Method and apparatus for tracking client navigation among multiple resources in communication session information saved by a server

• US 8,412,766 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2002
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Meymann, Yardena, Weisblatt, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US10/274,169
• Time in Patent Office: 3,820 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/229, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Techniques for tracking navigation by a client among multiple content provided by servers include receiving from the client a first request for first content. In response to receiving the first request, a first response identification is generated that is unique among all responses during a communication session. Information associated with the first request is stored in a data structure in a first record associated with the first response identification. A linking element in the first content is determined. Selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for second content. The first response identification is associated with the linking element in a first response such that the second request includes the first response identification. The first response is sent to the client. The tracking succeeds with multiple windows and limitations on state information passed by a client.

Claims

1. A method for one or more servers to track navigation by a client among a plurality of content components provided by the one or more servers, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving from the client, during a communication session with the one or more servers, a first request for a first content component of the plurality of content components;

in response to receiving the first request, generating a first response identification wherein the first response identification distinguishes among multiple visits by the client to the first content component, wherein the first response identification is in a plurality of response identifications each of which is generated by the one or more servers during the communication session in response to one request from the client, and wherein the plurality of response identifications and state information of the communication session are saved on the one or more servers;

storing, on the one or more servers, information associated with the first request in a first record of a data structure that identifies content components that have been selected by the client in the communication session, wherein the first record is associated with the first response identification;

determining a linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for a second content component of the plurality of content components;

associating the first response identification with the linking element in a first response that contains the first content component such that the second request includes the first response identification; and

sending the first response to the client;

wherein successive responses sent to the client from the servers are tracked by the one or more servers using the state information of the communication session saved on the one or more servers and the plurality of response identifications saved on the one or more servers.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, said step of storing information associated with the first request in the first record further comprising the step of storing, in the first record, information from at least one of the first request and the first response.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises generating dynamic content for the first content component in response to receiving the first request, and wherein the step of storing information associated with the first request in the first record further comprising the step of storing the dynamic content in the first record.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the client is a web browser, and wherein each of the one or more servers is a web server.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of content components is a plurality of web pages.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of content components is a plurality of web page frames.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the linking element is a hyperlink on a first web page for requesting a second web page.

8. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the linking element is a form for receiving user input on a web page and sending the user input to one of the one or more servers.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the linking element includes a sequence of instructions that is executed by a processor on a host for the client and causes the processor to send a request to one of the one or more servers.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

in response to receiving the first request, determining whether the first request includes a response identification; and

in response to determining that the first request includes the response identification, during said step of storing information associated with the first request in the first record, storing the response identification in a back-pointer field associated with the first response identification.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising, based on a plurality of back-pointer fields associated with a corresponding plurality of response identifications, generating a hierarchy that represents navigation by the client among the plurality of content components.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of generating the hierarchy comprises indicating a branch point in the hierarchy at a content component from which the client activated a linking element that started a new instance of the client.

13. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the step of generating the hierarchy comprises indicating a branch point in the hierarchy associated with a particular content component to which the client backwards linked from a previously requested content component.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising, in response to determining that the first request includes the response identification, performing the step of generating dynamic content for the first content component based at least in part on information stored in a record associated with the response identification in the data structure.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining a backward linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the backward linking element causes the client to generate a request for a previously sent response, which response is indicated by information previously stored in a record of the data structure associated with another response identification;

retrieving a second other response identification stored in a back-pointer field associated with said another response identification; and

associating the second other response identification with the backward linking element in the first response such that the request includes the second other response identification.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the previously sent response is a most recently sent response;

and the other said another response identification is the same as said response identification.

