Transcript Economie Semestre 3

Bachelor of Business
Administration Program
©Mathieu CHAUVET – 2014/2015
1
WEB SERVER HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE
2
Learning objectives
In this chapter, you will learn about:
 Web server basics
 Software for Web servers
 E-mail management and spam control issues
 Web server hardware
3
1) Web Server Basics
4
 Basic technologies to build online business Web sites
 Server software and hardware
 Utility function software
 Servers: have more memory and larger, faster disk drives
 Web browser software: also called Web client software and
make computers work as Web clients
 Web site goals followed by site development estimations




Number of visitors
Number of pages viewed during an average visit
How large pages will be
Maximum number of simultaneous visitors
5
Platform neutrality of the Web
6
a) Meanings for “Server”
 Server:
 Computer providing files, making programs available to other
computers connected to it through a network/ Software used to
make files and programs available; as such, it may be part of
the operating system (OS)
 Web server:
 Computer connected to the Internet
 Runs Web server software and makes server’s files available to
other computers
 E-mail server: Handles incoming, outgoing e-mail
 Database server: Runs database management software
Server describes several types of computer hardware,
7
software, providing any types of services to the company
The way Internet actually works…
 Regarding message flows, server receiving request
message from a client:
 Executes command included in message
 Retrieves
Web page file from disk or other
catalogues/databases supplying information to web server
 Creates response message: sent back to client
8
2) Software for Web Servers
9
a) Operating Systems for Web Servers
 Web server software may run on one or several computer
operating systems
 Operating system tasks consist in larger system
responsibilities such as running programs, allocating
computer resources, providing input and output services,
tracking multiple users, ensuring no interference, etc.
 Example of possible OS for Web Servers
 Microsoft server products


Considered simple to learn and use
Raise security concerns
 Linux


Open-source, can be downloaded free from the Web
Fast, efficient, easy to install
10
b) Web Server Software
 Commonly used Web server programs
 Apache HTTP Server, Microsoft Internet Information Server
(IIS), Sun Java System Web Server (JSWS)
Percent of Web active sites that use major
Web server software products
11
3) Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
12
a) Email benefits
 E-mail: Electronic commerce most important technologies
 Used to gather information, execute transactions, perform
other electronic commerce related tasks
 Most popular form of business communication
 Conveys messages in seconds
 Useful feature thanks to attachments: most important
message part
 Reason why people have originally been attracted to the
Web
 E-mail uses: Confirm receipt of customer orders, confirm
shipment of items ordered, send information about a
purchase to buyer, announce specials and sales, keep in
13
touch with customers
b) Email drawbacks
 Time spent answering e-mail
 Managers: five minutes per e-mail
 Average person: two hours a day
 Creating resentment
 Computer virus
 Program attaching itself to another program, causes damage
when host program activated
 Attachment can contain viruses
 Cost for e-mail convenience such for virus protection
software, dealing with security threats
14
c) Spam
 Magnitude of spam problem
 Recent 24-hour period showed around 200 billion spam email messages sent
 Researchers believe spam growth has leveled off and
appears to be declining slightly
 Until effective technical solutions implemented, 90% of all
e-mail messages will continue to be spam
15
d) Solutions to the Spam Problem
 Methods to limit spam and its effects
 Passing new laws, leading to real and concrete threats
 Technical changes in Internet mail-handling systems
 Use existing laws and current technologies


Requires cooperation from large numbers of organizations and
businesses
Teergrubing: launching a return attack by sending e-mail back to
computer originating suspected spam
 Use tactics available for individual e-mail users
 Control e-mail address exposure
 Spammer software robots search for e-mail addresses
 Discussion boards, chat rooms, other online sources
16
4) Web Server Hardware
17
a) Server Computers
 Hosting e-commerce operations:
 Wide variety of computer brands, types, sizes used
 Small companies run Web sites on desktop PCs but most Web
sites operate on computers designed for site hosting
 Comparing desktop PCs to server computers
 Servers use faster and higher-capacity hardware
 Costs: Low-end: $800-$1,500; More common: $2,000$200,000
Companies selling Web server hardware provide Web site
configuration tools
 Housing Web server computers can be done through
Freestanding cases or installed in equipment racks
18
b) Web Server Performance
 Objective: Provide site visitors with best service possible
 Elements affecting overall server performance:
 Hardware, operating system software, server software,
connection speed, user capacity, type of Web pages
delivered
 Connection speed
 Number of users server can handle: Important but hard to
measure
 Response time: time server requires to process one request
 Choosing Web server hardware configurations
 Run tests on various combinations, consider scalability,
19
compare standard benchmarks
c) Web server architecture
 Server farms: large collections of servers that are lined up
row after row
 Centralized architecture: Uses a few large and fast
computers
 Requires expensive computers
 More sensitive to technical problems
 Requires adequate backup plans
 Distributed architecture (decentralized architecture):
Uses large number of less-powerful computers
 Spreads risk over large number of servers
 Uses less-expensive servers
 Emergence of Cloud Computing solutions!
20
What is Cloud Computing?
 What is Cloud Computing?
 Advantages?
 Disadvantages?
21
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
SOFTWARE
22
Learning objectives
 In this specific part, we are going to talk about:
 Finding and evaluating Web-hosting services
 Basic and advanced functions of e-commerce software
 Electronic commerce software for small and midsize
businesses
 Electronic commerce software for midsize to large
businesses
 Electronic commerce software for large businesses that
have an existing information technology infrastructure
23
1) Web Hosting Alternatives
24
Web hosting alternatives
 Self-hosting


