Ad Server v. 3.4 Requirements

by Bryan Che

I. Introduction

This document describes the requirements for the ACS Ad Server module. The Ad Server module enables Web site administrators to place banner ads on their Web pages.

II. Vision Statement

Many Web sites display banner ads on their Web pages. These banner ads are small advertisements that generally link to product or company information. Web sites sell space on their Web pages to companies who wish to advertise in that space with banner ads.

The Ad Server module allows Web sites to create, maintain, and view statistics about banner ads. It also serves banner ads on Web pages and may target certain groups of ads to certain groups of users.

III. System/Application Overview

The Ad Server will consist primarily of an administrator interface and an API for developers. Site-wide administrators will use the Ad Server administrator interface to create and maintain ad groups (a set of ads that circulate) as well as individual ads. Developers will use the Ad Server's API to add ads to Web pages for users to see.

IV. Use-Cases and User Scenarios

Creating Ads and Ad Groups

Annie Admin operates a Web site dedicated to preserving the memory of her now-deceased pet cow, Moo Moo. But, although her site is built on top of the free, ACS, she still finds it expensive to run her personal Web server, what with ISP fees, domain name costs, and buying a copy of Oracle. So, Annie decides to sell banner ad space on her Web site to other companies in order to subsidize her cost of running a server.

Annie Admin diligently solicits companies to buy ad space on her Web site and soon has a large enough clientele to fund her server. Her corporate customers provide her with the html ads they wish to display on her site, and Annie stores these ads on her server. Then, she uses the Ad Server administrator interface to create various ad groups and to add her new ads to the database.

Viewing Ads

Larry Lactoseintolerant visits Annie Admin's Moo Moo site. He notices that there are now nifty, flashy graphics on the top of each page now. Furthermore, each time he reloads a page, the graphics change to new ones. Fascinated by the bright banners, Larry stops reading the article about how he can help fund Moo Moo's statue and clicks on the banner ad on top: "Beef. It's what's for dinner."

V. Related Links

VI.A. Requirements: Data Model

1 Data Model

1.1 Ads

1.1.1 ads should be stored as files

1.1.2 ads should have a target url

1.1.3 the ads representation should integrate with third-party ad products and services

1.1.4 ads should be uniquely identifiable

1.1.5 ads should support keywords

1.1.6 ads should support categories

1.1.7 the module should be able to target certain ads at users who have a higher than normal probability of being interested in them

1.2 Book Keeping

1.2.1 the module should track for each ad how often it has been viewed

1.2.2 the module should track for each ad how often it has been displayed

1.2.3 the module should track who clicks on an ad

1.2.4 the module should track when an ad was clicked

1.3 Ad Groups

1.3.1 the module should be able to present ads in groups

1.3.1.1 ads within this group may rotate in various orders

VI.B. Requirements: Administrator Interface

2 Administrator Interface

2.1 Ads

2.1.1 the administrator should be able to create individual ads

2.1.2 the administrator should be able to maintain individual ads

2.1.3 the administrator should be able to delete individual ads

2.2 Ad Groups

2.2.1 the administrator should be able to create ad groups

2.2.2 the administrator should be able to maintain ad groups

2.2.3 the administrator should be able to delete ad groups

2.2.4 the administrator should be able to ad ads to ad groups

2.2.5 the administrator should be able to remove ads from ad groups

2.2.6 the administrator should be able to define how ads within an ad group are rotated

2.3 Statistics

2.3.1 the administrator should be able to view comprehensive statistics for each ad

VI.C. Requirements: API

3 API

3.1 the module must export an API for developers to add banner ads to Web pages

3.1.1 the API should include a proc for returning an ad to show

VI.D. Requirements: User Interface

4 User Interface

4.1 the user should be able to view ads on pages the administrator intends the user to see ads

4.2 the user should be able to click on an ad for more information

VII. Revision History

Document Revision # Action Taken, Notes When? By Whom?
0.1 Creation 8/29/2000 Bryan Che
bryanche@arsdigita.com
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