You can review all available Tealeaf servers, which can include Transport servers, data stores, and indexing machines for search, event detection, and session replay.
The server definitions configured in the Portal Management page are used by the Portal for communicating with the servers and services in your Tealeaf system.
Adding a server
When you install the Acoustic™ Tealeaf CX system, all servers required for the Portal are automatically created for you. In most cases, you should not need to define new Tealeaf servers.
In some cases, new instances of required servers cannot be created because the system needs one and only one server instance. These items do not appear in the New drop-down menu.
Note: You cannot create duplicate instances of the Canister or Canister Search Servers on the same host, even if the existing instance is inactive.
- Some server definitions, such as the Capture Application server, are not required for the Portal to function properly. However, by adding these servers to the Portal Management page, you can enable a set of commands through the displayed toolbar.
- The Status report can access servers through the Portal Management page definitions.
| Server | Description |
|---|---|
Portal Server |
Specifies a reference to the server hosting the Portal application. This entry is created for you and does not normally need modification. |
Canister Server |
Stores captured hits for active and completed sessions. You should consider adding a new Canister server if captured hits are being spooled. |
Canister Search Server |
Provides session search capabilities to Tealeaf components and the CX RealiTea Viewer (RTV) standalone application. |
cxReveal Database Search Server |
If cxReveal database search has been installed and configured, you must create an instance of the server hosting the cxReveal database so that the users can perform searches of the database through the Portal. |
Replay Server |
Prepares and delivers sessions for replay through Browser Based Replay to requesting Tealeaf users. Your Tealeaf environment might contain multiple Replay Servers. |
Data Service Server |
The Portal requires a reference to the server hosting the Tealeaf Data service, which manages interactions with the data stores. |
Transport Server |
Manages the Health-Based Router servers in the system. |
cxConnect Server |
Manages the assembly and delivery of session data to third-party applications. |
cxVerify Server |
Delivers session data for archiving in your enterprise data warehouse. |
Capture Application Server |
Captures requests and responses for your web application. For the Portal, these servers provide statistical information on capture and pipeline operations. |
Report Search Server |
Manages searches throughout the Tealeaf system. Only one instance of this server is required. |
How to specify server addresses
Depending on the networking environment in which the Tealeaf servers are deployed, you might be required to specify server addresses as IP addresses, domain names, or fully qualified domain names.
Any specified name must be resolvable by the Portal, which is hosted on the Portal Server, so that it can interact with the Tealeaf software hosted on the server.
Note: Server names may be up to 256 characters in length. For additional requirements, contact your network infrastructure administrator.
When you specify the address of a server, use the following order of preference:
- IP Address: A direct IP address in the form of
255.255.255.255for the machine hosting the Tealeaf server is the best solution. - hostname: Hostnames such as
myhostorserver1can be used, although there may be problems associated with DNS validation of the hostname. In some environments, you may need to specify the hostname as a fully qualified domain name. localhost: Thelocalhostreference should be avoided, as it can be misinterpreted.
Note: Avoid using localhost to specify a server hosted on the Portal server. Exception: The SQL Server can be referred to as localhost if it is hosted on the same machine as the
Constraints on hosting Tealeaf servers
In general, you can specify a Tealeaf server to be co-hosted with any other v server with the following constraints:
For Canister servers, the entered host name cannot resolve to the host name, IP address, or full qualified domain name of another active or inactive Canister server.
Note: When you create server entries, tlserver.com and tlserver.domain.com resolve to the same server and are not permitted. If you end up with multiple servers sharing a name as identified through hostname, fully qualified domain name, or IP address, you must deactivate one of them. To do so, edit the server to deactivate, deselect the Active checkbox and change the hostname of the server in a single edit. For example, tlserver.domain.com could be changed to tlserverOLD.domain.com in the inactive server. These multiple changes must be performed at the same time.
Deactivating a server
If needed, you can remove a server from use by the Tealeaf system. The server information is not deleted; it is simply removed from usage. If needed, you can reactivate the server to resume operations.
