Adobe® Marketing Cloud

How to Transition to Regional Data Collection

Contents

Regional Data Collection..................................................................................................3

Test if your Site Is Enabled for Regional Data Collection..............................................5

Transition to Regional Data Collection...........................................................................7Determine if you are using first- or third-party cookies.......................................................................................9

SSL Certificate Licensing...............................................................................................................................................12

Performance Improvements with RDC.........................................................................13

Post-Transition Expectations........................................................................................14

Contact and Legal Information.....................................................................................15

How to Transition to Regional Data CollectionLast updated 12/9/2016

Regional Data CollectionLearn about regional data collection (RDC) and how to transition from traditional Adobe data collection to RDC

Regional data collection is a network of regional data collection centers (DCC) that aim to reduce latency and data loss associatedwith Adobe image requests. Data is collected at DCC sites throughout the world, then immediately forwarded to the DataProcessing Center for processing.

The following map illustrates the data collection locations used by Adobe:

Edge site locations on the map contain only a data collection center. Core & Edge site locations contain both a data collectioncenter and a data processing center. Each report suite is assigned to a specific data processing center. Therefore, a hit collectedby a data collection center in Singapore might be sent to Oregon for processing, even though there is a data processing centerat that site.

• How Regional Data Collection Works• Benefits of Regional Data Collection• Documentation Revision History

How Regional Data Collection Works

The following list describes the data collection process used by Adobe:

• Users must modify their Adobe collection code (s_code.js or AppMeasurement.js, AppMeasurement libraries, mobileSDK configuration, and so on) or update first-party DNS CNAMEs to use the RDC domain omtrdc.net as their trackingserver.

• Using advanced DNS technology, Adobe maps the RDC domain to the data collection center nearest the visitor.• When a hit is sent, the Adobe image request automatically routes to the data collection center nearest the visitor.• The data collection center uses a secure data pipe to immediately forward the data to the DPC, where it is processed and made

available to the products in the Adobe Marketing Cloud.• The RDC domain also routes Data Insertion API requests through the nearest data collection center.

3Regional Data Collection

Benefits of Regional Data Collection

DescriptionBenefit

With RDC, your visitors will be connecting to the closest data center. This means the responsetimes on your page will decrease (lower is better), resulting in more accurate tracking and faster

Performance

loading times. More detailed information on response time can be found in PerformanceImprovements with RDC.

Without RDC, only HTTPS hits are encrypted between the browser and the data collectioncenter. When using RDC, the hit is encrypted after it hits the data collection center. This meansthat all data sent from the data collection center to the data processing center is encrypted.

Security

In case of a disruption in communication between the data collection center and your dataprocessing center, Adobe's RDC infrastructure behaves as follows:

Redundancy

• Attempts are made to route data to your data processing center through another data collectioncenter.

• Saves data locally, then forwards it to the data processing center when communications arerestored. Due to limits on storage space, this option is available only for short-term disruptions.

• For major disruptions, the Adobe Network Operations team reconfigures the global DNSsystem used by RDC to forward your data through another data collection center.

Note: Data is not stored at data collection centers unless there is a network failure betweenthe data collection center and the data processing center. If a network failure occurs, thedata is stored only until the connection is restored.

Documentation Revision History

DescriptionUpdate

Added Test if your Site Is Enabled for Regional Data Collection.December 1, 2015

Revisions throughout.September 18,2015

Added details on the Marketing Cloud Visitor ID Service. This service sets a first-party cookie usingJavaScript, so you no longer need to migrate to a CNAME to get the benefits of first party cookies.

September 4, 2014

With the introduction of this service, we no longer recommend all customers implement a CNAME alongwith RDC migration, instead we recommend most customers migrating to the Marketing Cloud VisitorID service to get first-party cookies. See Visitor ID Service Migration Decision Points for details.

We now require that SSL certificates be licensed for installation on up to 10 servers.November 13,2012

4Regional Data Collection

Test if your Site Is Enabled for Regional Data CollectionRegional data collection (RDC) compliance is tracking-server specific. This means you must test each tracking server hostnameseparately.

Typically, each web property contains a single Analytics code library (AppMeasurement.js/s_code.js), and each of these filesonly contains one, sometimes two (web properties with secure pages), tracking servers (s.trackingServer ands.trackingServerSecure).

Note: If your Analytics code library deploys custom logic to alter your tracking server(s), you will need to test each variationof your tracking server(s).

First or Third-Party Cookies

The method for determining if your tracking server is RDC enabled depends on whether your tracking server is a first- orthird-party domain.

