Matakuliah
Tahun
Versi
: M0284/Teknologi & Infrastruktur E-Business
: 2005
: <<versi/revisi>>
Pertemuan 16
Servers for E-Business
1
Learning Objectives
• List the components necessary for frontend and back-end of e-commerce
transaction systems
• Elicit the steps involved in establishing an
e-commerce web site.
2
Application Servers and Database
Servers
• Advanced e-commerce websites will have
additional layers of servers
Application Servers,
Mail servers,
Certificates server,
Multi-media server,
Database Servers
3
Application Server
• An extension of middleware solution
• Introduced in order to isolate the business
logic in projects
• Facilitates multi-tier applications with
flexible connections.
4
Checklist for buying Application software
• What platforms are supported by the software?
• Manufacturer’s present and future business risk (going
concern).
• What programming language interface does the
application server support?
• What portion of existing applications portfolio will have to
be re-written to accommodate the new environment.
• What interfaces to the existing database management
system are feasible?
• Direct and indirect costs of purchasing the software,
future incremental costs
5
Current trends
• Most vendors now focus on e-commerce
integration and e-business
– (database integration with ERP,
Accounting Systems, OLAP, CRM, SCM
etc.)
6
Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP)
• Was Inward looking now moves to
Outward looking system
• For full integration of all the activities of a
firm and improve efficiency of workflow.
7
Supporting technologies
• HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
• Practical Extraction & Reporting Language
(PERL)
• Application Service Provider (ASP)
• Active Server Page (confusingly, also ASP)
• ActiveX
• Java applets
• Java Servlets
• Java Server Pages (JSP)
8
Supporting technologies (Cont’d)
• Component Object Model (COM and
COM+)
• Distributed Component Model (DCOM)
• Common Object Request Broker
Architecture (CORBA)
• JavaBeans
9
HyperText Transfer Protocol
(HTTP)
• Underlying set of rules / protocols used by
the World Wide Web.
• It determines how messages are formatted
and exchanged
• How should the web servers and browsers
react to various commands.
• In its secure mode https with certificates.
10
Common Gateway Interface (CGI)
• A set of standards for transferring data
between a web server and a CGI program
• A standard way for web servers to interact
dynamically with users.
11
Practical Extraction & Reporting
Language (PERL)
• A programming language for processing
text.
• Still is dominant tool to write CGI scripts
on UNIX platform.
• Open interpreted language
12
Application Service Provider (ASP)
• An user does not have to purchase the
application but uses the applications at the
service provider’s server remotely.
• Has serious security implications
13
Active Server Page
(yes, also ASP)
• A specification for viewing dynamically
created web page that utilizes ActiveX
scripting.
• Customized page for an individual viewer.
14
ActiveX
• A set of scripts or programs that run on the
user’s machine rather than on the web
server.
• They are the rules for how applications
should share information dynamically.
• E.g. Java applets, Java scripts, ActiveX
controls.
• These ActiveX controls can be written in
many languages (C, C++, VB, Delphi &
Java).
15
Java applets
• Java applets are programs executed from
within another application, e.g. a web
browser
• Unlike an application, applets cannot be
executed directly from the operating
system.
16
Java Servlets
• Similar to applets, but run on servers
• Similar to CGI programs, but unlike CGI
we do start the program only once in a
session and it lies in memory for next use.
17
Java Server Pages (JSP)
• Similar to Active Server Pages
• Differs from ASP as the language here is
Java instead of Microsoft Visual Basic.
• Advantages include portability, modularity,
security and scalability.
18
Component Object Model
(COM and COM+)
• A model for binary code that enables
programmers to develop objects that can
be accessed by any other COM-compliant
application.
• A framework for developing and
supporting program component objects.
• Both OLE and ActiveX are based on COM.
19
Distributed Component Model (DCOM)
• An extension of COM
• A set of Microsoft program interfaces in
which client program objects can request
services from server program objects on
other computers in a network.
20
Common Object Request Broker
Architecture (CORBA)
• Allows common objects (which are pieces
of programs actually), to communicate
with one another, irrespective of the
programming language they are written in
or the operating system they run on.
• Developed by an industry consortium
called Object Management Group.
• Interface through Inter-ORB Protocol (IOP)
• On the internet, communicate through
Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP)
21
JavaBeans
• Specification developed by Sun
Microsystems on how Java objects should
interact.
• Similar to ActiveX controls of Microsoft.
• Differs from ActiveX as JavaBeans can be
developed only in Java but can run on any
platform, whereas ActiveX controls can be
developed in any programming language,
but run only on Windows platform.
22
Developing an E-Commerce platform
• One of most important decisions
– Build,
– Buy,
– Rent
• e-commerce solutions?
– Where to start?
– Scope of the project?
23
Deployment Practices
24
Alternative scenarios
• Informative site (no transaction capability),
mainly static pages.
• For small businesses - Transaction processing
through a CSP.
– OLM with Miva Order has a web-based order
processing system.
– ZShops from Amazon.com
– E-BizBuilder
– Yahoo!Store from Yahoo! Inc.
25
Selecting a Commerce Service
Provider (CSP)
1. Factors that facilitate the building of the
site
2. Factors that enhance the image of the
vendor
3. Factors that facilitate transactions
4. Factors that expedite shipping and
payment.
26
Factors facilitating the building of
the site
•
•
•
•
•
Portability of the site
Bandwidth of the host site
Maximum number of items in the catalog
Types of servers used
Support and back up systems offered
27
Factors that enhance the image of
the vendor
• Flexibility of site-building process
• Look and feel of the site
• Promotional capabilities (opportunities for
cross-selling, referral, affiliate program
etc.)
28
Factors that expedite transactions
• Order notification
– (via e-mail, paging, fax, etc.)
• Administration security
– (encryption, firewalls)
• e-Mail capabilities
– (FAQ, Support, return…)
29
Factors that facilitate shipping
and payment
• Automatic tax calculation
• Payment options
– (credit card, cybercash etc.)
• Calculation of shipping charges
– (base and weighted)
• International trade
– (cross border, in various currencies)
30
Pricing structure of a service
depends upon
•
•
•
•
Number of items listed
The bandwidth available or used
The storage space
Number of e-mail accounts provided
31
Evaluation criteria for an
enterprise commerce server
• Functionality (User
interface, security,
payment services, OLAP
etc.)
• Cost (of acquisition,
license fee, application
development,
customization, additional
hardware and networking
devices).
• Time to market
• Ease of use for
developers, content
managers and customers
• Performance from an
internal and customer
perspective
• Extensibility – the ability
to integrate with thirdparty add-ons.
• Flexibility and nimbleness
32
Elements of a planning pipeline
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Collection of product information
Merchant information
Shopper information
Order initialization
Order check
Item pricing
Item price adjustment
Order total
Shipping arrangement
Handling arrangement
Taxation
Inventory management
33
Elements of purchase pipeline
• Checking the order
• Checking the payment
• Accepting the contract
34
E-Commerce Solutions
Company size
customization
hosting
package
Transaction
volume
Nature of site
Small
Low
ISP
Custom
None
Information site
Small
Medium
ISP
Entry
Low
Entry-level
transactions
Small
High
ISP
Entry+
Low
High impact,
low budget
Medium
Low
CSP
Package
Low
Low impact,
supp. Channel
Medium
Medium
Host
Package+
Medium
Important
medium budget
Medium
High
Host/CSP
Custom
High
High impact
high budget
Large
Low
CSP
Integrated
Package
Medium
Low impact
supp. Channel
Large
Medium
Host
Integrated
Package+
High
Strategic
integration
large
high
Host/CSP
Components
Custom
High
Strategic
competitive
35