# Configuring Web App Tracker

Web App Tracker collects web logs from the history database of a browser. It reads the database and merges the contents to create a report of usages based on the configured web applications.

Before proceeding, make sure the Web App Tracker collection is activated.

# Include or Exclude URLs to Track

  1. Open url_filter in the Configuration directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration.

    Notice that it contains instructions on how to edit the file and a list of URLs already included for initial data collection.

  2. Configure the URL filter with the following syntax:

    Command Syntax
    <use> = <regular_expression>

    where <use> is either include or exclude, and <regular_expression> is any valid regular expression pertaining to a group or a specific URL.

    Use globs (*) to match the URLs and page titles. Use # to comment.

  3. Save the changes.

  1. Open url_filter in the Configuration directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/etc/.

    Notice that it contains instructions on how to edit the file and a list of URLs already included for initial data collection.

  2. Configure the URL filter with the following syntax:

    Command Syntax
    <use> = <regular_expression>

    where <use> is either include or exclude, and <regular_expression> is any valid regular expression pertaining to a group or a specific URL.

    Use globs (*) to match the URLs and page titles. Use # to comment.

  3. Save the changes.

Recommended readings: Renaming Application Name for Collected URLs/Page Titles.

# Configuring Browsers to Track for Data Collection

The Web App Tracker supports data collection from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge by default. The following are the supported browsers, along with their key counterparts.

Browser Key
Google Chrome chrome
Microsoft Edge edge
Mozilla Firefox firefox
Internet Explorer ie
Microsoft Edge Legacy edge legacy
Supported Browsers for Data Collection

  1. Go to the scheduler directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration\scheduler, and open collect_browser-log.oconf.

  2. Locate root.scheduler.jobs.collect_weblog.operations.arguments and specify the browsers for which to collect usage data.

    collect_browser-log.oconf
    48| }
49|   arguments
50|   {
51| 	type=string
52| 	value=--target "${OpeniT.directories.temp}\PollCollector\Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "${OpeniT.directories.bin}\openit_weblogpoller.exe" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --statusdir "\"${OpeniT.directories.temp}\"" --browsers chrome,edge,firefox"
53|   }

    In this setup, only Google Chrome (chrome), Mozilla Firefox (firefox), and Internet Explorer (ie) will be included for data collection.

  3. Save the changes.

  1. Go to the scheduler directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/etc/scheduler, and open collect_browser-log-mac.oconf.

  2. Locate root.scheduler.jobs.collect_weblog.operations.arguments and specify the browsers for which to collect usage data.

    collect_browser-log-mac.oconf
    48| }
49|   arguments
50|   {
51| 	type=string
52| 	value=--target "${OpeniT.directories.temp}/PollCollector/Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "${OpeniT.directories.bin}/openit_weblogpoller" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --status-dir "\"${OpeniT.directories.temp}\"" --browsers safari,chrome,opera,firefox
53|   }

    In this setup, only Safari (safari), Google Chrome (chrome), Opera (opera), and Mozilla Firefox (firefox) will be included for data collection.

  3. Save the changes.

# Configuring Browser Usage Data Collection

  1. Go to the scheduler directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration\scheduler, and open collect_browser-log.oconf.

  2. Locate and set root.scheduler.jobs.collect_weblog.general.active to true to activate the collection of browser data.

    collect_browser-log.oconf
    14|	}
15|		general
16|		{
17|			active
18|			{
19|				type=bool
20|				value=true

  3. Save the changes.

The collection runs hourly using a 5-minute sample interval by default. The primary data is then transferred to the server every night according to the client timezone for processing. To configure the intervals, locate the instances attribute under collect_weblog, preprocess_weblog, transfer_weblog_parsed, or transfer_weblog_raw in the same file and configure the attributes.

Refer to the Web Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration table to learn about the attributes used for configuring web log data collection and transfer.

Attribute Name Accepted Value Description
max-instances Uint (e.g., 5, 8, 9) The number of instances allowed to run at the same time.
max-handling String (end-oldest, end-all-old, or end-new) The action done upon reaching the maximum number of instances. Specify end-oldest to stop/kill the oldest instance and then start the new, specify end-all-old to stop/kill all running instances and then start the new, or specify end-new to not start the new instance.
end-timeout Timespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H) The maximum waiting time before terminating a running instance.
quarantine Timespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H) The waiting time before starting a new instance after a previous one.
Web Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration

  1. Go to the scheduler directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/etc/scheduler, and open collect_browser-log-mac.oconf.

  2. Locate and set root.scheduler.jobs.collect_weblog.general.active to true to activate the collection of browser data.

    collect_browser-log-mac.oconf
    14|	}
15|		general
16|		{
17|			active
18|			{
19|				type=bool
20|				value=true

  3. Save the changes.

The collection runs hourly using a 5-minute sample interval by default. The primary data is then transferred to the server every night according to the client timezone for processing. To configure the intervals, locate the instances attribute under collect_weblog, preprocess_weblog, transfer_weblog_parsed, or transfer_weblog_raw in the same file and configure the attributes.