Running servers in-house
Most often used by large companies
 Third-party Web-hosting service providers


Offer Web services, electronic commerce functions
Often used by midsize, smaller companies
 Commerce service providers (CSPs)


Provide Internet access and Web-hosting services
Help companies conduct electronic commerce
25
 Shared hosting
 Client's Web site on a server hosting other Web sites
simultaneously
 Operated by the service provider at its location
 Dedicated hosting
 Client Web server not shared with other clients
 Service provider responsibilities



Owns server hardware, leases hardware to client
Maintains Web server hardware, software
Provides Internet connection
 Finding service providers
 Local telephone directory
 Web directories (Google Directory)
26
2) Basic Functions of Electronic
Commerce Software
27
 Electronic commerce software needs determined by:
 Expected enterprise size
 Projected traffic and sales
 Budget


Consider online store creation costs versus brick and mortar costs
Consider external or in-house host costs
 All electronic commerce solutions must provide:
 Catalog display (listings of goods and search engine)
 Shopping cart capabilities (tracking items selected, cookies)
 Transaction processing (switch into secure communication
state)
28
Basic electronic commerce Web site architecture
29
3) Advanced Functions of
Electronic Commerce Software
30
a) Databases
 Database
 Collection of information stored on a computer in a highly
structured way
 Database manager (database management software)
 Makes it easy for users to:

Enter, edit, update, retrieve information in the database
 Examples: Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL
Server, Oracle
31
b) Middleware
 Middleware
software: Takes sales and inventory
shipments information from electronic commerce software
 Transmits
to accounting and inventory management
software
 Companies can either develop their own middleware or
purchase customized middleware
 In the last case, they need to pay a significant attention to
interoperability between systems, i.e. making
information systems work together
 Cost range: $50,000 to several million dollars
 Major middleware vendors: BEA Systems, Broadvision,
Digital River, IBM Tivoli Systems
32
c) Enterprise Application Integration
 E-commerce
organizations own a certain number
applications, i.e. programs performing specific functions
of
 Problem? These programs have distinctive data formats
that must be edited and reformated
Application
integration)
integration
(enterprise
application
 Creation of links among scattered applications
 Interconnects organization’s business logic
 Accomplished by programs transferring information from
one application to another
33
d) Integration with ERP Systems
 Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software packages
 Business systems integrating all facets of a business


Accounting, logistics, manufacturing, marketing, planning, project
management, treasury functions
Common databases for any of these functional applications
 Two major ERP vendors: Oracle and SAP
 ERP software installation costs
 Between $2 million and $25 million
34
ERP system integration with EDI
35
e) Web Services
 Web services
 Software systems supporting interoperable machine-tomachine interaction over a network
 Set of software and technologies allowing computers to use
the Web to interact with each other directly without humans
directing the specific interactions
 What Web services can do
 Offer improved customer service, reduced costs
 Provide data feeds between two different companies
36
4) Electronic Commerce
Software for Small and Midsize
Companies
37
 Most of these entities use basic Commerce Service
Providers (CSPs)
 CSPs offer free or low-cost e-commerce software
 Electronic commerce sites kept on CSP’s server, provider
keeps server working through storms and power outages
 Cost: less than $20 per month
 Software built into CSP’s site
 Designed for small online businesses:


Selling few items (no more than 50)
Incurring relatively low transaction volumes (fewer than 20
transactions per day)
 Examples: ValueWeb, ProHosting.com, 1&1 Internet,
Yahoo!
38
Yahoo! Merchant Services page
39
b) Mall-Style Commerce Service Providers
 Provides small businesses with their own store and:
 Online store design tools and storefront templates
 Easy-to-use interface
 Web page-generation capabilities
 Page maintenance
 Shopping cart software capabilities
 Payment processing services
 Main mall-style CSP: eBay stores
 Cost: less than $20 per month


