Content Tracker Reports Summary Data Recording Overview

8-4 Application Administrators Guide for Content Server Content Tracker can monitor activity based on: ■ Content item accesses: Content Tracker gathers information about content item usage. The data is obtained from Web filter log files, the Content Server database, and other external applications such as portals and Web sites. Content item access data includes dates, times, content IDs and current metadata. ■ Content Server services: Content Tracker can track all services that return content, as well as services that handle search requests. However, by default, Content Tracker logs only the services that have content access event types. And, with a simple configuration change, Content Tracker can monitor literally any Content Server service, even custom services. ■ User accesses: Content Tracker can gather information about other non-content access events such as the collection and synthesis of user profile summaries. This data includes user names and user profile information.

8.2.2 Content Tracker Reports Summary

After Content Tracker extracts data and populates applicable database repository tables, the information is available for report generation. Content Tracker Reports enables you to: ■ Generate reports: Content Tracker Reports queries the tables created by Content Tracker and generates summary reports of various kinds of activities and the usage history of particular content items. The reports help you analyze specific groups of content or users based on metadata, file extensions, or user profiles. You can use the pre-defined reports that are provided, customize them to suit your installation, or use a compatible third-party reporting package. ■ Optimize content management practices: You can also use the reported data for content retention management. That is, depending on the access frequency of particular content items during specific time intervals, you may decide to archive or delete some of the items. Similarly, applications can use the data to provide portlets with the top content for particular types of users.

8.2.3 Data Recording Overview

Content Tracker records data from the following sources: ■ Web server filter: When content is requested via a static URL, the web server filter records certain details of the request and saves the information in one or more event log files. Event log files are organized according to the date on which the information was collected. The event log files are eventually used as input by the Content Tracker data reduction process. ■ Service handler filter: Content Tracker has a list of services that it monitors. By default, these include only serveices that return content. When one of these Note: By default, Content Tracker collects and records only content access event data. This excludes information gathering on non-content access events like searches as well as the collection and synthesis of user profile summaries. However, during the Content Server installation process, the administrator can optionally choose to configure Content Tracker to collect all the information from the various categories. See Performance Optimization Functions on page 8-1 for more information. Managing Content Tracker 8-5 services is called, details of the service are copied and saved in the SctAccessLog table. You can change which services are monitored, and which details are recorded. ■ Content Tracker logging service: Content Tracker supports a general purpose logging service that is a single-service call that can be used to log an event. It can be called directly via a URL, as an action in a service script, or from IdocScript. ■ Content Server database tables: When configured to collect and process user profile information, the Content Tracker data reduction process will query selected Content Server database tables. This is done primarily to obtain information about the names and accounts of users who were active during the reporting period. ■ Application API: Content Tracker provides an interface by which other components and applications can be registered for tracking, and can have information about their activities recorded. For example, this interface allows cooperating applications, such as Site Studio, to log event information in real time.

8.2.4 Data Reduction Overview