17. A method as recited in claim 10, the method further comprising the steps of:

determining a parallel linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the parallel linking element causes the client to generate a request for another response at the same level of a navigational hierarchy as the first response;

associating said response identification with the parallel linking element in the first response such that the other request includes said response identification.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for one or more servers to track navigation by a client among a plurality of content components provided by the one or more servers, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

receiving from the client, during a communication session with the one or more servers, a first request for a first content component of a plurality of content components;

in response to receiving the first request, generating a first response identification wherein the first response identification distinguishes among multiple visits by the client to the first content component, wherein the first response identification is in a plurality of response identifications each of which is generated by the one or more servers during the communication session in response to one request from the client, and wherein the plurality of response identifications and state information of the communication session are saved on the one or more servers;

storing, on the one or more servers, information associated with the first request in a first record of a data structure that identifies content components that have been selected by the client in the communication session, wherein the first record is associated with the first response identification;

determining a linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for a second content component of the plurality of content components;

associating the first response identification with the linking element in a first response that contains the first content component such that the second request includes the first response identification; and

sending the first response to the client;

wherein successive responses sent to the client from the servers are tracked by the one or more servers using the state information of the communication session saved on the one or more servers and the plurality of response identifications saved on the one or more servers.

19. An apparatus for one or more servers to track navigation by a client among a plurality of content components provided by the one or more servers, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;

a processor;

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving from the client, during a communication session with the one or more servers, a first request for a first content component of a plurality of content components;

in response to receiving the first request, generating a first response identification;

wherein the first response identification distinguishes among multiple visits by the client to the first content component, wherein the first response identification is in a plurality of response identifications each of which is generated by the one or more servers during the communication session in response to one request from the client, and wherein the plurality of response identifications and state information of the communication session are saved on the one or more servers;

storing, on the one or more servers, information associated with the first request in a first record of a data structure that identifies content components that have been selected by the client in the communication session, wherein the first record is associated with the first response identification;

determining a linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for a second content component of the plurality of content components;

associating the first response identification with the linking element in a first response that contains the first content component such that the second request includes the first response identification; and

sending the first response to the client;

wherein successive responses sent to the client from the servers are tracked by the one or more servers using the state information of the communication session saved on the one or more servers and the plurality of response identifications saved on the one or more servers.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause storing, in the first record, information from at least one of the first request and the first response.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause generating dynamic content for the first content component in response to receiving the first request, and wherein the step of storing information associated with the first request in the first record further comprising the step of storing the dynamic content in the first record.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein the client is a web browser, and wherein each of the one or more servers is a web server.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of content components is a plurality of web pages.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the plurality of content components is a plurality of web page frames.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the linking element is a hyperlink on a first web page for requesting a second web page.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 22, wherein the linking element is a form for receiving user input on a web page and sending the user input to one of the one or more servers.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein the linking element includes a sequence of instructions that is executed by a processor on a host for the client and causes the processor to send a request to one of the one or more servers.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 19, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause:

in response to receiving the first request, determining whether the first request includes a response identification; and

in response to determining that the first request includes the response identification, during said step of storing information associated with the first request in the first record, storing the response identification in a back-pointer field associated with the first response identification.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause, based on a plurality of back-pointer fields associated with a corresponding plurality of response identifications, generating a hierarchy that represents navigation by the client among the plurality of content components.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein the step of generating the hierarchy comprises indicating a branch point in the hierarchy at a content component from which the client activated a linking element that started a new instance of the client.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 29, wherein the step of generating the hierarchy comprises indicating a branch point in the hierarchy associated with a particular content component to which the client backwards linked from a previously requested content component.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause, in response to determining that the first request includes the response identification, performing the step of generating dynamic content for the first content component based at least in part on information stored in a record associated with the response identification in the data structure.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause:

determining a backward linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the backward linking element causes the client to generate a request for a previously sent response, which response is indicated by information previously stored in a record of the data structure associated with another response identification;

retrieving a second other response identification stored in a back-pointer field associated with said another response identification; and

associating the second other response identification with the backward linking element in the first response such that the request includes the second other response identification.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 33, wherein the previously sent response is a most recently sent response;

and said another response identification is the same as said response identification.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising one or more additional instructions which, when processed by the processor, cause:

determining a parallel linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the parallel linking element causes the client to generate a request for another response at the same level of a navigational hierarchy as the first response;

associating said response identification with the parallel linking element in the first response such that the other request includes said response identification.