Recording user interaction with an application

• US 7,139,978 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2002
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Rojewski, Erwin, Roessler, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US10/188,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20030164850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 715733-750, 715/855, 715/704, 715/705, 715/712, 715/714
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for processing a user interaction with an application, such as a browser-based application. A user interaction with the browser-based application is detected at a software framework. The browser-based application is executing in a browser at a local computer system. The user interaction is processed at the software framework, where processing includes determining whether the user interaction can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system. The user interaction is processed based on a result of the determination. A data item representative of the user interaction can be created at the software framework and stored at a data store. The data item can later be retrieved and the user interaction represented by the data item reprocessed at the software framework to replay the user interaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a user interaction, the method comprising:

detecting at a software framework a user interaction with a browser-based application executing in a browser at a local computer system;

processing the user interaction at the software framework, the processing including;

determining whether the user interaction can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination;

creating at least one data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item includes the result of the determination; and

storing the data item at a data store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination includes one or both of:

handling the user interaction locally at the software framework executing on the local computer system, and

sending a request to the remote computer system to handle the user interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the detecting a user interaction, processing a user interaction and creating a data item representative of a user interaction for each user interaction with the browser-based application during a user-delineated session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the data item from the data store; and

using the retrieved data item to reprocess the user interaction represented by the data item at the software framework, including,

determining if the user interaction represented by the data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

reprocessing the user interaction based on a result of the determination.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the browser-based application is executing on a browser at a second computer system and the data store is accessible by the second computer system, the method further comprising:

retrieving the data item from the data store; and

using the retrieved data item to reprocess a user interaction represented by the data item at a software framework at the second computer system, including,

determining if the user interaction represented by the data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

reprocessing the user interaction based on a result of the determination.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

periodically polling the data store for one or more data items not previously retrieved by the second computer system and retrieving from the data store such data items.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the second computer system maintains a connection to the data store, such that the second computer system retrieves a data item from the data store as soon as the data item is received at the data store from the local computer system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of data items are created; and

storing the data items further includes collecting a batch of data items from the plurality of data items and transmitting the batch of data items to the data store.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data store is a database.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a data item includes a sequence of one or more object-event pairs.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is a JavaScript program.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is a VBScript program.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is a Java program.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is loaded into the browser from a web server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is included in the browser-based application.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the software framework is included in the browser.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a user interaction that can be handled locally comprises a user interaction that can be handled without accessing a resource at a remote computer system.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote computer system is a web server in communication with the local computer system by an Internet connection.

19. A computer-implemented method for recording user interaction with a browser-based application, the method comprising:

detecting in a software framework executing in a browser at a local computer system that a user has initiated an interaction with a browser-based application executing in the browser;

processing the user interaction in the software framework, including handling the user interaction locally or sending a request to a remote server if required for processing;

creating at the software framework a data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item includes information on whether the user interaction can be handled locally or if sending a request to the remote server is required; and

recording the data item at a data store.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

repeating the detecting, creating and recording steps for each user interaction with the browser-based application during a user-delineated session.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

retrieving data items from the data store representative of the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session; and

processing ihe data items at the software framework to replay the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session.

22. A computer-implemented method for recording user interaction with a browser-based application, the method comprising:

detecting in a software framework executing in a browser at a local computer system that a user has initiated an interaction with a browser-based application executing in the browser;

creating at the software framework one or more data items representative of the user interaction, wherein the data items are described using a hierarchical notation; and

recording the one or more data items at a data store.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data item representative of the user interaction comprises an object-event pair.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the data item is descriptive of the user'"'"'s interaction with the browser-based application in the browser, such that a data stream resulting from the user interaction at a browser level and at a remote server level is captured by the data item.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

retrieving the one or more data items from the data store; and

processing the one or more data items at the software framework to replay the user interaction with the browser-based application represented by the data item.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein replaying the user interaction with the browser-based application includes, for each data item retrieved from the data store:

determining from information included in the data item whether the data item can be handled locally or requires a request to a remote server for processing; and

processing the data item according to a result of the determination.

27. A computer-implemented method for listening to a user interaction with a browser-based application, the method comprising:

detecting in a software framework executing at a first computer system that a user has initiated an interaction with a browser-based application executing in a browser;

processing the user interaction at the software framework;

creating at the software framework one or more data items representative of the user interaction, wherein the data items are described using a hierarchical notation;

recording the data items at a data store accessible by the first computer system and by a second computer system on which another instance of the browser-based application is executing in a browser;

retrieving the data items from the data store; and

processing the data items at a software framework executing in the browser at the second computer system to listen at the second computer system to the user interaction with the browser-based application at the first computer system.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein retrieving the data items from the data store comprises:

periodically polling the data store for one or more data items not previously retrieved by the second computer system and retrieving from the data store such data items.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the second computer system maintains a connection to the data store, such that the second computer system retrieves a data item from the data store as soon as the data item is received at the data store from the first computer system.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein:

the user of the first computer system is a customer and a user of the second computer system is a customer support worker for the browser-based application, such that the customer support worker can listen to the customer'"'"'s interaction with the browser-based application to provide customer support to the customer.

