Webtrends Analytics data collection is design to be highly fault tolerant. Data is collected from geographically disperse locations and can automatically handle multiple site failures.
Data Collection and Reporting Process
Step 1 – User visits SharePoint site
Step 2 – Webtrends JavaScript tag collects data
The JavaScript tag (deployed to all sites you want to track) runs in the browser and collects data from two sources:
2a – the tag collects data from the browser. Examples:
- IP address: 192.167.1.12 (you can mask this to 192.167.1.x)
- Page URL: /sitename/SitePages/Home.aspx
- Screen Resolution: 1920×1080
2b – tag connects to SharePoint User Profile Service.
Any data from the SharePoint User Profile Service can be collected, including custom fields. This is fully optional and configurable. Examples:
- Name: Bob Smith
- Department: Marketing
- Custom field (employee ID): Employee ID
These are just examples of the data you can collect. Privacy settings allow you to filter and/or mask data as well.
Step 3 – Data is sent to Webtrends
The data is sent to a Webtrends data collection center via an HTTPS GET request from the browser that returns a clear 1×1 gif image. Data is typically sent to the fastest (usually nearest to the browser) data collection point. The GET request includes the analytics data in the form of query parameters.
Step 4 – Data Is Analyzed
Collected data is moved from our global data collection centers to our data processing facility in the United States within minutes via encrypted tunnels (VPN). Once moved, data is analyzed and augmented with additional information (e.g. geographic information). Analysis is typically completed within 4 hours from the time it was collected.
Step 5 – Reporting
Analyzed data is available to view online or exported to many formats such as csv and pdf. Data can also be exported to PowerBI.
