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SDL SmartTarget

SmartTarget integrates SDL Tridion with SDL Fredhopper so that you can create and manage targeted content for SDL Tridion-driven Web sites. The following diagram shows the SmartTarget integration between the Fredhopper and SDL Tridion:

Fredhopper

Fredhopper Access Server (FAS) consists of the Index Server for putting content into Fredhopper, the Query Server for getting content out of Fredhopper, and the Business Manager for managing content in Fredhopper. On your Fredhopper machine, you need to deploy on the following SmartTarget software:
SmartTarget Deployment Web Service
When the Fredhopper Access Server is installed on a different machine than Content Delivery, Content Delivery communicates with Fredhopper Access Server through the SmartTarget Deployment Web Service.
SmartTarget API Extension
The SmartTarget API extension instructs Fredhopper to start a Kettle job (configurable) to run and validate the XML files that the Content Deployer uploads to the fas-xml-incremental directory.
Fredhopper Configuration Management API Extension
The Fredhopper Configuration Management API extension is used to store and replicate Promotions from one system to another.

SDL Tridion

SmartTarget adds the following extensions to the Content Manager and Content Delivery systems of SDL Tridion:

Content Manager
The Content Manager of SDL Tridion manages Web content, controls user access to content, and re-purposes content via BluePrinting.
The SmartTarget installer installs:
  • Promotion Dialog for managing Promotions in Promotion Lists (configured in Publication Targets)
  • SmartTarget Page Region properties for Experience Manager
  • SmartTarget Template Building Blocks for Modular Templating
  • Publisher extension DLL (adds information on Structure Groups, Folders and Categories & Keywords (hierarchical information) into the transport package)
Content Delivery
Content Delivery of SDL Tridion turns content in your Content Manager into a fully functional Web site. The Content Delivery installer for SmartTarget installs the Content Deployer Extension to send content, published from the Content Manager using the Add to SmartTarget Template Building Block, to the Fredhopper Index Server.
SmartTarget Web service
The SmartTarget Web Service is an extension to the Content Delivery Web service which is used to manage Promotions and Triggers between Tridion and Fredhopper systems.

Presentation Server

The Presentation Server is the machine which serves Web site content to visitors. Web sites driven by SDL Tridion run as Java or ASP.NET Web applications on a Web Application Server. SmartTarget requires you to install and implement additional features that run on the Presentation Server.

Page Region
A Page Region encapsulates a region on a Web page where promotional content is displayed. You implement page regions and promotions in your Page Templates using the Template Building Blocks provided. These generate custom tags or Server Controls, depending on whether you are running a Java or .NET Web site, that define a Fredhopper query for retrieving content. When the query is executed, SmartTarget returns promotions matching the query and then gets the content items which it needs to display in the Promotion from the Storage Layer.
Ambient Data Framework
The Ambient Data Framework is a Content Delivery module that provides a flexible and configurable framework for gathering and transforming all kinds of information about users visiting a Web site.
SmartTarget cartridges
SmartTarget provides the following cartridges that plug into the framework:
  • Session cartridge — processes raw session data and adds the data to the Claim Store so that you can use session and visitor data as triggers for Promotions.
  • SmartTarget cartridge — puts Trigger Types defined in SmartTarget into the Claim Store.
Additionally, if you have Audience Manager installed you can use the Audience Manager cartridge for the Ambient Data Framework to put Segments, Contact details and Contact extended details from Audience Manager into the Claim Store. You can then use these as triggers for Promotions.