaying a first interface on the client enabled for receiving search criteria and submitting received search criteria to the server;

receiving search criteria with the first interface;

submitting the received search criteria to the server;

searching the database for records meeting the search criteria; and

displaying a second interface on the client wherein the records found in said searching step meeting the received search criteria are displayed, wherein at least the data indicative of the outcome of the link verification test is displayed for each listed record.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said step of generating comprises the steps of:

executing a computer executable search verification testing routine to generate the data indicative of the outcome of the search verification test for listings in the directory; and

executing a computer executable link verification testing routine to generate the data indicative of the outcome of the link verification test for listings in the directory.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of generating further comprises the step of:

executing a computer executable scheduling routine, wherein the computer executable scheduling routine periodically initiates execution of the computer executable search verification testing routine and the computer executable link verification testing routine.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein in said step of executing a computer executable link verification testing routine, the computer executable link verification testing routine stores, in the database, the corresponding HTTP result code returned when each link is followed in the database.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the web site returns listings from a telephone directory in response to queries by at least one of names associated with the listings in the directory, headings of categories into which the listings are grouped, and telephone numbers associated with the listings, and wherein in said step of executing a computer executable search verification testing routine, the computer executable search verification testing routine stores, in the database, at least one string code indicating whether a listing is properly returned by the web site when a query comprising at least one of a name, category heading and telephone number from the listing is submitted to the web site.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein in said step of generating, each record of the database further includes a data field having data indicating a name associated with the listing, a data field having data indicating a listing identification number associated with the listing, and a data field having data indicating a date on which the search verification and link verification tests were executed, and wherein in said step of displaying a first interface, the first interface is enabled for receiving search criteria including at least one of a name, a listing identification number, and a date.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein in said steps of displaying a first interface and displaying a second interface, the first and second interfaces comprise first and second web pages, respectively, and wherein said steps of displaying a first interface and displaying a second interface are accomplished using a web browser operating on the client.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

receiving an input identifying a record from the records listed in the first interface; and

displaying a third interface wherein at least data indicative of the outcome of the search verification test is displayed for the identified record.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein in said step of displaying a third interface, the third interface comprises a third web page, and wherein said step of displaying a third interface is accomplished using a web browser operating on the client.