Method and apparatus for tracking client navigation among multiple resources in communication session information saved by a server

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for one or more servers to track navigation by a client among a plurality of content components provided by the one or more servers, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:

• receiving from the client, during a communication session with the one or more servers, a first request for a first content component of a plurality of content components;
• in response to receiving the first request, generating a first response identification wherein the first response identification distinguishes among multiple visits by the client to the first content component, wherein the first response identification is in a plurality of response identifications each of which is generated by the one or more servers during the communication session in response to one request from the client, and wherein the plurality of response identifications and state information of the communication session are saved on the one or more servers;
• storing, on the one or more servers, information associated with the first request in a first record of a data structure that identifies content components that have been selected by the client in the communication session, wherein the first record is associated with the first response identification;
• determining a linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for a second content component of the plurality of content components;
• associating the first response identification with the linking element in a first response that contains the first content component such that the second request includes the first response identification;
• and
• sending the first response to the client;
• wherein successive responses sent to the client from the servers are tracked by the one or more servers using the state information of the communication session saved on the one or more servers and the plurality of response identifications saved on the one or more servers.

An apparatus for one or more servers to track navigation by a client among a plurality of content components provided by the one or more servers, comprising:

• a network interface that is coupled to a data network for receiving one or more packet flows therefrom;
• a processor;
• one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
• receiving from the client, during a communication session with the one or more servers, a first request for a first content component of a plurality of content components;
• in response to receiving the first request, generating a first response identification;
• wherein the first response identification distinguishes among multiple visits by the client to the first content component, wherein the first response identification is in a plurality of response identifications each of which is generated by the one or more servers during the communication session in response to one request from the client, and wherein the plurality of response identifications and state information of the communication session are saved on the one or more servers;
• storing, on the one or more servers, information associated with the first request in a first record of a data structure that identifies content components that have been selected by the client in the communication session, wherein the first record is associated with the first response identification;
• determining a linking element in the first content component, wherein selection of the linking element causes the client to generate a second request for a second content component of the plurality of content components;
• associating the first response identification with the linking element in a first response that contains the first content component such that the second request includes the first response identification;
• and
• sending the first response to the client;
• wherein successive responses sent to the client from the servers are tracked by the one or more servers using the state information of the communication session saved on the one or more servers and the plurality of response identifications saved on the one or more servers.