multiple server call URLs

[robert_yu]

is there any reason why an implementation would have multiple server call URLs?  For example, one that begins with metrics.domain.com and another with smetrics.domain.com.  I'm thinking maybe it had to do with secure versus unsecure requests, however, from a validation perspective, this really sucks.  It adds an additional layer of complexity and time to testing.  

[shekhardhiman]

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out.

Multiple server calls  would be made when you have two different report suites capturing the data.  It could be one global suite and one local or two different report suites for two different sites. 

Go through the below links to understand the concepts of server calls a little more:

https://marketing.adobe.com/resources/help/en_US/reference/primary_server_calls.html

https://marketing.adobe.com/resources/help/en_US/reference/rollup_report_suite.html

Thanks!

[robert_yu]

Thanks for the quick response.  We're not sending data into multiple reporting suites.  Instead, it goes into the same reporting suite.  And for further clarification, it's not multiple server calls.  The implementation has some request going into smetrics.domain.com while others go to metrics.domain.com.  Please advise.

[Gigazelle]

metrics.example.com is used for non-secure pages, while smetrics.example.com is used for sites with SSL. These can be found in the variables s.trackingServer and s.trackingServerSecure, respectively.

You should only see one image request go out per page load - if you're seeing one for both (one secure and one non-secure), then you are definitely looking at an implementation issue. The analytics library should only be sending out one call, and it should be using the applicable domain based on protocol.

[robert_yu]

Thanks for the clarification.  I just have one more follow-up question.  On the second paragraph, you mentioned one image request go out per page load.  I interpret this as one Omniture tracking URL.  If the company uses both secured and non-secured tracking URLs, you should send the secured when they're in that environment and when they come outside that environment, switch them back to non-secured. You have never have instances where both occur at the same image request.  Please advise.

-Robert

[Gigazelle · Accepted solution]

Correct. You should only be using the non-secure domain on http sites, and the secure domain on https. Here's a real life example: go to adobe.com and open the debugger. Notice that we're just using standard http protocol there, and the tracking server in the image request is stats.adobe.com.

Now go to https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop.html and open the debugger. We have several different image requests going to different report suites, but they are all pointing to sstats.adobe.com. Note the secure protocol on this domain. There's only one image request per report suite.

If you're seeing multiple image requests on a single page going to the same report suite, you're likely double counting metrics. I'd recommend double checking your implementation and make sure there aren't any hardcoded image requests, that you're using the s.t() function only once, and that s.trackingServer isn't modified anywhere in your implementation other than its instantiation.. 

[amardeeps100]

Gigazelle wrote...

metrics.example.com is used for non-secure pages, while smetrics.example.com is used for sites with SSL. These can be found in the variables s.trackingServer and s.trackingServerSecure, respectively.

You should only see one image request go out per page load - if you're seeing one for both (one secure and one non-secure), then you are definitely looking at an implementation issue. The analytics library should only be sending out one call, and it should be using the applicable domain based on protocol.

Hi,

Thanks for this exceptional post. I'm currently working on detecting multiple server calls on Adobe analytics and using Charles proxy as a debug tool. Is my understanding correct in that I should set the debug Proxy tool up with smetrics.example.com with the correct domain? (It is a https site). 

I'm trying to detect multiple server calls . If I'm seeing a double server call or duplicate (exact copy) server call being made, then the fault is in the implementation right?

The problem is the tags on the site are setup in DTM so it might be harder to troubleshoot but then I can ask the person in charge of DTM to troubleshoot it as he/she will have a better idea to fix it.