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

• US 7,849,162 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/051,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,132 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/229, 709/224, 709/225, 709/228, 709/223, 707/103.R
• 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 stored at an intermediate server computer;

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;

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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of replay form parameters comprises:

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.

4. The method of claim 1, selecting a best-fit URL further comprises:

if the URL of a link exactly matches the saved URL, selecting the link as the best-fit URL;

if the URL of the link does not exactly match saved URL, selecting a nonmatching URL located at an address associated with the saved request as the best-fit URL.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, if the nonmatching URL partially matches the saved URL, selecting the nonmatching URL as the best-fit URL.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising appending a string contained in the saved request to the nonmatching URL to form the URL for the replay request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the replay request includes a set of headers so that a target web page returns the same contents as if the replay request were made from a particular type of browser.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the replay request includes a set of cookies, and the set of cookies contains a modified cookie corresponding to a saved cookie, wherein the modified cookie has been modified such that a target web page returns content as if the replay request were made by a new user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the saved request is a POST or a GET.

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

(a) selecting a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history stored at an intermediate server computer;

(b) if the saved request is a form request, selecting a best-fit form from a set of forms in a originating web page as a target URL;

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

(d) sending a replay request to the target URL; and

(e) repeating steps (a) through (e) until each saved request from the request history has been replayed.

11. 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; and

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.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the replay request includes a set of replay form parameters.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of replay form parameters includes:

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.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the software instructions are further operable to select a best-fit URL by:

if the URL of a link exactly matches the saved URL, selecting the link as the best-fit URL;

if the URL of the link does not exactly match saved URL, selecting a nonmatching URL located at an address associated with the saved request as the best-fit URL.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the software instructions are further operable to select a best-fit URL by:

selecting the nonmatching URL as the best-fit URL if the nonmatching URL partially matches the saved URL.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the software instructions are further operable to cause a computer to append a string contained in the saved URL to the nonmatching URL in order to form the URL in the replay request.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the replay request includes a set of headers so that a target web page returns the same contents as if the replay request were made from a particular type of browser.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the replay request includes a set of cookies, and the set of cookies contains a modified cookie corresponding to a saved cookie, wherein the modified cookie has been modified such that a target web page returns content as if the replay request was made by a new user.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the software program is further operable to determine whether a saved request is a POST or a GET.

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

an intermediate server including;

a computer readable medium;

a computer processor; and

a database; and

a set of software instructions stored on the computer readable medium such that the computer processor is operable to;

select a saved request corresponding to a saved URL from a request history, wherein the request history is stored on the database;

if the saved request is a starting URL request, select a starting URL as a target URL;

if the saved request is the form request, select a best-fit form from a set of forms in a originating web page as the target URL;

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

send a replay request to the target URL.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the replay request includes a set of headers so that a target web page returns the same contents as if the replay request were made from a particular type of browser.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the replay request includes a set of cookies, and the set of cookies contains a modified cookie corresponding to a saved cookie, wherein the modified cookie has been modified such that a target web page returns content as if the replay request were made by a new user.

23. A method for creating a path through a set of web pages and replaying the path comprising:

saving a path, wherein saving a path further comprises;

receiving a first user request for an originating web page;

saving the first user request in a request history at an intermediate server;

forwarding the first user request to a target web server;

receiving the originating web page from the target web server;

mediating the originating web page to refer to an intermediate server;

forwarding the originating web page to the user;

receiving an additional user request for a target web page, wherein the additional user request is based on the mediated content of the originating web page; and

recording the additional user request in the request history; and

replaying a path, wherein replaying a path further comprises;

selecting a saved request from the request history;

if the saved request corresponds to a starting URL, selecting the starting URL as the target URL;

if the saved request is a form request, selecting a best-fit form from a current configuration of the originating web page as the target URL;

if the saved request is not a form request, selecting a best-fit URL from the current configuration of the originating as the target URL; and

making a replay request to the target URL.

24. 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 stored at an intermediate server computer;

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;

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.