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How do I make a session tracking definition to track by IP address only?

Products

Webtrends Analytics 8.x
Webtrends Analytics 9.x

Cause

No option exists in the Webtrends user interface that will allow users to create a session tracking definition by which users are tracked only by their IP address. The closest predefined option is the session tracking method based on IP address/User Agent, which will track visitors by IP addresses and the user agents associated with their visits. If tracking visitors solely by their IP address is a requirement it is possible to create a custom definition and make the needed modifications outside of the user interface.

Resolution

1. In the Webtrends user interface, navigate to “Web Analysis” > “Options” > “Session Tracking” and create a new definition. Provide the session tracking definition with a name in the description field, assign the timeout termination duration (the industry default is 30 minutes), and select “Use IP address/user agent combination” as the method by which sessions are tracked (selected by default). Click “Next” and review the summary, then save the definition.

2. On the Webtrends server, navigate to the following location:

\Webtrends\storage\config\wtm_wtx\datfiles\sessiontracking

3. Open default.ini in a text editor and search for the following:

profilename =

…where is the name given to the session tracking definition in step 1. above.

The search should display the settings for the recently created session tracking definition at the end of the file and the entry will look similar to the following:

[sessiontrackingprofile5]
cachedtime = 1800
cookiestring =
cookietype = 1
leadinmatchtype = startofstring
leadinstring =
limitededit = 0
paramforfirstvisit =
paramfornewvsreturning =
profileid = zhzAn0MkHl6
profilename = IP Address Only
profileversion = 1
readonly = 0
removeparametermatch = false
removeurlmatch = false
replacetoendifnotrailpattern = 0
rtdailyuniqueparam =
rtnewvisitparam =
testurl =
trailermatchtype = endofstring
trailerstring =
useauthenticateuser = false
usecookie = false
useparametermatch = false
useurlmatch = false

4. Add the following line to the end of the session tracking definition:

useipagent = false

The session tracking definition should now look similar to the following:

[sessiontrackingprofile5]
cachedtime = 1800
cookiestring =
cookietype = 1
leadinmatchtype = startofstring
leadinstring =
limitededit = 0
paramforfirstvisit =
paramfornewvsreturning =
profileid = zhzAn0MkHl6
profilename = IP Address ONLY
profileversion = 1
readonly = 0
removeparametermatch = false
removeurlmatch = false
replacetoendifnotrailpattern = 0
rtdailyuniqueparam =
rtnewvisitparam =
testurl =
trailermatchtype = endofstring
trailerstring =
useauthenticateuser = false
usecookie = false
useparametermatch = false
useurlmatch = false
useipagent = false

5. Save the change and close default.ini.

Profiles to which this definition is applied will now track visitor sessions only by their IP address.