Analyzing analytic element network traffic
View Patent ↗Disclosed embodiments include a computer system for verifying proper configuration of analytic elements. The computer system identifies an analytic element associated with a network-connected software application. The computer system also executes the analytic element such that the analytic element initiates a network communication with a remote server. The computer system then searches a dataset for information relating to the network communication from the analytic element. The dataset comprises network communications received by a remote server. When the network communication generated by the analytic element is not found within the dataset, the computer system generates a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly.
1. A computer system for verifying proper configuration of analytic elements comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following:
identify an analytic element associated with a network-connected software application, wherein the analytic element comprises a network request initiated by the computer system based upon content that is delivered to the computer system;
identify one or more attributes associated with the analytic element, wherein at least one of the identified attributes comprises a destination of the network request associated with the analytic element;
receive, at the computer system, a dataset of information for network-based analytic elements, wherein the dataset comprises information received by the destination of the network request associated with the analytic element;
search the dataset for information relating to the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element, wherein the one or more attributes uniquely identify the analytic element; and
when the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element are not found within the dataset, generate a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly, wherein generating a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly comprises:
determining that the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element are not found within the dataset;
identifying one or more other analytic elements that are associated with the analytic element; and
generating a report indicating whether one or more other attributes associated with the one or more other analytic elements are correctly represented within the dataset.
2. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein the analytic element comprises an HTML tag embedded within a webpage.
3. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein the content that is delivered to the computer system comprises a webpage.
4. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes comprises an identification of a type of analytic element.
5. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more attributes comprises a variable associated with the analytic element.
6. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more attributes associated with the analytic element comprises:
comparing source code associated with the analytic element with one or more signatures stored within a signature database; and
identifying a match between the source code and a particular signature, wherein the particular signature is associated with an identification of the analytic element.
7. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more attributes associated with the analytic element comprises:
comparing a network request associated with the analytic element with one or more signatures stored within a signature database; and
identifying a match between the network request and a particular signature, wherein the particular signature is associated with an identification of the analytic element.
8. The computer system recited in claim 1 , wherein searching the dataset for information relating to the one or more attributes comprises:
searching the dataset for an entry that matches a network request generated by the analytic element; and
comparing information in the entry with the identified one or more attributes associated with the analytic element.
9. A method performed at a computer system for verifying proper configuration of analytic elements comprising:
identifying an analytic element associated with a network-connected software application, wherein the analytic element comprises a network request initiated by the computer system based upon content that is delivered to the computer system;
identifying one or more attributes associated with the analytic element, wherein the one or more attributes uniquely identify the analytic element, and identifying one or more attributes associated with the analytic element comprises:
comparing a network request associated with the analytic element with one or more signatures stored within a signature database; and
identifying a match between the network request and a particular signature, wherein the particular signature is associated with an identification of the analytic element;
searching a dataset for information relating to the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element, wherein the dataset comprises network communications received by a remote server; and
when the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element are not found within the dataset, generating a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly.
10. The method in claim 9 , wherein the analytic element comprises an HTML tag embedded within a webpage.
11. The method recited in claim 10 , wherein generating a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly comprises:
determining that the one or more attributes associated with the HTML tag are not found within the dataset;
identifying one or more other HTML tags that are located on the same webpage as the HTML tag; and
generating a report indicating whether one or more other attributes associated with the one or more other HTML tags are correctly represented within the dataset.
12. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein the one or more attributes comprise an identification of a type of analytic element.
13. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein identifying one or more attributes associated with the analytic element comprises:
comparing source code associated with the analytic element with one or more signatures stored within a signature database; and
identifying a match between the source code and a particular signature, wherein the particular signature is associated with an identification of the analytic element.
14. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein identifying the analytic element associated with the network-connected software application comprises:
activating a rich or multimedia file within the network-connected software application;
analyzing the rich or multimedia file while it is activated; and
identifying the analytic element, wherein the analytic element is presented at a particular point within the rich or multimedia file.
15. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein identifying the analytic element associated with the network-connected software application comprises executing the network-connected software application within a virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine comprises an environment capable of executing the network-connected software application.
16. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein searching the dataset for information relating to the one or more attributes comprises:
searching the dataset for an entry that matches a network request generated by the analytic element; and
comparing information in the entry with the identified one or more attributes associated with the analytic element.
17. The method recited in claim 9 , wherein generating a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly comprises:
determining that the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element are not found within the dataset;
identifying one or more other analytic elements that are associated with the analytic element; and
generating a report indicating whether one or more other attributes associated with the one or more other analytic elements are correctly represented within the dataset.
18. A computer system for verifying proper configuration of analytic elements comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more storage devices having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors configure the computer system to perform at least the following:
identify an analytic element associated with a network-connected software application;
execute the analytic element such that the analytic element initiates a network communication with a remote server;
search a dataset for information relating to the network communication from the analytic element, wherein the dataset comprises network communications received by a remote server; and
when the network communication generated by the analytic element is not found within the dataset, generate a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly, wherein generating a report that the analytic element is not functioning properly comprises:
determining that the one or more attributes associated with the analytic element are not found within the dataset;
identifying one or more other analytic elements that are associated with the analytic element; and
generating a report indicating whether one or more other attributes associated with the one or more other analytic elements are correctly represented within the dataset.