Apache Module mod_usertrack

Available Languages: en

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Description:	-Clickstream logging of user activity on a site -
Status:	Extension
Module Identifier:	usertrack_module
Source File:	mod_usertrack.c

Summary

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Previous releases of Apache have included a module which - generates a 'clickstream' log of user activity on a site using - cookies. This was called the "cookies" module, mod_cookies. In - Apache 1.2 and later this module has been renamed the "user - tracking" module, mod_usertrack. This module has been - simplified and new directives added.

Topics

Logging
2-digit or 4-digit dates for cookies?

Logging

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Previously, the cookies module (now the user tracking - module) did its own logging, using the CookieLog - directive. In this release, this module does no logging at all. - Instead, a configurable log format file should be used to log - user click-streams. This is possible because the logging module - now allows multiple log files. The cookie itself is logged by - using the text %{cookie}n in the log file format. For - example:

-CustomLog logs/clickstream "%{cookie}n %r %t" -

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For backward compatibility the configurable log module - implements the old CookieLog directive, but this - should be upgraded to the above CustomLog directive.

2-digit or 4-digit dates for cookies?

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(the following is from message - <022701bda43d$9d32bbb0$1201a8c0@christian.office.sane.com> - in the new-httpd archives)

-From: "Christian Allen" <christian@sane.com>
-Subject: Re: Apache Y2K bug in mod_usertrack.c
-Date: Tue, 30 Jun 1998 11:41:56 -0400
-
-Did some work with cookies and dug up some info that might be useful.
-
-True, Netscape claims that the correct format NOW is four digit dates, and
-four digit dates do in fact work... for Netscape 4.x (Communicator), that
-is.  However, 3.x and below do NOT accept them.  It seems that Netscape
-originally had a 2-digit standard, and then with all of the Y2K hype and
-probably a few complaints, changed to a four digit date for Communicator.
-Fortunately, 4.x also understands the 2-digit format, and so the best way to
-ensure that your expiration date is legible to the client's browser is to
-use 2-digit dates.
-
-However, this does not limit expiration dates to the year 2000; if you use
-an expiration year of "13", for example, it is interpreted as 2013, NOT
-1913!  In fact, you can use an expiration year of up to "37", and it will be
-understood as "2037" by both MSIE and Netscape versions 3.x and up (not sure
-about versions previous to those).  Not sure why Netscape used that
-particular year as its cut-off point, but my guess is that it was in respect
-to UNIX's 2038 problem.  Netscape/MSIE 4.x seem to be able to understand
-2-digit years beyond that, at least until "50" for sure (I think they
-understand up until about "70", but not for sure).
-
-Summary:  Mozilla 3.x and up understands two digit dates up until "37"
-(2037).  Mozilla 4.x understands up until at least "50" (2050) in 2-digit
-form, but also understands 4-digit years, which can probably reach up until
-9999.  Your best bet for sending a long-life cookie is to send it for some
-time late in the year "37".
-

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CookieDomain Directive

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Description:	The domain to which the tracking cookie applies
Syntax:	`CookieDomain domain`
Context:	server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override:	FileInfo
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_usertrack

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This directive controls the setting of the domain to which - the tracking cookie applies. If not present, no domain is - included in the cookie header field.

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The domain string must begin with a dot, and - must include at least one embedded dot. That is, - .foo.com is legal, but foo.bar.com and - .com are not.

- -

Most browsers in use today will not allow cookies to be set - for a two-part top level domain, such as .co.uk, - although such a domain ostensibly fulfills the requirements - above.
- - These domains are equivalent to top level domains such as - .com, and allowing such cookies may be a security - risk. Thus, if you are under a two-part top level domain, you - should still use your actual domain, as you would with any other top - level domain (for example, use .foo.co.uk). -

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CookieExpires Directive

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Description:	Expiry time for the tracking cookie
Syntax:	`CookieExpires expiry-period`
Context:	server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override:	FileInfo
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_usertrack

When used, this directive sets an expiry time on the cookie - generated by the usertrack module. The expiry-period - can be given either as a number of seconds, or in the format - such as "2 weeks 3 days 7 hours". Valid denominations are: - years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. If the expiry - time is in any format other than one number indicating the - number of seconds, it must be enclosed by double quotes.

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If this directive is not used, cookies last only for the - current browser session.

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CookieName Directive

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Description:	Name of the tracking cookie
Syntax:	`CookieName token`
Default:	`CookieName Apache`
Context:	server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override:	FileInfo
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_usertrack

This directive allows you to change the name of the cookie - this module uses for its tracking purposes. By default the - cookie is named "Apache".

- -

You must specify a valid cookie name; results are - unpredictable if you use a name containing unusual characters. - Valid characters include A-Z, a-z, 0-9, "_", and "-".

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CookieStyle Directive

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Description:	Format of the cookie header field
Syntax:	`CookieStyle - Netscape\|Cookie\|Cookie2\|RFC2109\|RFC2965`
Default:	`CookieStyle Netscape`
Context:	server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override:	FileInfo
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_usertrack

This directive controls the format of the cookie header - field. The three formats allowed are:

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Netscape, which is the original but now deprecated - syntax. This is the default, and the syntax Apache has - historically used.
Cookie or RFC2109, which is the syntax that - superseded the Netscape syntax.
Cookie2 or RFC2965, which is the most - current cookie syntax.

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Not all clients can understand all of these formats. but you - should use the newest one that is generally acceptable to your - users' browsers. At the time of writing, most browsers only fully - support CookieStyle Netscape.

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CookieTracking Directive

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Description:	Enables tracking cookie
Syntax:	`CookieTracking on\|off`
Default:	`CookieTracking off`
Context:	server config, virtual host, directory, .htaccess
Override:	FileInfo
Status:	Extension
Module:	mod_usertrack

When mod_usertrack is loaded, and - CookieTracking on is set, Apache will send a - user-tracking cookie for all new requests. This directive can - be used to turn this behavior on or off on a per-server or - per-directory basis. By default, enabling - mod_usertrack will not - activate cookies.

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