You can use the method shown here to find the tracking server of your web property. Or, you can look inside yourAppMeasurement/s_code file for the s.trackingServer and s.trackingServerSecure (sites with HTTPS pages)variables.

First-Party RDC Detection Method

If your web property uses a first-party tracking server (stats.adobe.com), ping the hostname or have your IT team check theDNS record(s) to learn where each hostname is pointed.

Pinging the Hostname - Windows

Open a command prompt and type "ping <insert hostname here>" (ping stats.adobe.com).

Pinging the Hostname - Mac

Open a terminal window and type "ping <insert hostname here>" (ping stats.adobe.com).

5Test if your Site Is Enabled for Regional DataCollection

Results

You should see your FPC hostname resolve to an Adobe owned hostname (adobe.com.d1.sc.omtrdc.net, in this case).This hostname should end in either omtrdc.net or 2o7.net. If it ends in omtrdc.net, this hostname is enabled for RDC.If it ends in 2o7.net, your hostname is not fully enabled for RDC. Contact Customer Care if you want to move your hostnameto RDC.

Third-Party RDC Detection Method

If your web property uses third-party cookies, your tracking server will be a direct Adobe-owned hostname. This hostnameshould end in either omtrdc.net or 2o7.net. If it ends in omtrdc.net, this hostname is enabled for RDC. If it ends in2o7.net, your hostname is not fully enabled for RDC. Contact Customer Care if you want to move your hostname to RDC.

6Test if your Site Is Enabled for Regional DataCollection

Transition to Regional Data CollectionThe transition from traditional Adobe data collection to RDC is not difficult, but if you have a large or complex environment,you should plan carefully to make sure that all collection code updates simultaneously.

Organizations with multiple code libraries reporting to the same report suite should transition all code libraries at the same timeto avoid inflated visitor counts and data accuracy problems.

The RDC transition varies based on your current Adobe implementation. The following sections provide procedures to followwhile migrating to the RDC domain.

• Determine a Migration Path• Scenarios• Process Details• Additional Considerations

Determine a Migration Path

When determining a migration path, we need to understand if your web property utilizes first- or third-party cookies and ifyou have secure pages that might require an FPSSL implementation.

First- or Third-Party Cookies

Depending on your implementation, you might be using first- or third-party cookies. You can learn more about first-partycookies here.

Secure Pages

If your site contains pages that use the https: protocol, you have secured pages. These types of pages are typically used withecommerce or login/account pages.

Secure pages require an SSL certificate for tracking. If your web property is currently using first-party cookies, you should havealready created an FPSSL implementation with Customer Care. If your web property is using third-party cookies, your securepages use a SSL certificate owned by Adobe, which allows data to be sent to our data collection servers securely without an FPSSLimplementation.

Use the table below as a guide of what processes will need to be completed for your scenario. If you need help determining whichscenario your web property falls under, read the sections below or contact Customer Care.

Scenarios

Scenario 1

7Transition to Regional Data Collection

If your site is currently using first party cookies and has secure pages, contact Customer Care to ask for your FPSSL implementationto be migrated to RDC. Part of the RDC migration requires that your existing certificate support installation on up to 10 servers.See SSL Certificate Licensing.

Important: Only after that migration is complete and the new FPSSL implementation is live, you can update your DNS CNAMESto point to the new Adobe hostname. The hostname will be provided by Customer Care during the RDC migration process.

Scenario 2

If your site uses first-party cookies but does not contain secure pages (https), you will only need to update the DNS entry foryour tracking server. See Correctly populate the trackingServer and trackingServerSecure variable or contact Customer Care ifyou are unsure about your trackingServer value. If this value is not set correctly, data will not be collected for your implementation.

Once you have the correct tracking server value, you will update your DNS records to point your first party tracking hostnameto the new RDC version of your tracking server.

New A Record*Current A RecordCNAME

mysite.com.d1.sc.omtrdc.netmysite.com.112.2o7.netmetrics.mysite.com

mysite.com.ssl.d1.sc.omtrdc.netmysite.com.102.112.2o7.netsmetrics.mysite.com

mysite.co.uk.d1.sc.omtrdc.netmysite.co.uk.112.2o7.netmetrics.mysite.co.uk

mysite.co.uk.ssl.d1.sc.omtrdc.netmysite.co.uk.112.2o7.netsmetrics.mysite.co.uk

Note: RDC domains are based on the data collection center for each report suite. Therefore, the examples in this table mightnot be correct for your data center. If you do not know which data center hosts your report suite, see Correctly populate thetrackingServer and trackingServerSecure variable or contact Customer Care.

Scenario 3

If you are not using first-party cookies, Adobe strongly discourages setting the s.trackingServerSecure variable inside yourAppMeasurement / s_code library. This means you should only be using one tracking server (s.trackingServer) regardless ofwhether or not your site contains secure (https) pages.