Servers are not deleted, as reports that reference the deleted server would no longer be functional.
Note: Before you deactivate a server, you should verify that Tealeaf operations can continue without the server. Do not deactivate necessary servers that are the single active instance. For example, if you deactivate a Canister Server, users are unable to find any sessions stored on that server.
To deactivate a server:
- Select the server, and click Edit.
- In the display pane, clear the Active checkbox.
- Click Save.
The server is deactivated and is no longer used in Tealeaf operations.
Portal server
The Portal server manages the Tealeaf Portal web application, through which Tealeaf users access Tealeaf functionality.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Use HTTPS |
If the Portal (IIS) is secured with HTTPS, this should be set to ensure URLs pointing back to the Portal are generated properly. Note: If this value is selected, verify that the Port number is configured appropriately. |
Display Name |
The name you want displayed under the Server heading on the Tealeaf CX Server Configuration page. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Portal Server.
The value for the Portal Server in this tab should match the value for the Portal Server in Search Server configuration. |
Port |
The port number to which the Portal listens.
For non-HTTPS traffic, the default value is 80. |
cxReveal Database Search server
The Database Search Server provides to the Portal the ability to search the cxReveal database on the specified server.
Note: The cxReveal database and the ability to search it require separate installation and configuration. The cxReveal database is a component of cxReveal, a separately licensed component of the Tealeaf CX platform. For more information, contact your Tealeaf representative.
During cxReveal installation, a new Search Server entry is created for you in the Portal Management page. Additional configuration is not likely to be required.
- You can execute commands and download logs from the server through the Portal Management page.
- The database that is searched may or may not be co-located on the same machine that hosts the cxReveal server. For each server specified in the Portal Management page, you may specify a server hosting the cxReveal database instance to query.
Note: To uninstall a cxReveal server that is hosted on a machine that is remote from the Portal server, you must also remove the server reference from the Portal Management page after removing the software.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Active |
When set to Yes, the cxReveal Search server instance is active, and users may search it for sessions through the Portal. Note: If you disable a cxReveal Search server and the database referenced in it is not referenced by another instance of the cxReveal Search server, then the database cannot be searched, and the sessions in it are unavailable to users. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the cxReveal Search server. This value must be able to populated and resolvable by the server that hosts the Portal. Note: An non-blank value is required. If the server is hosted on the same machine as the Portal application, you may enter localhost. |
Port |
The port on which the cxReveal Search server instance listens to the Portal. Default is 19000. |
Database Name |
The name of the cxReveal database on the server.
The default value is |
Database Port |
The port to use to communicate with the cxReveal database.
The default value is 1433. If you are unsure of the name of the database, you can review it through the Tealeaf Database Manager. |
Use External Database |
When selected, queries to the specified cxReveal Search Server are applied to a database instance hosted on the server on the specified host. Note: In a typical deployment, the cxReveal database is co-located on the server hosting the cxReveal Search Server. |
Host Name |
When the Use External Database checkbox is selected, this value specifies the host server for the cxReveal database. |
Replay server
The Replay Server is the core of Browser Based Replay, which allows Tealeaf users to replay captured sessions through their browser.
Note: If your web application is not compatible with Firefox, Browser-Based Replay is unlikely to work. The Replay server uses the Gecko browser control to render session content on the server for delivery to the browsers of Tealeaf users. Replay of such sessions may still be supported through the CX RealiTea Viewer, a desktop client that must be separately installed on each Tealeaf user's desktop.
In smaller Tealeaf user communities, only one Replay server is required. However, if you are noticing performance impacts in Browser Based Replay, you may need to create additional Replay Servers in your Tealeaf environment to balance the load of delivering simultaneous replays to BBR users.
To configure replay rules for the replay server, click Rules in the toolbar.
Note: You can configure replay rules only on the master Replay Server, which provides rules to all slave servers.
