Metrics: Collect Metrics on Product Usage and Feature Adoption

[john-thomas-dotcms]

We need to collect metrics on usage of the dotCMS product and features.

The metrics to be collected will include both utilization metrics (which specific features and sub-features are used, and to what extent), and usage metrics (frequency of use of the system and various features).

This effort will include four stages:

1. Create a plugin to implement an API which returns metrics.
   • The first pass of this was already created by @wezell here.
2. Implement various metrics, to be returned through the API.
   • When possible, the code to implement the metrics will be included in the plugin, not the core code.
     • If it's necessary to modify the core code to implement a metric, a method will be added to the core code that will be called by the plugin.
   • The specific metrics to be implemented will be specified in separate cards.
3. Create an automated process to periodically write metrics from the system into the analytics infrastructure.
   • This process should be implemented the plugin, rather than as a separate application or scheduled job.
4. Develop reports to pull and analyze the metrics from the analytics infrastructure.
   • These reports should be implemented separate from the plugin (using an external service or application).

Since stage 1 is already partially complete, stages 2 and 3 can be implemented concurrently. Stage 4 can be implemented after stage 3 is complete.

Potential metrics have been identified and divided into the following categories (in order from highest to lowest priority):

1. Differentiating Features
2. Platform-Specific Customization
3. Sophisticated Content Architecture
4. Positive User Experience (including content velocity)
5. Platform-Specific Development
6. Recent Activity
7. Extent of Usage