Running the Web Server Log Import DTS Task

Article
11/12/2009

This topic explains how to run the Web server log import DTS task. Before running this task, it is recommended that you read Best Practices for Running the Web Server Log Import Task and Import Best Practices.

Web server log files store data that is obtained when users visit your site and click links to site pages. The data includes the length of time a user spent visiting your site, referring site, ad clicks, ad reach, click frequency, and the path the user takes through the site, including entry and exit pages.

Ee796884.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

You can create your Commerce Server 2002 reports at the VRoot level as well as the site level. You can define a site at the VRoot level or any subdirectory of a VRoot. To unpack an application to the root level of a Web site, see Select IIS Web Sites and Virtual Directories.

You use the Web server log import DTS task to specify which log files to import into the Data Warehouse, and where they are located. For information about configuring this DTS task, see Configuring the Web Server Log Import DTS Task.

The Web log file import task looks for the log files in the specified location, parses them, and applies the properties that you configured for the Web server log import task.

You can import log files from Web sites that are not running Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 (and do not include Commerce Server) as long as they are in the W3C extended log file format. For more information about adding applications and Web servers that do not use Commerce Server components, see Adding a Non-Commerce Application to a Site.

If your site has more than one Web server, the Web log file import process combines the files from the different Web servers in memory, and organizes the log file data chronologically. The Web log file import process filters the Web log file data by using the import properties you set. It applies a user visit inferential algorithm to transform click data into distinct user and visit counts. For information about setting user inferences, see Setting User Inferences. For information about setting visit inferences, see Setting Visit Inferences.

Additionally, if you select to import query strings associated with the Web site, the Web log file import process imports them. For information about configuring Web log files, see Configuring the Web Server Log Import DTS Task.

For information about setting up import properties for Web log file data, see Configuring the Web Server Log Import DTS Task.

To import Web log files from a single site into your Data Warehouse

To import Web log files from all associated sites into your Data Warehouse

To import Web log files from a single site into your Data Warehouse

Run the Configuration synchronization DTS task to synchronize your site configuration with the Data Warehouse. For instructions, see Running the Configuration Synchronization DTS Task.
Expand Microsoft SQL Server, expand SQL Server Group, and then expand the server on which your Data Warehouse is installed.
Right-click Data Transformation Services, and then click New Package.

Alternatively, if you are changing an existing package, right-click Data Transformation Services, click All Tasks, and then select Open Package. In the Select File dialog box, click the package you want to change, and then click Open.
On the Task menu, click Web server log import (Commerce Server).

In the Import Web Server Logs dialog box, do the following:

Use this	To do this
Description	Type a description for the import task.
Operation level	Select Site level from the drop-down list.
Site	Select from the drop-down list the name of the Web site that contains the Web server log you are importing.
Log file path	Type the path of the Web log file you want to import, or click Log Files to select the Web log files you want to import from the Web Server Log Files list.
All logs since last import	Select this option to specify that all log files created since the last import will be imported.
Logs by data/time range	Select this option to specify that only log files created between the Start date/time and End date/time will be imported.
Start date/time	Type the date and time for the beginning of the range from which log files will be imported. This option is available only if you select the Logs by date/time range option. The value for this option is stored in the Sitesummary table in the Data Warehouse.
End date/time	Type the date and time for the end of the range from which log files will be imported. This option is available only if you select the Logs by date/time range option. The value for this option is stored in the Sitesummary table in the Data Warehouse.

In the Retry properties section, do the following:

Use this	To do this
Number of retries	Type the number of times you want the task to retry connection failures to the Data Warehouse. The default number of retry attempts is 10. Note To specify the number of times the Web log import process is to be restarted before proceeding to the next import process, click Advanced, and then click the Restart tab.
Seconds between retries	Type the number of seconds you want the task to wait between retry attempts. The default time interval is 30 seconds.

Number of retries

Type the number of times you want the task to retry connection failures to the Data Warehouse. The default number of retry attempts is 10.

