Bachelor of Business
Administration Program
©Mathieu CHAUVET – 2014/2015
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WEB SERVER HARDWARE
AND SOFTWARE
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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
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1) Web Server Basics
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 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
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Number of visitors
Number of pages viewed during an average visit
How large pages will be
Maximum number of simultaneous visitors
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Platform neutrality of the Web
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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,
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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
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2) Software for Web Servers
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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
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Considered simple to learn and use
Raise security concerns
 Linux
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Open-source, can be downloaded free from the Web
Fast, efficient, easy to install
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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
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3) Electronic Mail (E-Mail)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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4) Web Server Hardware
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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
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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,
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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!
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What is Cloud Computing?
 What is Cloud Computing?
 Advantages?
 Disadvantages?
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ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
SOFTWARE
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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
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1) Web Hosting Alternatives
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Web hosting alternatives
 Self-hosting
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Running servers in-house
Most often used by large companies
 Third-party Web-hosting service providers
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Offer Web services, electronic commerce functions
Often used by midsize, smaller companies
 Commerce service providers (CSPs)
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Provide Internet access and Web-hosting services
Help companies conduct electronic commerce
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 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
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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)
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2) Basic Functions of Electronic
Commerce Software
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 Electronic commerce software needs determined by:
 Expected enterprise size
 Projected traffic and sales
 Budget
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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)
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Basic electronic commerce Web site architecture
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3) Advanced Functions of
Electronic Commerce Software
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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:
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Enter, edit, update, retrieve information in the database
 Examples: Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, Microsoft SQL
Server, Oracle
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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
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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
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d) Integration with ERP Systems
 Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software packages
 Business systems integrating all facets of a business
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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
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ERP system integration with EDI
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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
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4) Electronic Commerce
Software for Small and Midsize
Companies
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 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:
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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!
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Yahoo! Merchant Services page
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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
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One-time setup fees
Percentage of (or fixed) amount for each transaction
 Basic and mall-style CSPs provide data-mining capabilities
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c) Estimating Operating Expenses for a
Small Web Business
Approximate costs to put a small store online
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 Estimated costs for self-hosting a Web site
 Setup and Web site maintenance
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$3000 to $20,000 (one time)
 High-bandwidth Internet connection
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$600 and $12,000 per year
 Secure server room: $5000 a year
 Technicians to monitor and maintain equipment
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$50,000 to $100,000 annually
 Annual total costs: $60,000 to $100,000
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5) Electronic Commerce
Software for Midsize to Large
Businesses
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 Costs of larger sites: more difficult to estimate
 Largest element as integrating Web site with existing systems
 Midsize businesses: start-up costs
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$100,000 to $500,000
Recurring annual costs: about half that amount
 Large businesses: start-up costs
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$1 million and $50 million
50 percent of the launch cost every year to operate, maintain, and
improve the site
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 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
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6) Electronic Commerce
Software for Large Businesses
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 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
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 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
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 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.)
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Typical enterprise-class electronic commerce architecture
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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
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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
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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
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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
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