The Replay Server has the following properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Active |
When set to Yes, the Replay server instance is active and able to serve sessions to BBR users. Note: A master Replay server is required. You cannot disable the only Replay server in your environment. If you have multiple Replay servers and disable the master, the Portal automatically designates another Replay server as the master. |
Master |
When set to Yes, the Replay server instance is designated as the Master Replay server. Only one Replay server can be designated the Master server. |
Display Name |
The label used to identify the server. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Report Search server. This value must be able to be resolved by the server that hosts the Portal. A valid non-blank value is required. |
Port |
The port on which the Replay server instance listens to the Portal. Default is 38000.
For advanced configuration of your replay server, contact your account representative or Professional Services. |
Enable Proxy Server Authentication |
If the BBR user is behind a proxy server that requires authentication to connect to the outside, you can supply a username and password that BBR uses automatically when contacting the proxy. |
Enable Proxy Server Pre-Authentication |
The above setting uses a static set of credentials. With this setting, BBR makes a request through the proxy via the supplied URL before the session is loaded. With this authentication method, users only provide their credentials once, which the browser remembers, as opposed to multiple times when the session loads due to parallel HTTP requests. When enabled, enter the URL to the image database in the provided textbox. |
Only Replay Pages in White List |
When enabled, this setting configures Replay server to replay only the URLs that have been added to the white list for the specified domain. Note: When enabled, replay may not work until rules have been configured to specify the appropriate white list of URLs. |
Direct Replay URL Lifespan (Days) |
This setting controls how long links into BBR are active after they are generated. When using the Email Link or Copy Link functionality within BBR, the Portal generates a unique session ID for access via BBR. This ID has an internal lifespan tied to the session, which is controlled by this setting. |
Session Merge Timespan Radius (Hours) |
When session merge is enabled for Browser-Based Replay, you can specify the number of hours in front of and behind a session fragment in which to search for other fragments in the session.
Session merge settings can be overridden for individual sessions in BBR. |
Session Merge Search Servers |
When session merge is enabled for Browser-Based Replay, you can select the servers across which search server searches to find and assemble session fragments into a complete session.
|
Real-time logging of Replay Server
You can configure the Replay Server so that it displays logging information for page loads during session replay.
Having access to both the logs of what the Replay Server is doing and the data related to the session can help users and Tealeaf professional services diagnose and troubleshoot problems related to Browser Based Replay.
Access to real-time logging is reserved for Administrators.
Data Service server
The Data Service server manages data connections between Tealeaf servers and components with the Tealeaf databases. Through the Portal, you can configure the server that hosts the Data Service.
Note: In your Tealeaf deployment, you need only one instance of the Data Service Server.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The name you want displayed under the Server heading on the Tealeaf CX Server Configuration page. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Data Service server. Note: This value cannot be modified through the Portal after installation. For more information, contact Support. |
Port |
The port number to which the Data Service Server listens. The default value is 23000. Note: This value must be synchronized with the value used by each Server to connect to the Data Service server. |
Report Search server
The Report Search server is used for distributing searches to various servers throughout the Tealeaf system.
Because the Report Search server is connected to the NT domain controller, it is used for authenticating valid users when NT authentication is used.
The Report Search server configuration consists of the following properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The label used to identify the server. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Report Search Server. It must be resolvable by the server hosting the Portal. Note: Do not use localhost for the Host Name value. If the Report Server ever hosts any databases, some reporting features can be corrupted. |
Alternate URL for Link Generation |
If users are unable to directly connect to the Portal hostname, you enter a value here to provide user access. An example alternate URL should include both the hostname and the web application name. For example:
|
Canister server
A Canister server is used for storing captured hits for active and completed sessions.
As a visitor explores your site, hit after hit is captured and added to visitor's session stored in the Short Term Canister through the Canister server. When the session has completed, the Canister server moves the session to the Long Term Canister.
- When an instance of this server is created, an instance of the Canister Search Server is automatically created. The Portal needs to be aware of the Search Server hosted by the Canister to query for retrieval of sessions from the Canister.
Performance of the Tealeaf system may be improved by adding a new Canister server or changing properties in your current server.