Ee796884.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

To specify the number of times the Web log import process is to be restarted before proceeding to the next import process, click Advanced, and then click the Restart tab.

Seconds between retries

Type the number of seconds you want the task to wait between retry attempts. The default time interval is 30 seconds.

Click OK.
On the Package menu, click Execute.

The Executing Package dialog box appears, showing the progress of your import. When the import process is complete, the Package Execution Results dialog box informs you that it completed successfully.

Note
- If the Web log file import process fails, run the Data deletion DTS task to delete the data associated with that Web log file, and then run the Report preparation DTS task to refresh the OLAP cubes.
Click OK, and then click Done.

The data from the Web log file is imported into the Data Warehouse.
Run the Report preparation DTS task to organize the imported data into the designated OLAP cubes. For instructions about running the Report preparation task, see Running the Report Preparation DTS Task.

This data is now available for reports.

To import Web log files from all associated sites into your Data Warehouse

Run the Configuration synchronization DTS task to synchronize your site configuration with the Data Warehouse. For instructions, see Running the Configuration Synchronization DTS Task.
Expand Microsoft SQL Server, expand SQL Server Group, and then expand the server on which your Data Warehouse is installed.
Right-click Data Transformation Services, and then click New Package.

Alternatively, if you are changing an existing package, right-click Data Transformation Services, click All Tasks, and then select Open Package. In the Select File dialog box, click the package you want to change, and then click Open.
On the Task menu, click Web server log import (Commerce Server).

In the Import Web Server Logs dialog box, do the following:

Use this	To do this
Description	Type a description for the import task.
Operation level	Select Data Warehouse level from the drop-down list.
Data warehouse	Select from the drop-down list the name of the Data Warehouse associated with the sites for which you are importing Web log file data.
Log file path	Type the path of the Web log file you want to import, or click Log Files to select the Web log files you want to import from the Web Server Log Files list.
All logs since last import	Select this option to specify that all log files created since the last import will be imported.
Logs by data/time range	Select this option to specify that only log files created between the Start date/time and End date/time will be imported.
Start date/time	Type the date and time for the beginning of the range from which log files will be imported. This option is available only if you select the Logs by data/time range option.
End date/time	Type the date and time for the end of the range from which log files will be imported. This option is available only if you select the Logs by data/time range option.

In the Retry Properties section, do the following:

Use this	To do this
Number of retry attempts	Type the number of times you want the task to retry connection failures to the Data Warehouse. The default number of retry attempts is 10. Note To specify the number of times the Web log import process is to be restarted before proceeding to the next import process, click Advanced, and then click the Restart tab.
Seconds between retries	Type the number of seconds you want the task to wait between retry attempts. The default time interval is 30 seconds.

Number of retry attempts

Type the number of times you want the task to retry connection failures to the Data Warehouse. The default number of retry attempts is 10.

Ee796884.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

To specify the number of times the Web log import process is to be restarted before proceeding to the next import process, click Advanced, and then click the Restart tab.

Seconds between retries

Type the number of seconds you want the task to wait between retry attempts. The default time interval is 30 seconds.

Click OK.

Note
- You can add multiple DTS tasks to a package, add sequencing or workflow information, and then run all the tasks in the package.
On the Package menu, click Execute.

The Executing Package dialog box appears, showing the progress of your import. When the import process is complete, the Package Execution Results dialog box informs you that it completed successfully.

Note
- If the Web log file import process fails, run the Data deletion task to delete the data associated with that Web log file, and then run the Report preparation task to refresh the OLAP cubes.
Click OK, and then click Done.

The data from the site Web log files is imported into the Data Warehouse.
Run the Report preparation DTS task to organize the imported data into the designated OLAP cubes. For instructions about running the Report preparation task, see Running the Report Preparation DTS Task.

This data is now available for reports.

Running the Web Server Log Import DTS Task

See Also

Additional resources