Monitoring web pages

BMC PATROL for Internet Servers can monitor specific web pages to verify their availability and response time. BMC PATROL for Internet Servers can make complex requests to these pages to simulate the transactions that a web browser makes. Some of these capabilities include the following:

• Accepting dynamic server cookies. When this feature is enabled, you can verify the results of web applications that use session data that changes from one user to the next. For example, you might enable dynamic cookies to configure BMC PATROL for Internet Servers to log on to a shopping site, select an item for purchase, and purchase the item. Then you could use BMC PATROL for Internet Servers to compare actual performance and availability against expected values.
   You can indicate if you want to store and use dynamic cookies in monitoring the web server as follows:
  • Select Accept cookies, use with this Web server only if you want the instance to accept cookies but not share them with other web server instances. This is the default setting.
  • Select Accept cookies, this web server only, delete each cycle if you want the instance to accept cookies, but not share them with other web server instances and to delete them after each cycle.
  • Select Accept cookies, make available to all Web servers if you want the instance to accept cookies that can be shared with other web server instances.
  • Select Do not accept cookies if you do not want this instance to accept cookies.
• Authentication. You can configure BMC PATROL for Internet Servers to monitor pages or applications using standard authentication methods.
• Posting form data. You can configure BMC PATROL for Internet Servers to post predefined form data to a web server. You can use this feature to measure the response time and availability of web forms, such as customer service complaint pages. Using this capability in conjunction with dynamic cookies, you can establish a unique user session with web applications, such as storefronts or account status pages.
• Page validation. Using the Content Check feature, you can check to verify that certain data or text is found in your page, like, "Your order is complete." You can also use this feature to make sure that certain data is not found in your page result, such as "Error encountered."
• Page response time preferences. Select the option that best describes how you want set your page response time (URL) preference:
  • Select to Collect individual URLs only (default)
  • Select to Collect complete page response time
  • Select to Collect complete page response time by URL typ e