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Manual Chapter : Serving Specific Hyperlinked Content with Parameter Value Substitution

Applies To:

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BIG-IP AAM

  • 12.1.5, 12.1.4, 12.1.3, 12.1.2, 12.1.1, 12.1.0, 11.6.5, 11.6.4, 11.6.3, 11.6.2, 11.6.1
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Serving Specific Hyperlinked Content with Parameter Value Substitution

Overview: Serving specific hyperlinked content with parameter value substitution

You can use parameter value substitution functionality to change a targeted parameter's value on a specific page serviced from cache, so that the client-specified parameter appears on the URL embedded in the page. This substitution is especially beneficial when a query parameter contains identification information for a site's visitors.

Some requested pages include hyperlinks that vary according to the request to provide dynamic information. For example, you can configure parameter value substitution so that a request with a query parameter called shopper produces HTML output with its embedded hyperlinks varying the value for shopper. Thus, when a query parameter contains identification information for a site's visitors, it prompts the BIG-IP® device to serve different content for the request, based on the specific visitor.

Conversely, if parameter value substitution is not configured, the BIG-IP device uses the value that it cached for the original request, for all subsequent requests after the first, even if the subsequent requests have different values that the origin web server used in the response.

Serving specific hyperlinked content with parameter value substitution

When you configure parameter value substitution, you specify a source definition in an HTTP request, specifically a value that you want the BIG-IP system to embed in the URL in place of the cached (target) value, and a target definition, specifically a parameter by data type and name or location in the request. You also have the option to provide a URL prefix for the target, to limit the URLs to which the BIG-IP system performs the substitution.
  1. On the Main tab, click Acceleration > Web Application > Policies .
    The Policies screen displays a list of existing acceleration policies.
  2. Click the name of a user-defined acceleration policy.
  3. Click a node in the Policy Tree.
  4. From the Matching Rules menu, choose Acceleration Rules.
  5. On the menu bar, click Assembly.
    The screen refreshes to show assembly options.
  6. Click Create.
  7. For the Source Definition setting, select a source type from the Type list.
    Note: The configuration steps change depending on the type you select.

Source type Description Configuration steps
Number Randomizer Generates a random number and places it in a targeted location in the embedded URL. None.
Request URL Limits the BIG-IP system to target-specific URLs embedded in a page, as defined in the prefix that an embedded URL must match before the BIG-IP system performs substitution.
  • Select the Relative URL or Absolute URL option.
Query Parameter The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter with the parameter value you specify. In the Name field, type the query parameter value.
Unnamed Query Parameter The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter, as specified by the Ordinal setting.
  • Alias: Type an alias.
  • Ordinal: Type a number that represents the ordinal location of the unnamed query parameter. Numbering for the ordinal location starts at one (1).
Path Segment The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter, as specified by the Segment Ordinal setting.
  • Alias: Type an alias.
  • Segment Ordinal: Type a number that represents the path segment location in the URL, and select a numbering scheme from the list.

  1. For the Target Definition setting, select a target type from the Type list.
    Note: The configuration steps change depending on the type you select.

Target type Description Configuration steps
Query Parameter The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter, as specified by the Name setting.
  • Name: Type the query parameter value.
  • All URLs: Select this option if you want the substitution to apply to all URLs.
  • Selected URLs: Select this option if you want the substitution to apply to only those URLs that you specify.
Unnamed Query Parameter The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter, as specified by the Ordinal setting.
  • Alias: Type an alias.
  • Ordinal: Type a number that represents the ordinal location of the unnamed query parameter. Numbering for the ordinal location starts at one (1).
  • All URLs: Select this option if you want the substitution to apply to all URLs.
  • Selected URLs: Select this option if you want the substitution to apply to only those URLs that you specify.
Path Segment The BIG-IP system substitutes the URL parameter, as specified by the Segment Ordinal setting.
  • Alias: Type an alias.
  • Segment Ordinal: Type a number that represents the path segment location in the URL, and select a numbering scheme from the list.

  1. Click Save.
A source definition and target definition are configured for parameter value substitution, so that when a query parameter contains identification information for a site's visitors, it prompts the BIG-IP system to serve different content for the request, based on the specific visitor.
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