How the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool Works

  • Article

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

The Internet Explorer® Compatibility Test Tool (IECTT) provides a user interface (UI) that enables you to display data about your Windows® Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8 issues in real-time, including enabling you to filter your results and to upload your data to your ACT database, by using the ACT Log Processing Service.

This topic includes:

  • IECTT terminology

  • IECTT high-level process

IECTT Terminology

The following terms are associated with the IECTT.

Term Definition

ACT Log Processing Service

The service that processes the log files uploaded from your client computers, adding the information to your ACT database.

Application Compatibility Manager (ACM)

The user interface that enables you to view reports based on the Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool information, which is generated from the ACT database.

Application Compatibility Toolkit Data Collector (ACT-DC)

A self-extracting executable (.exe) file containing your configuration manifest and installation file for the data collector and compatibility evaluators. After deployment, ACT-DC installs the compatibility evaluators, maintains their scheduling and data collection, and uploads the issue data to your ACT database.

Bucketizer

An executable (.exe) file that processes the raw XML data collected by the tool and sends it to a centralized location.

compatibility evaluator

A command-line program launched by the ACT-DC and configured by the user through the data-collection package (DCP) settings. An evaluator might run immediately and exit, or continue to monitor system activity through the duration configured by the user.

compatibility-evaluator definition package

The collection of files and data created by a partner defining a compatibility evaluator.

compatibility-evaluator installation package

The installation package used by the ACT-DC to install a compatibility-evaluator module. The provider of the compatibility evaluator produces the compatibility-evaluator installation package that is included in the compatibility-evaluator definition package.

compatibility-evaluator module

A compatibility-evaluator component, exposed to the ACT-DC. A compatibility-evaluator module generates data and can have dependencies on other compatibility evaluators.

component

A part of the ACT that specifies the compatibility-evaluator resources and settings.

configuration manifest

A file that contains all of the user-configurable settings, such as which compatibility evaluators will run, when, and for how long the compatibility evaluators will run, where to store the log files, and other parameters configurable in the Advanced Settings dialog box.

data collection package (DCP)

A Windows Installer (.msi) file created in the ACM for deployment to each of your client computers. Each DCP can include one or more compatibility evaluators, depending on what you are trying to evaluate.

data collector

A set of compatibility-evaluator modules that produce or gather data and then store the data locally in a raw or nearly raw form. All compatibility evaluators act as data collectors, and are installed and deployed by ACT-DC.

post-processor

A compatibility-evaluator module that takes volumes of raw data and produces data in a format that matches the ACT schema, with extensions supplied by the compatibility-evaluator provider. More than one post-processor might depend on a single data collector, and a post-processor might depend on data from more than one data collector.

IECTT High-Level Process

The following steps are involved in using the IECTT:

  1. Start the IECTT, and then enable the tool to begin logging the Internet Explorer events.

  2. The IECTT monitors the Windows NT Event Log, by using the Event Log Monitor (ELM).

  3. The tool continues to log data to the event log, updating the IECTT UI as it finds new events.

  4. After the IECTT completes its monitoring and logging processes, disable the Internet Explorer logging.

  5. You can save your collected data or you can upload the data, by using the ACT-DC and the Bucketizer (bucketizer.exe) to your ACT database.

See Also

Concepts

Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool Technical Reference
Internet Explorer Compatibility Test Tool
Internet Explorer Reports