System selects a best-fit form or URL in an originating web page as a target URL for replaying a predefined path through the internet

• US 6,901,438 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 05/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BMC Software Incorporated (KKR & Co., Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Clay, Klobe, Michael C., Bodwell, Walter R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/710,212
• Time in Patent Office: 1,663 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system and method for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages. The system and method comprises selecting in chronological order a saved request in a request history. The saved requests correspond to a set of user requests made at a web page from the set of web pages. Furthermore, the present invention comprises determining whether the saved request is a form request, and if so finding a best fit form on the web page from the set of web pages and sending a replay request to the best-fit form. If the saved request is not a form request, making the replay request to a best-fit URL.

Claims

1. A method for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages comprising:

selecting a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history;

if the saved request is a form request, selecting a best-fit form from a set of forms in an originating web page as a target URL, wherein selecting a best-fit form comprises rejecting a potential form if the URL of the potential form does not begin with the saved URL, if the form request is a POST, rejecting a remaining form from a set of remaining forms if the remaining form does not require each parameter that would be included in the replay form parameters if the replay request was made for the remaining form, if the set of remaining forms still contains more than one remaining form, rejecting all remaining forms from the set of remaining forms which do not require all hidden form parameters in the set of saved form parameters and if there is still more than one remaining form in the set of remaining forms, selecting a best-fit form from the set of remaining forms in a predetermined manner, otherwise choosing the one remaining form in the set of remaining forms as the best-fit form;

if the saved request is not the form request, selecting a best-fit URL in the originating web page as the target URL; and

sending a replay request to the target URL, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters, comprising a set of saved form parameters and a set of merged form parameters, wherein the set of merged form parameters includes from the current configuration of the originating web page.

2. A method for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages comprising:

selecting a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history;

if the saved request is a form request, selecting a best-fit form from a set of forms in an originating web page as a target URL, wherein selecting the best-fit form comprises rejecting a potential form if the URL of the potential form does not begin with the saved URL, if the form request is a GET, rejecting a remaining form from a set of remaining forms if the remaining form does not require all hidden form parameters included in the saved form parameters, if the set of remaining forms still contains more than one remaining form, rejecting a second remaining form from the set of remaining forms that does not require all the form parameters that would be included in the replay form parameters if a replay request was made to the second remaining form and if there is still more than one remaining form in the set of remaining forms, selecting a best-fit form from the set of remaining forms in a predetermined manner, otherwise choosing the one remaining form in the set of remaining forms as the best-fit form;

if the saved request is not the form request, selecting a best-fit URL in the originating web page as the target URL; and

sending a replay request to the target URL, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters, comprising a set of saved form parameters and a set of merged form parameters, wherein the set of merged form parameters includes from the current configuration of the originating web page.

3. A system for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

a set of software instructions stored on the computer readable medium operable to cause a computer to;

select a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history

if the saved request is a form request, select a best-fit form from a set of forms in a originating web page as a target URL, wherein the best-fit form is selected by rejecting a potential form if the URL of the potential form does not begin with the saved URL, if the form request is a POST, rejecting a remaining form from a set of remaining forms if the remaining form does not contain each parameter that would be included in the replay form parameters if the replay request were made for the remaining form, if the set of remaining forms contains more than one remaining form, rejecting all remaining forms from the set of remaining forms which do not require all hidden form parameters in the set of saved form parameters and if there is still more than one remaining form in the set of remaining forms selecting a best-fit form from the set of remaining forms in a predetermined manner, otherwise selecting the one remaining form in the set of remaining forms as the best-fit form in a predetermined manner;

if the saved request is not the form request, select a best-fit URL in the originating web page as the target URL; and

send a replay request to the target URL, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters, including a set of saved form parameters and a set of merged form parameters, wherein the set of merged form parameters includes parameters from the current configuration of the originating web.

4. A system for replaying a predefined path through a set of web pages comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

a set of software instructions stored on the computer readable medium operable to cause a computer to;

select a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history

if the saved request is a form request, select a best-fit form from a set of forms in a originating web page as a target URL, wherein the best-fit form is selected by rejecting a potential form if a target form URL does not begin with a URL corresponding the saved URL, if the form request is a GET, rejecting a remaining form from a set of remaining forms it he remaining form does not require all hidden form parameters included in the saved form parameters, if the set of remaining forms contains more than one remaining form, rejecting a second remaining form from the set of remaining forms if the second remaining form does not require all the form parameters that would be included in the replay form parameters if a replay request were made for the second remaining form and if there is still more than one remaining form in the set of remaining forms selecting a best-fit form from the set of remaining forms in a predetermined fashion, otherwise selecting the one remaining form in the set of remaining forms as the best-fit form;

if the saved request is not the form request, select a best-fit URL in the originating web page as the target URL; and

send a replay request to the target URL, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters, including a set of saved form parameters and a set of merged form parameters, wherein the set of merged form parameters includes parameters from the current configuration of the originating web.