Network Session Replay Synchronization for Rich Web Pages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current web monitoring systems struggle to accurately replay user experiences due to the complexity of rich web pages, which execute code independently and contain state information, making it difficult to capture and reproduce network sessions with high granularity.

Innovation Solution

The Event Tracking and Replay (ETR) system captures both network data and user interface events, synchronizing them to provide a scalable and secure means of replaying user experiences by using a network session monitor and a UI event monitor that operate independently to capture and analyze network and UI events, ensuring accurate reproduction of user interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If web pages execute code independently and contain state information (rich web pages), then user experience and functionality are improved, but accurate replay of captured network sessions becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweb page functionalityVSAvoidreplay accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the replay process into two independent monitors: a network session monitor that captures server-side interactions and a UI event monitor that captures client-side user interface events. This segmentation allows each monitor to focus on specific aspects of the rich web page execution, enabling accurate replay despite the complexity of independent code execution and state information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism that correlates UI events with network transactions using transaction identifiers. This intermediary layer bridges the gap between the independent execution of rich web page code and the need for accurate replay, by mapping client-side UI events to corresponding server-side network transactions, thereby enabling precise reconstruction of user experiences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If dual monitors (network session monitor and UI event monitor) are used to capture events independently, then replay accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereplay accuracyVSAvoidmonitoring system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the data from two independent monitors (network session monitor and UI event monitor) into a unified replay framework. By combining the captured network transactions and UI events with their correlated identifiers, the system achieves high replay accuracy without requiring completely separate monitoring infrastructures, thus balancing accuracy with manageable complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where UI events are correlated with network transactions through transaction identifiers. This feedback loop allows the system to verify and synchronize data from both monitors, ensuring accurate replay while maintaining system coherence. The feedback mechanism helps manage complexity by providing a structured way to integrate data from multiple sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of information

If detailed UI events and network transactions are captured with high granularity, then user experience analysis is improved, but data processing and storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experience detailVSAvoiddata volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential and correlated data elements from the rich web page interactions—specifically, UI events that are directly linked to network transactions through transaction identifiers. This extraction approach captures the critical user experience details needed for accurate replay while filtering out redundant or unrelated data, thereby reducing the overall data volume while preserving information quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2188732B1Replaying captured network interactions
Publication Date: 2018.03.07 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • EP2188732B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP2188732B1 patent drawingFigure 1B~1C
  • EP2188732B1 patent drawingFigure 1D

AI summary

A user interface event monitor captures user interface events executed by a client during a network session. A network session monitor captures network data exchanged between the client and a web application during the network session. A replay device identifies control events in the network session that require execution before replaying associated user interface events. Replay of the user interface events are delayed by the replay device until the associated control events have been fully executed.