To migrate to RDC, you will need to change that tracking server to the omtrdc.net alternative of your current tracking server.See Correctly populate the trackingServer and trackingServerSecure variable or contact Customer Care if you are unsure aboutyour trackingServer value. If this value is not set correctly, data will not be collected for your implementation.

Important: Do not change your tracking server before setting up a visitor migration. Changing the tracking server prior tothe migration being in place will cliff your visitors, resulting in a drastic increase in new visitors. Visitor cliffing cannot beundone. If this happens to your reporting, contact Customer Care immediately and provide as much detail as possible.

To set up a visitor migration, contact Analytics Customer Care. Let them know you are migrating to RDC and that you wouldlike to migrate visitors from your old tracking server to your new tracking server. Provide them with your old tracking serverand the new tracking server that you plan to use on the site. After they have confirmed the visitor migration is in place, updateyour s.trackingServer variable in your s_code / AppMeasurement library.

8Transition to Regional Data Collection

Process Details

Depending on your implementation, you will need to complete one or multiple of the following:

• Set up a Visitor Migration (Customer Care)• FPSSL RDC Migration (Customer Care)• Code changes to your AppMeasurment/s_code file• Make DNS changes on your company's DNS server (often referred to as a CNAME)

Visitor Migration

A visitor migration is used to migrate visitors from one tracking server to another. It is a setting enabled by Customer Care thatforces your implementation to check the old tracking server for an ID before setting a new ID for a visitor on the new trackingserver domain. If your migration scenario requires this, please contact Customer Care for help migrating to RDC. For morehelp, see Visitor Migration in Implementation help.

FPSSL RDC Migration

You must contact Customer Care to complete this process. During this process, one of our FPSSL specialists works with you tomigrate your existing SSL certificate to a new RDC FPSSL implementation. It is important that your existing SSL certificate isvalid for installation on up to 10 servers (see SSL Certificate Licensing). If your certificate does not support installation on 10servers, or if you would like Adobe to manage your certificate going forward, consider the Adobe Managed Certificate Program.

Code Changes to AppMeasurment / s_code

When we refer to code changes in an RDC migration, we are talking about changing your tracking servers within your coreAnalytics JavaScript libraries. This is normally your AppMeasurement or s_code library, but you might have additional librariesthat need to be updated. You will need to update any libraries that have the s.trackingServer variable. It is important that anytime you change your s.trackingServer variable you set up a visitor migration first. That way, you ensure your visitors are migratedto the new tracking server. Failure to do so will result in visitor cliffing and unrecoverable data corruption.

DNS Changes (CNAME Update)

A CNAME update is a change made to your company's DNS server. Your IT department or network operations team typicallyhandles this operation. If your scenario requires this change, you should contact Customer Care for the new Adobe hostname.

If your site does not have secure pages and therefore no FPSSL implementation, you can refer to Correctly populate thetrackingServer and trackingServerSecure to help you determine the Adobe RDC hostname for your site. It is still suggested thatyou contact Customer Care to ensure accuracy, as an incorrect hostname could result in unrecoverable data loss.

Additional Considerations

If your implementation is part of an intranet site and relies on white-listing the 2o7.net domain, you will need to also white-listthe omtrdc.net version of the hostname on your firewall.

Determine if you are using first- or third-party cookies

For regional data collection, learn how to determine if you are using first- or third-party cookies.

First- vs. Third-Party Cookies

A first-party cookie is a cookie that is set on the domain you are currently visiting. For example, if you were on www.adobe.com,the cookie would be set on the adobe.com domain if using first party cookies.

A third-party cookie is a cookie set on any domain other then the domain currently being visited. For example, If you werevisiting www.adobe.com and the cookie was set on the omtrdc.com domain, that would be considered a third party cookie.

9Transition to Regional Data Collection

For more information about cookies and how they pertain to Analytics, see About First-Party Cookies.

Depending on your implementation, your web property may be using first- or third-party cookies. We can test this by runningthe debugger on your site.

To determine if you are using first- or third-party cookies

1. If you haven't already, install the Adobe Debugger using the steps listed in Adobe Debugger Installation.2. Open your web property in the browser with the debugger installed.

3. Click the Bookmarklet to display the debugger.

You should see a new window containing debugging information, such as in the following example:

10Transition to Regional Data Collection

4. Locate the SiteCatalyst Image section.

11Transition to Regional Data Collection

The first line of the SiteCatalyst section should tell you what type of cookies your site is utilizing and the tracking server.