31. A computer-implemented method for simulating user interaction with a browser-based application, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data items representative of user interactions with a browser-based application;

processing the data items using a software framework, such that the user interactions with the browser-based application represented by the data items are simulated, where processing the data items using the software framework includes;

determining whether a user interaction represented by a data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, wherein the data item includes information on whether the user interaction can be handled locally or if sending a request to the remote computer system is required, and

processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein:

the plurality of data items are included in a batch input file;

the browser-based application is an application for loading data extracted from a first system into a second system; and

processing the data items using the software framework, loads the data extracted from the first system into the second system.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the plurality of data items are received by a customer support worker for the browser-based application, the method further comprising:

providing customer support for the browser-based application based on the simulated user interactions with the browser-based application.

34. A system for processing a user interaction with a browser-based application, the system comprising:

a client computer including;

a browser executing on the client computer;

a browser-based application executing in the browser; and

a software framework executing in the browser, configured to;

detect a user interaction with the browser-based application;

determine whether the user interaction can be processed locally or requires access to a resource accessible by the server system;

process the user interaction based on a result of the determination, including one or both of handling the user interaction locally at the software framework and sending a request to the server system;

the client computer configured to send transmissions to and receive transmissions from a server system;

a server system configured to;

process a user interaction received from the software framework executing on the client computer; and

a data store accessible by the client computer, wherein the software framework is further configured to;

create at least one data item representative of a user interaction with the browser-based application, wherein the data item includes the result of the determination; and

store the data item at the data store.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein:

a user interaction that can be handled locally comprises a user interaction that does not require access to a resource accessible by the server system for processing.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein:

the software framework is further configured to;

retrieve the data item from the data store; and

use the data item to reprocess the user interaction represented by the data item including,

determining if the user interaction represented by the data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at the server system, and

reprocessing the user interaction based on a result of the determination.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the data store is further accessible by a second client computer, the system further comprising:

a second client computer including;

a second browser executing on the second client computer;

the browser-based application executing in the second browser; and

a second software framework executing in the second browser, configured to;

receive a data item representing a user interaction with the browser-based application at the client computer;

determine whether the user interaction represented by the data item can be processed locally or requires access to a resource accessible by the server system;

process the user interaction based on a result of the determination, including one or both of handling the user interaction locally at the second software framework and sending a request to the server system;

the second client computer configured to send transmissions to and receive transmissions from the server system.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the second software framework is further configured to:

periodically poll the data store for one or more data items not previously retrieved by the second software framework and retrieve such data items from the data store.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the second software framework is further configured to:

cause the second client computer to maintain a connection to the data store, such that the second software framework retrieves a data item from the data store as soon as the data item is received at the data store from the client computer.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the second software framework is a JavaScript program.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the second software framework is a VBScript program.

42. The system of claim 37, wherein the second software framework is a Java program.

43. The system of claim 34, wherein the data store is a database.

44. The system of claim 34, wherein the data item includes a sequence of one or more object-event pairs.

45. The system of claim 34, wherein the software framework is a JavaScript program.

46. The system of claim 34, wherein the software framework is a VBScript program.

47. The system of claim 34, wherein the software framework is a Java program.

48. A system for recording user interaction with a browser-based application, the system comprising:

a client computer including;

a browser executing on the client computer;

a browser-based application executing in the browser; and

a software framework executing in the browser, configured to;

detect a user interaction with the browser-based application;

process the user interaction, including handling the user interaction locally or sending a request to a remote server if required;

create a data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item includes information on whether the user interaction can be handled locally or if sending a request to the remote server is required; and

record the data item at a data store;

a data store for recording data items.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the software framework is further configured to:

repeat detecting a user interaction, processing a user interaction, creating a data item representative of the user interaction and recording the data item for each user interaction with the browser-based application during a user-delineated session.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the software framework is further configured to:

retrieve data items from the data store representative of the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session; and

process the user interactions represented by the data items to replay the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session.

51. The system of claim 48, wherein the software framework is a Java program.

52. The system of claim 48, wherein the software framework is a JavaScript program.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein the software framework is a VBScript program.