Note: All Canisters listed as Active in the Portal Management page must be receiving data. If a single Canister is unavailable due to network issues or other reasons, scorecards, dashboards, and other reports are not updated until the problem is corrected. When the problem is corrected, any spooled data must be collected, aggregated, and stored in the database before reports are updated with the latest data.
In a typical installation, the machine hosting the Canister server may also include a Canister Search Server.
The following fields apply to the Canister server configuration:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
Active |
When set to Yes, this value enables the data collector to retrieve data from the specified server. Set it to No to make the server definition inactive so the data collector does not retrieve data from the specified server. This field is displayed on the Tealeaf CX Server Page. Note: Reporting Data from inactive Canisters is still trimmed by the Data Collector based on the date. To preserve reporting data from Canisters which are now inactive, you must archive it to a separate location. |
Display Name |
The name you want displayed under the Server heading on the Tealeaf CX Server Configuration page. |
Host Name |
Enter the actual host name or IP address of the computer hosting the Tealeaf CX datastore. This computer collects statistics, report data, and search. Note: The entered host name cannot resolve to the host name, IP address, or full qualified domain name of another active or inactive Canister server. |
Port |
The port number for the ODBC connection made to the Tealeaf CX datastore. Note: This setting is not used. The port number used is fixed as 5597. |
User Name |
The user name required to access the c-tree server. |
Password |
The password required to access the c-tree server. Note: Changing the default password for this server is not supported in this version. |
Canister Search server
The Canister Search server manages queries for session data across the Tealeaf environment and other search-related functions.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The name you want displayed under the Server heading on the Tealeaf CX Server Configuration page. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Canister Search server. |
Port |
The port number to which the Canister Search server listens. The default value is 19000. Note: This value must be synchronized with the value specified in Canister Search server configuration for the Canister Search server port. |
Selective Archive server
A Selective Archive server is used by cxVerify to store extracted sessions.
Note: cxVerify is a separately licensed component of the Tealeaf CX platform. This option is present only if you have licensed cxVerify.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The name you want displayed under the Server heading on the CX Server Configuration page. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Archive server. |
Port |
The port number to which the Archive Server listens. The default value is 19101. |
Transport server
Configure the Transport server (also called the HBR server) to enable the Portal to report status for those servers.
The Transport Server configuration consists of the following properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The label used to identify the server. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the Transport Server. This value must be able to be resolved by the server that hosts the Portal. |
Port |
The port used to communicate between the Portal application and the Transport server. |
cxVerify server
To add a cxVerify server, you must open the registry editor by using the regedit command, and change cxVerifyLimited to cxVerify.
Note: cxVerify is a separately licensed component of the Tealeaf CX platform. This option is available only if you have licensed cxVerify.
The cxVerify server configuration consists of the following properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Display Name |
The label used to identify the server. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the cxVerify server. This value must be able to be resolved by the server that hosts the Portal. |
Port |
The port of the Search Server that listens to the cxVerify machine. |
Capture Application server
Use this information to configure the CX Passive Capture Application servers for the Portal.
Note: To include statistics from the CX Passive Capture Application in the Tealeaf Status report, you must create an instance of the Capture Application Server from which the Portal can retrieve statistics. Note: Additional configuration of the CX Passive Capture Application is available through the PCA Web Console.
The Capture Application Server configuration consists of the following properties:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
Use HTTPS |
When selected, the server uses HTTPS only. Note: If this value is selected, verify that the Port number is configured appropriately. |
Display Name |
The label used to identify the server. |
Host Name |
The DNS name or IP address of the CX Passive Capture Application server. This value must be able to be resolved by the server that hosts the Portal. |
Port |
The port of the Web server on the CX Passive Capture Application server. |
Username |
If configured, enter the username for the Portal to use to access the PCA Web Console. |
Password |
If configured, enter the password for the Portal to use to access the PCA Web Console. |
When a Capture Application server is selected, the following commands are available:
- Ping Server - Returns statistical information
stats.xmlfrom the Capture Application Server. - Open Console - Opens the PCA console using the username and password specified for the Capture Application Server.