One-time setup fees
Percentage of (or fixed) amount for each transaction
 Basic and mall-style CSPs provide data-mining capabilities
40
c) Estimating Operating Expenses for a
Small Web Business
Approximate costs to put a small store online
41
 Estimated costs for self-hosting a Web site
 Setup and Web site maintenance

$3000 to $20,000 (one time)
 High-bandwidth Internet connection

$600 and $12,000 per year
 Secure server room: $5000 a year
 Technicians to monitor and maintain equipment

$50,000 to $100,000 annually
 Annual total costs: $60,000 to $100,000
42
5) Electronic Commerce
Software for Midsize to Large
Businesses
43
 Costs of larger sites: more difficult to estimate
 Largest element as integrating Web site with existing systems
 Midsize businesses: start-up costs


$100,000 to $500,000
Recurring annual costs: about half that amount
 Large businesses: start-up costs


$1 million and $50 million
50 percent of the launch cost every year to operate, maintain, and
improve the site
44
 After Web site creation, these companies look to add
purchased software elements and content management
software and create the middleware
 Buying and using midrange e-commerce software
 More expensive than using a CSP: $2000 to $50,000
 Midrange software traditionally offers connectivity to
database systems
 Store catalog information
 Connections into existing inventory and ERP systems
 Most important midrange electronic commerce systems
 Intershop Enfinity
 WebSphere Commerce Suite by IBM
 Commerce Server by Microsoft
45
6) Electronic Commerce
Software for Large Businesses
46
 Larger business requirements:
 Same advanced capabilities as midsize firms
 Ability to handle higher transaction loads
 Dedicated software applications

Handling specific online business elements
 Distinction between midrange and large-scale electronic
commerce software
 Price
 Extensive support for business-to-business commerce
47
 Enterprise-class software
 Commerce software for large-scale systems
 Describes system serving multiple locations of one company
 Encompasses all areas of the business or enterprise
 Software provides tools for B2B and B2C commerce
 Interacts with wide variety of existing systems such
Database, accounting department, ERP infrastructure, etc.
 Costs: $100,000 to $10 million
 Requirements: Several dedicated computers, Web server
system, firewalls
 Enterprise-class product examples:
 IBM WebSphere Commerce Enterprise, Oracle E-Business
Suite, Broadvision products
48
 Provides standard B2B activities
 Secure transaction processing and fulfillment
 Interaction with firm’s inventory system
 Making proper stock adjustment
 Issuing purchase orders for needed supplies
 Generating other accounting entries
 B2C situations
 Customers use Web browsers to locate and browse
company’s catalog
 Electronic goods downloaded directly
 Web server linked to back-end systems
 Merchant server houses the e-business system and key backend software (payments, shipping and taxes, etc.)
49
Typical enterprise-class electronic commerce architecture
50
b) Customer Relationship Management
Software
 Customer relationship management (CRM) software
 Obtains data from operations software
 Gathers data about customer activities
 Uses data to conduct analytical activities
 Basic form of CRM
 Uses customer information to sell more goods or services
 CRM business importance
 Maintaining customer loyalty and positive, consistent contacts
at the purchasing company
 Examples: Oracle Siebel CRM Applications, SAP CRM,
Salesforce.com (Cloud Computing)
 Costs: $25,000 to millions of dollars
51
c) Supply Chain Management Software
 Helps companies to coordinate planning and operations
with industry partners
 Two general function types: planning and execution
 SCM planning software: Develops coordinated demand
forecasts by using information from each participant
 SCM execution software: Helps with warehouse and
transportation management
 Major firms offering SCM software: i2 Technologies and JDA
Software
 Costs: Varies tremendously depending on number of
locations in the supply chain
 Example: retailer with 500 stores, between $3 million and $10
million
52
d) Content Management Software
 Controls large amounts of text, graphics, media files
 Importance heightened due to:
 Increased use of smart phones, netbook computers, tablets, etc.
 E-commerce software may come with wizards and other
automated helpers for creating template-driven pages
 Businesses often customize Web pages with company and
product pictures and text
 Examples: IBM, Oracle, EMC and Open Text Corporation
 Costs: Between $100,000 and $500,000
 Customization, configuration, implementation costs may add
three or four times the cost of software
53
e) Knowledge Management Software
 Systems managing knowledge itself rather than
documentary representations of that knowledge
 Four main tasks:
 Collect and organize information
 Share information among users
 Enhance ability of users to collaborate
 Preserve knowledge gained through information use for
future users’ benefit
 Major software vendors: IBM, Microsoft SharePoint,
BMC Software, CustomerVision
 Costs: $10,000 to $1 million or more
54