E-Business
Lecture 3
Website Development and Management
Process
Web servers
• The components of a web server are:
• Hardware
• Software
Web servers (Cont.)
• When determining what sort of server
hardware and software to use you have to
consider:
• Size of the site
• Purpose of the site
• Traffic on the site
Web servers (Cont.)
• A small, noncommercial Web site will require
less resources than a large, commercial site.
Building an E-commerce Web Site
• Two most important management challenges
in building a successful e-commerce site are:
1) Developing a clear understanding of
business objectives
2)
Knowing how to choose the right technology
to achieve those objectives
Building an E-commerce Web Site
(Cont.)
• Main areas where you will need to make
decisions in building a site include
• Human resources and organizational capabilities
creating a team that has the skill set to build and
manage a successful site
Building an E-commerce Web Site
(Cont.)
•
•
•
•
Hardware
Software
Telecommunications
Site design
Building an E-commerce Web Site
(Cont.)
The Systems Development Life
Cycle
• Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC):
• is a methodology for understanding the business
objectives of a system and designing an
appropriate solution
The Systems Development Life Cycle
(Cont.)
• Five major steps in the SDLC are:
1) Systems analysis/planning
2) Systems design
3) Building the system
4) Testing
5) Implementation
The Systems Development Life Cycle
(Cont.)
A Logical Design for a Simple Web
Site
A Physical Design for a Simple Web
Site
Application Server-based
e-commerce platform architecture
E-commerce platform
ERP
Presentation
Layer
Transactions
Business
Logic Layer
Security
Session
Data & Legacy
Access Layer
Resource
Pooling
Horizontal Services
Legacy
systems
Load
balancing
Database
Application Server
Client tier
Server tier
Data tier
E-commerce Software
• Front-end
• For Visitors and Customers
• Web-based by definition
• Backend
• For enterprise business managers
• Merchandisers, Account Mangers,
Customer Support, etc.
E-commerce Software (Cont.)
• Middleware
• To interface with existing systems
• Customer, Inventory, Credit, Payment and
Order Processing systems
E-Commerce Front-end
• Web Application Server
• Functionality
• Personalization and Profiling
• Complex, Dynamic Content Presentation
E-Commerce Front-end (Cont.)
• Process Support
• Shopping Process
• Buying Process
E-Commerce Backend
• Content Management
• Merchandizing
• Catalog management
• Price and on-line collateral management
E-Commerce Backend (Cont.)
• Backend System Management Functionality
• Support for workflow and process
management
• Appropriate use of technology for process
support
• Access control in content management
• Business rules in anomaly management
E-Commerce Middleware
• Payment Processing
• Customer specific credit, purchase orders,
etc.
• Electronic payment including EDI and credit
cards
.
E-Commerce Middleware (Cont.)
• EDI (Electronic Data Interchange):
• is the electronic exchange of business documents
between the computer systems of business
partners, with a standard format over a
communication network. It can also be called as
(paperless exchange)
E-Commerce Middleware (Cont.)
• Order Processing
• Interface to proprietary, custom enterprise
systems
• e-enabled systems of large warehouses
• e-Services that provide Order Distribution
E-Commerce Middleware (Cont.)
• Inventory Management
• Soft and hard reserve functionality
• Direct access to specific inventory
Hardware Platform
Hardware Platform (Cont.)
• Storage capacity and computing power
required of the Web server depends on:
• Software that will run on the server
• Volume of e-commerce transactions
Hardware Platform (Cont.)
• E-commerce solutions should be designed to
be highly scalable
• Web site hosting: third-party Web service
provider
Tools for Building Your Own
E-commerce Site
E-commerce Software
Following are the names of some well-known ecommerce software:
• Intershop Enfinity
• IBM’s WebSphere Commerce Professional
Edition
• Microsoft Commerce Server 2002