Getting Started
 

The ClickTracks Professional Processor is a powerful, back-end set of applications that does the heavy lifting of processing, analyzing, rendering, and distributing reports so that the end user has the simplest yet most customizable experience possible. The Professional Processor can generate reports in HTML format for the user to view reports instantly; it can also distribute complete datasets so that users on a ClickTracks Client application can perform their own custom analysis.

The system consists of services that process and serve data to end users, as well as administrative interfaces to manage those services and the datasets themselves.

The various components of the Professional Processor are typically installed and configured by the IT department, though marketing or analytics staff could have input in this process. The ongoing administration of the components might also require involvement from both types of staff, as some aspects of the functionality are technical in nature while others involve website design and marketing objectives.

The installer for ClickTracks Professional Processor installs five separate executable programs, each of which performs a specific function in the system. These programs are associated with the three main components of the system.

Component Name
Executable File
Function
Processing Engine
CT_Scheduler
Service runs in the background performing low-level tasks of acquiring and processing logfiles

ClickTracksServer
User interface to set up datasets and control the Processing Engine
Reporting Engine
CT_ReportingEngine
Service to serve datasets and reports to client apps, browsers and email, and do site archiving

CT_ReportProcessor
Converts reports into various portable formats for viewing in web browsers or email
Configuration Client
CT_DatasetProcessor
Client app used to adjust global settings of the datasets for end users
     

The following diagram shows the basic outline of how the various components fit into the whole system:

pro_processor_schematic

1.Raw data in the form of logfiles or datasets created on a JDC is acquired and processed on a scheduled basis by the ClickTracks Service, (aha Processing Engine).  
2.The schedule for the service, the location of the raw data, and the other definitions of the datasets are established in the Server Administrator interface.  
3.Once a dataset has been created through the Server Administrator and processed by the service, it can be further configured by the Configuration Client.  
4.All datasets created by the Processing Engine are available to the Reporting Engine, which is administered through a web-based interface  
5.The Reporting Engine can send data to the ClickTracks Pro Server or send finished reports via a web browser or email.