54. The system of claim 48, wherein the data item includes a sequence of one or more object-event pairs.

55. A system for listening to a user interaction with a browser-based application, the system comprising:

a first client computer including;

a first browser executing on the first client computer;

a browser-based application executing in the first browser; and

a first software framework executing in the browser, configured to;

detect a user interaction with the browser-based application;

determine whether the user interaction can be handled locally or requires access to a resource accessible by the server system;

process the user interaction based on a result of the determination, including one or both of handling the user interaction locally at the software framework and sending a request to the server system; and

create a data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item includes the result of the determination;

a data store for storing data items that is accessible by the first client computer and a second client computer; and

a second client computer including;

a second browser executing on the second client computer;

the browser-based application executing in the second browser; and

a second software framework executing in the second browser, configured to;

receive a data item representing a user interaction with the browser-based application at the first client computer;

determine whether the user interaction represented by the data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource accessible by a server system;

process the user interaction based on a result of the determination, including one or both of handling the user interaction locally at the second software framework and sending a request to a server system.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the second software framework is further configured to:

periodically poll the data store for one or more data items not previously retrieved by the second software framework and retrieve such data items from the data store.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the second software framework is further configured to:

cause the second client computer to maintain a connection to the data store, such that the second software framework retrieves a data item from the data store as soon as the data item is received at the data store from the first client computer.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein:

a user of the browser-based application at the first client computer is a customer; and

a user of the second client computer is a customer support worker for the browser-based application, such that the customer support worker can listen to the customer'"'"'s interaction with the browser-based application to provide customer support to the customer.

59. A system for recording user interaction with a browser-based application, the system comprising:

a client computer including;

a browser executing on the client computer;

a browser-based application executing in the browser; and

a software framework executing in the browser, configured to;

detect a user interaction with the browser-based application;

create a data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item is described using a hierarchical notation; and

record the data item at a data store;

a data store for recording data items.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the data item representative of the user interaction comprises an object-event pair.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the data item is descriptive of the user'"'"'s interaction with the browser-based application in the browser, such that a data stream resulting from the user interaction at a browser level and at a remote server level is captured by the data item.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the software framework is further configured to:

retrieve a data item from the data store; and

process data item at the software framework to replay the user interaction with the browser-based application.

63. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a user interaction with a browser-based application executing in a browser at a local computer system;

processing the user interaction, including;

determining whether the user interaction can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination;

creating at least one data item representative of a user interaction with the browser-based application, wherein the data item includes the result of the determination; and

storing the data item at the data store.

64. The computer program product of claim 63, wherein processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination includes one or both of:

handling the user interaction locally at the local computer system, and

sending a request to the remote computer system to handle the user interaction.

65. The computer program product of claim 63, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving the data item from the data store; and

using the retrieved data item to reprocess the user interaction represented by the data item, including,

determining if the user interaction represented by the data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

reprocessing the user interaction based on a result of the determination.

66. The computer program product of claim 65, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

periodically polling the data store for one or more data items not previously retrieved and retrieving from the data store such data items.

67. The computer program product of claim 65, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a connection to the data store, such that a data item is retrieved from the data store as soon as the data item is received at the data store.

68. The computer program product of claim 65, wherein a data item includes a sequence of one or more object-event pairs.

69. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting in a browser at a local computer system that a user has initiated an interaction with a browser-based application executing in the browser;

processing the user interaction, including handling the user interaction locally or sending a request to a remote server if required for processing;

creating a data item representative of the user interaction, wherein the data item includes information on whether the user interaction can be handled locally or if sending a request to the remote server is required; and

recording the data item at a data store.

70. The computer program product of claim 69, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

repeating the detecting, creating and recording steps for each user interaction with the browser-based application during a user-delineated session.

71. The computer program product of claim 70, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving data items from the data store representative of the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session; and

processing the data items to replay the user interactions with the browser-based application during the user-delineated session.

72. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting in a browser at a local computer system that a user has initiated an interaction with a browser-based application executing in the browser;

creating one or more data items representative of the user interaction, wherein the data items are described using a hierarchical notation; and

recording the one or more data items at a data store.

73. The computer program product of claim 72, wherein the data item representative of the user interaction comprises an object-event pair.

74. The computer program product of claim 72, wherein the data item is descriptive of the user'"'"'s interaction with the browser-based application in the browser, such that a data stream resulting from the user interaction at a browser level and at a remote server level is captured by the data item.

75. The computer program product of claim 72, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

retrieving the one or more data items from the data store; and

processing the one or more data items to replay the user interaction with the browser-based application.

76. The computer program product of claim 75, wherein replaying the user interaction with the browser-based application includes, for each data item retrieved from the data store:

determining whether the data item can be handled locally or requires a request to a remote server for processing; and

processing the data item according to a result of the determination.

77. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a plurality of data items representative of user interactions with a browser-based application;

processing the data items, such that the user interactions with the browser-based application represented by the data items are simulated, where processing the data items includes;

determining whether a user interaction represented by a data item can be handled locally or requires access to a resource at a remote computer system, and

processing the user interaction based on a result of the determination;

creating at least one data item representative of a user interaction with the browser-based application, wherein the data item includes the result of the determination; and

storing the data item at the data store.

78. The computer program product of claim 77, wherein:

the plurality of data items are included in a batch input file;

the browser-based application is an application for loading data extracted from a first system into a second system; and

processing the data items, loads the data extracted from the first system into the second system.