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SDL Web Experience Optimization

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

Fredhopper

The Fredhopper Deployment Agent contains the FAS which 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 Experience Optimization software:
Experience Optimization 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 Experience Optimization Deployment Web Service.
Experience Optimization API Extension
The Experience Optimization 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 Web

Experience Optimization adds the following extensions to the Content Manager and Content Delivery systems of SDL Web:

Content Manager
The Content Manager of SDL Web manages Web content, controls user access to content, and re-purposes content via BluePrinting.
The Experience Optimization installer installs:
  • The Targeting Dashboard
  • Experience Optimization Page Region properties for Experience Manager
  • Experience Optimization 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 Web turns content in your Content Manager into a fully functional Web site. The Content Delivery installer for Experience Optimization installs the Content Deployer Extension to send content, published from the Content Manager using the Add to Experience Optimization Template Building Block, to the Fredhopper Index Server.
Experience Optimization Management service
The Experience Optimization Management Service enables communication between Content Manager and the Fredhopper Index Server. (The Web service uses an Ambient Data Framework cartridge (smarttarget_odata_cartridge.jar) to communicate with Fredhopper).
Experience Optimization Query service
The Experience Optimization Query service takes care of communication with the Fredhopper Query Server. .

Presentation Server

The Presentation Server is the machine which serves Web site content to visitors. Web sites driven by SDL Web run as Java or ASP.NET Web applications on a Web Application Server. Experience Optimization 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, Experience Optimization 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.
Experience Optimization cartridges
Experience Optimization 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.
  • Experience Optimization cartridge — puts Trigger Types defined in Experience Optimization 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.