Viewing Information
If your Domino site is heavily traveled, the Domino web log will continue to grow. This causes two problems: large file takes more disk space and it is harder to get a grasp on the data.

Removing entries (documents) will reduce the size of the web log (DOMLOG.NSF). You can do this on a regular basis, or you can set a purge interval.

Creating new views that display what you need using third party log analyzer products can help you get a handle on enormous amounts of information.

Figure B shows a newly created browser view.

FIGURE B


Web log entries are categorized by browser. Roll over picture for a larger image.

New views can be created by browser, referring page, etc. One drawback to any new view is the data is not always easy to read. The following line is part of a log entry that contains the browser and operating system:

Mozilla/4.5b1 [en] (WinNT; I)

What this cryptic line really says:

• Mozilla means Netscape
• 4.5b1 means the first beta version of Navigator 4.5
• WinNT means a Windows NT client

It isn't that difficult to decipher, but don't hand a printout with this cryptic data to someone in management or marketing. They want clear reports that summarize the important information. They are very busy, so you might want to use some automated analysis tools that make it easier to understand your traffic.

This leads to the next installment in this series: third-party log analyzers specific to the Domino platform. Currently the only native Domino product is the Dominator, but WebTrends offers a competitive product. Next month, we'll discuss these in detail.

Tony Patton is an independent consultant located in Louisville, Kentucky. Contact him via email at asp01@aye.net.