In this example, the web property is using first-party cookies and has a tracking server of stats.adobe.com. If your webproperty is using third-party cookies, you will see Third Party Cookies on the left, and a tracking server ending in 2o7.net

or omtrdc.net.

SSL Certificate Licensing

If you use are using first-party cookies and you measure secure traffic, you must provide sufficient SSL certificate licenses tosupport the RDC implementation.

Your SSL certificate licenses must support installation on up to 10 servers. These certificates are installed on load balancersworldwide. As Adobe brings additional Data Collection Centers online, SSL certificate needs change. How this affects yourcertificate licensing needs over time depends on the type of certificate license you own:

• Server-Based Licenses: License requirements for RDC deployments grow over time.

• Volume-Based Licenses: License requirements are not affected by infrastructure changes, but only as your traffic volumechanges over time.

• Unlimited Licenses: License requirements should remain relatively stable over time.

If you provide your own certificate, it is your responsibility to purchase and maintain these SSL certificates. It is also yourresponsibility to check the certificate provider's contract to confirm that SSL certificates can be installed in multiple data centers.

Alternatively, Adobe can manage your certificate at no additional cost to you through the Adobe Managed Certificate Program.

12Transition to Regional Data Collection

Performance Improvements with RDCStatistics that describe response times users can expect when using RDC.

See Adobe Analytics Request Performance for details on current response times when using RDC.

Response Time Removed by RDCRegions

36%Asia

5%Australia

41 %China and Russia

41 %Japan

83%Europe

94 %British Isles

84 %Central and EasternEurope

73 %Northern Europe

89 %Western Europe

38%North America

26 %Canada

48 %Central US

46 %Eastern US

20 %Western US

50%Global

13Performance Improvements with RDC

Post-Transition ExpectationsThe purpose of the RDC environment is to increase the performance and accuracy of Adobe data collection activities.

However, external issues such as website configuration, network infrastructure configuration, and transition decisions can affectoverall RDC performance. The following sections cover what affects data collection accuracy in the RDC environment.

First-Party Domains, Third-Party Domains, and Firewalls

Regardless of the data collection domain used, first-party cookies typically provide better performance and more accurate datacollection.

• Third-party cookies are more often blocked or deleted from a visitor's system due to Web browser settings, personal firewalls,and Spyware software.

• Data sent to third-party domains, such as 2o7.net and omtrdc.net might be blocked by corporate firewalls. This notonly prevents setting cookies, but also prevents data from being collected within a company. Blocked image requests cause adrop in hits from call centers and other internal traffic. If you notice a drop in traffic as a result of an RDC migration, corporatefirewalls are almost always the cause.

• Some browsers, such as Apple Safari, block third-party cookies by default.• The Marketing Cloud Visitor ID service sets a first-party cookie using JavaScript, so you no longer need to migrate to a CNAME

to get the benefits of first party cookies.

omtrdc.net vs. 2o7.net

In most cases, the RDC domain (omtrdc.net ) provides better performance and more accurate data collection than thetraditional Adobe collection domain (2o7.net).

• If 2o7.net is explicitly whitelisted for data collection, make sure to do the same for omtrdc.net. You can eliminate theneed for whitelisting by using a first-party cookie implementation.

Blocked cookie domains result in increased latency due to blocked requests, redirects, and secondary mechanisms used to identifythe visitor. Initial Adobe analysis indicates that omtrdc.net collects up to 4% more hit data than 2o7.net.

RDC vs. Traditional DNS

RDC leverages regional DNS entries to direct data collection to different DCCs based on the visitor's physical location. InitialAdobe analysis indicates that the RDC system delivers .3% more hit data than using traditional DNS.

14Post-Transition Expectations

Contact and Legal InformationInformation to help you contact Adobe and to understand the legal issues concerning your use of this product and documentation.

Help & Technical Support

The Adobe Marketing Cloud Customer Care team is here to assist you and provides a number of mechanisms by which theycan be engaged:

• Check the Marketing Cloud help pages for advice, tips, and FAQs• Ask us a quick question on Twitter @AdobeMktgCare• Log an incident in our customer portal• Contact the Customer Care team directly• Check availability and status of Marketing Cloud Solutions

Service, Capability & Billing

Dependent on your solution configuration, some options described in this documentation might not be available to you. Aseach account is unique, please refer to your contract for pricing, due dates, terms, and conditions. If you would like to add toor otherwise change your service level, or if you have questions regarding your current service, please contact your AccountManager.

Feedback

We welcome any suggestions or feedback regarding this solution. Enhancement ideas and suggestions for Adobe Analytics canbe added to our Customer Idea Exchange.

Legal

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15Contact and Legal Information