vBusy: Last minute session stats analyzer for admins

There's also a vB 3.5 version: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...threadid=82788

What this hack does: This hack will allow you to have a quick glance at what's going on in the forum, based on the session table. The session table contains short-term information, that can be useful in finding out if things are more busy than usual. This idea come from this thread: How to view the busiest threads? You will have the option to view the bussiest threads, or all activities, in the last 1, 5 or 10 minutes. You can enter addiitonal minute values in the URL.

Features:
Lists is descending order busiets/most active:

• Threads
• Forums
• PHP Scripts
• Hosts IP's
• Resolved IP's
• Useragents and bots

Lists all session data, with sort options based on (time, user, host, useragent, location.

Per minute chart of sessions table activities.

Installation: : Just copy the file vbusy.php into your admincp directory.

Optional: If you want to have it integrated in the admin panel menu, just do this simple edit:

In ./admincp/index.php:

Find:

PHP Code:

construct_nav_option($vbphrase['scheduled_task_log'], 'cronlog.php?do=choose', '<br />'); 


Add after it:

PHP Code:

// vBusy hack
        construct_nav_option('vBusy', 'vbusy.php', '<br />');
// vBusy end 


Click install to receive auto updates about new features/bugs.

[tamarian]

I think I'll add a few more goodies. One thing that might pinpoint spikes is a one-minute chart, link for each minute to isolate what was going on. Also stats for most active hosts, scripts, spiders... stay tuned

Wa'il

[Corriewf]

What would be nice is to see query specs like whats the most run right now ect ect to troubleshoot even the queries being used.

[Abe1]

You say to add:

PHP Code:

// vBusy hack 
        construct_nav_option('vBussy', 'vbusy.php', '<br />'); 
// vBusy end 


Shouldn't it be:

PHP Code:

// vBusy hack 
        construct_nav_option('vBusy', 'vbusy.php', '<br />'); 
// vBusy end 


You spelled vBusy with 2 's'.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Abe1

You say to add:

PHP Code:

// vBusy hack 
        construct_nav_option('vBussy', 'vbusy.php', '<br />'); 
// vBusy end 


Shouldn't it be:

PHP Code:

// vBusy hack 
        construct_nav_option('vBusy', 'vbusy.php', '<br />'); 
// vBusy end 


You spelled vBusy with 2 's'.

You are correct I'll correct the spelling, but it should still work, since the spelling error is in the title, not the script name.

[Spinball]

The most useful thing would be to see where the majority of people are coming from. Within the thread with the most views, show the referers by their frequency.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Spinball

The most useful thing would be to see where the majority of people are coming from. Within the thread with the most views, show the referers by their frequency.

The referrer information is not stored in the session table. It's not that hard to add, it just requires adding a new field to the session table, and trivial code changes to the /includes/session.php file. So, it is doable. But there are a few caveats, that may make it not so desirable. The session data is not cumilative, which means when the visitor clicks on a link (say to see the next page in the thread), the record will be replaced with this activity, and the referrer will be your site/forum, so it will not give you the data you really want, unless you run the script at the righ time. This means if you run the script, a couple minutes later, you may not find the actual referrer.

The best thing to do, IMHO, is that once you identify the time when the spike occured, is to look at the server logs for that time period (you will have the exact time down to the second), and just look at the "referrer" tag in the apache log.

If you still want the referrer though, I can send you to required steps by PM, to avoid having others here do the database updates if they'd rather not have this feature. Or if there's enough demand, I can list the steps here.

[Paul M]

Referrers would be useful.

[Spinball]

tamarian, the situation which leads to the scenario I am taking about here is a link to a specific thread on your site from another site. (or sometimes if you're lucky, more than one site) when something particularly interesting has caught their attention.
Their referer information*should* in the first instance hold the site containing the link to yours.
Perhaps the referer information could only be stored if it's off site.
Although having all the referer information would allow us to show the route people take though the site. Something which may be useful in analysing how well presented and usable your site is.
However, I don't think any of this fucntionality is worth slowing down the forums significantly.
I can't actually analyse our apache logs as they are too big.

[Edit:] My moderators have asked if the thread title rather than the thread number could be shown. I agree that this would be most useful.

[Freezerator]

Nice hacks, installed en works like it should.

[tamarian]

Originally Posted by Spinball

tamarian, the situation which leads to the scenario I am taking about here is a link to a specific thread on your site from another site. (or sometimes if you're lucky, more than one site) when something particularly interesting has caught their attention.
Their referer information*should* in the first instance hold the site containing the link to yours.
Perhaps the referer information could only be stored if it's off site.
Although having all the referer information would allow us to show the route people take though the site. Something which may be useful in analysing how well presented and usable your site is.

The session table won't be helpful in analysing the viewing patterns, or route through the site, because it replaces the activity, rather than add a new record.

There's an easier option, if you want to know when a specific site is sending referrals to you. You can add a short peice of code in showthread.php, that "if the referral is site xyz.com, then email this address that they've come". This would have the advanatage the information is not lost, and gives you an email alert. It also has the advanatage of no database access, and no added processing, unless the referral you're interested in has dropped by.

However, I don't think any of this fucntionality is worth slowing down the forums significantly.

Exactly. The session table is heavily used, and any additional fields and processing in the session file will be executed on every single vBulletin function.

I can't actually analyse our apache logs as they are too big.

You might want to consider adding Urchin to your server. It's very effecient in crunching the logs and making useful reports out of it. Most hosting companies can install it for a one time license fee of $20 or so.

[Edit:] My moderators have asked if the thread title rather than the thread number could be shown. I agree that this would be most useful.

That would be easy to add.