Scanning (Explore Stage) problem   

While scanning a web application, during the Explore stage, the "Total Number of URLs to be visited" goes on increasing first. It reaches more than 9000 and then suddenly if decreases down to around 400. Meanwhile "Number of visited URLs" also increases gradually and then the Testing starts.

Anybody, please explain why it is happening so and what configuration I may need to check.

In the Status Bar there are two numbers after Visited URL's xx/xx

The online help indicates that the first number is Number of URL's visited
and the second number is Total URL's to be visited.
Then to the right of that is TestsCompleted and then TestsToBeCompleted

I need to know everything there is to know about these numbers - please exhaustively
reply to this question.

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Scenario A

For example when doing the
1.) create a new scan from scan template A.
2.) mode is single threaded
3.) perform only the explore stage
4.) repeat the above 3 steps

AppScan then will display varying numbers in the following columns
To Be Visited URLs and TestToBeCompleted

Explore Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
1 252/630 0/32101
2 252/595 0/32101
3 252/494 0/32099
4 252/494 0/32099
5 252/474 0/32099
6 252/473 0/32099

What is going here ?
Why are the Visited URL's the same but the ToBeVisitedURL's varying
Why are the TrestToBeCompleted numbers varying ?
(Note this is being run in single threaded mode)

Insert response to Scenario A. here)
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Scenario B.

Another scenario is where I import a manual explore file exd.
1.) Create a new scan from Scan Template B
2.) Import manual explore from Manual1.exd
3.) AppScan runs the analyze step
4.) Do not allow AppScan to run an explore - only use explore from the imported explore file.

I then see the following set of numbers
Explore Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
1 46/98 0/7122
2 45/98 0/7122
3 48/137 0/6903
4 46/98 0/7122
5 46/98 0/7122

What is going here ?
Why are the Visited URL's the same but the ToBeVisitedURL's varying
Why are the TrestToBeCompleted numbers varying ?
(Note this is being run in single threaded mode)

(Insert response to Scenario B. here)

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Scenario C.

A 3rd scenario is a modified version of above scenario #2
But this time I re-import the manual explore file again and again
into the same scan file, until the import menu item is grayed out (meaning AppScan
will no longer allow me to re-import the manual explore file)
The following numbers occur after each re-import.

Explore# Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
(Import from manual explore file - do not allow AppScan to run an explore after importing)
1 41/102 0/6479

Now just re-import from the same manual explore file that was used previously.

ReImport# Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
1 83/102 0/7067
2 125/180 0/7655
3 167/220 0/8243
4 209/220 0/8831
5 220/220 0/9616
6 after re-import #5 the Import menu item is grayed out.

But now the VisitedURLs and ToBeVisitedURL's are equal.

What is going here ?
Why are the Visited URL's and ToBeVisitedURL's slowing increasing until
they both equal each other ?

Why are the TrestToBeCompleted numbers varying ?

(Note this is being run in single threaded mode)

Insert response to Scenario C. here)
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If I always use the same scan template file to create a new scan file
Is it safe to say that AppScan will never explore and test the same way twice ?

Meaning that in order to trust AppScan's results I would need to run let's say
5 to 10 scan's from the same scan template and then average the results together ?

(This is single threaded mode)

Please advise
Thanks

No - the results are after the explore phase has completed.
No - there are no multi step processes in the template.

I open the scan template
I have imported the manual scan exd file before saving as a separate new scan file
and have also saved it as a new scan file before importing. Results are the same.

After importing is done, AppScan always does an analysis of the import and then stops. I do
not let AppScan perform it's own explore.

Aside Note - I did notice that if I did not save before importing then AppScan would prompt with
the include additional hosts found dialog box. If I saved first AppScan did not display the
dialog box.

B

I re ran the imports for both concurrent logins enabled and disabled - no difference.
"Exactly" same numbers for either enabled (checked) and disabled (unchecked).

Scenario D

I changed the value of the enabled/disabled after opening the template file (scant) but
before saving it as a scan file and before importing anything.

1.) create new scan from scant template file
2.) save to new scan file
3.) import manual explore from exd file
4.) results after 1st import
concurrent is enabled
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
46/107 0/7122 // 46/107 0/7122
5.) save to scan file enabled
6.) import ontop of and into existing scan file enabled
7.) results after 2nd import
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
94/136 0/7698 // 94/136 0/7698
8.) repeat
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
142/211 // 0/8274
9.) repeat
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
181/234 // 0/8742
10.) repeat
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
229/234 // 0/9318
11.) repeat
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
234/234 // 0/10069
12.) repeat
Visited URLs / ToBeVisitedURLs // TestsCompleted/TestToBeCompleted
234/234 // 0/10069
13.) since the numbers stabilized I stopped re-importing.

I checked the request/response log file and there were no communication errors.

Application Differences
Scenario A = application #X

Scenario B = application #Y
Scenario C = application #Y

Scenario D = application #Y - new build

I don't change the application during a re-import, in other words, the set of numbers
in a particular scenario are from the same application, AppScan is not exited nor
is any scan configuration options changed.

Note - All import scenarios were configured as single threaded.

As you can see, the increasing number observance occurs

Again, I need to know

1.) is it "legal" to re-import into a file you just imported ?
2.) what do each of the following mean ?
Visited URLs ?
ToBeVisitedURLs ?
TestsCompleted ?
TestToBeCompleted ?

3.) What is going here ?
4.) Why are the Visited URL's and ToBeVisitedURL's slowing increasing until
they both equal each other ?

5.) How many times do you need to run AppScan with the same scan template ( changing nothing
except that the time of day changes) to be able to trust AppScan's results ?

Thanks
jg