Refer to the Web Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration table to learn about the attributes used for configuring web log data collection and transfer.

Attribute Name Accepted Value Description
max-instances Uint (e.g., 5, 8, 9) The number of instances allowed to run at the same time.
max-handling String (end-oldest, end-all-old, or end-new) The action done upon reaching the maximum number of instances. Specify end-oldest to stop/kill the oldest instance and then start the new, specify end-all-old to stop/kill all running instances and then start the new, or specify end-new to not start the new instance.
end-timeout Timespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H) The maximum waiting time before terminating a running instance.
quarantine Timespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H) The waiting time before starting a new instance after a previous one.
Web Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration

Open iT calculates the Elapsed Time value by multiplying the duration by the number of used applications (always 1). Without defined mappings, the default duration is set to 15 minutes for all applications, which will then be the minimum usage per application.

# Verifying Web Log Data Collection

After configuration, you can verify that the data is collected and sent to the server by following these steps:

  1. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  2. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
     cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
     cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  3. Run the command:

    Command Syntax
     openit_pollcollector --target "${OpeniT.directories.temp}\PollCollector\Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "${OpeniT.directories.bin}\openit_weblogpoller.exe" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --statusdir "\"${OpeniT.directories.temp}\"" --browsers chrome,edge,firefox"
    Example
     openit_pollcollector --target "C:\ProgramData\OpeniT\Data\temp\PollCollector\Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin\openit_weblogpoller.exe" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --statusdir "\"C:\ProgramData\OpeniT\Data\temp\"" --browsers chrome,edge,firefox"

  4. Verify that the temp directory, which is by default in C:\ProgramData\OpeniT\Data\temp, contains a Weblog directory containing .data files containing raw browser usage data.

  1. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
     cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
     cd /usr/local/openit/bin

  2. Run the command:

    Command Syntax
     ./openit_pollcollector --target "${OpeniT.directories.temp}/PollCollector/Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "${OpeniT.directories.bin}/openit_weblogpoller" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --statusdir "\"${OpeniT.directories.temp}\"" --browsers chrome,edge,firefox"
    Command Syntax
     ./openit_pollcollector --target "usr/local/openit/temp/PollCollector/Weblog" --interval PT1H --exe "/usr/local/openit/bin/openit_weblogpoller" --timeout PT30M --module usageanalyzer --datatype webappbrowserlog --skip-onerror --key weblog --args --statusdir "\"usr/local/openit/temp/\"" --browsers chrome,edge,firefox"

  3. Verify that the temp directory, which is by default in usr/local/openit/temp, contains a Weblog directory containing .data files containing raw browser usage data.

# Troubleshooting

# Missing URL or Websites in the Reports

# Problem

There are missing URL(s) or website(s) in the generated report.

# Resolution

Make sure that the URL pattern, expected in the report, is included and does not match any of the exclude patterns in the url_filter in the Configuration directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration.

Make sure that the URL pattern, expected in the report, is included and does not match any of the exclude patterns in the url_filter in the Configuration directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/etc/.

# Archive is not Created in the Server

# Problem

There are no archive files created in the Core Server even after collection.

# Resolution

Make sure that the transfer_weblog_parsed and transfer_weblog_raw jobs in collect_browser-log.oconf in the scheduler directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration\scheduler, are set to true.

collect_browser-log.oconf
203|transfer_weblog_parsed
204|{
205|    about
206|    {
207|        type=string
208|        value=Transfer browser log data to server
209|    }
210|    general
211|    {
212|        active
213|        {
214|            type=bool
215|            value=true
216|        }
collect_browser-log.oconf
298|transfer_weblog_raw
299|{
300|    about
301|    {
302|        type=string
303|        value=Transfer browser log data to server
304|    }
305|    general
306|    {
307|        active
308|        {
309|            type=bool
310|            value=true
311|        }

Make sure that the transfer_weblog_parsed and transfer_weblog_raw jobs in collect_browser-log-mac.oconf in the scheduler directory, which is by default in /usr/local/openit/etc/scheduler, are set to true.

collect_browser-log-mac.oconf
203|transfer_weblog_parsed
204|{
205|    about
206|    {
207|        type=string
208|        value=Transfer browser log data to server
209|    }
210|    general
211|    {
212|        active
213|        {
214|            type=bool
215|            value=true
216|        }
collect_browser-log-mac.oconf
298|transfer_weblog_raw
299|{
300|    about
301|    {
302|        type=string
303|        value=Transfer browser log data to server
304|    }
305|    general
306|    {
307|        active
308|        {
309|            type=bool
310|            value=true
311|        }

Additionally, attempt to verify the collection of raw browser usage data. If data is not created, it may indicate that there is no recent browser history usage from any of the supported browsers.

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