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Pertemuan 16 Servers for E-Business

Matakuliah : M0284/Teknologi & Infrastruktur E-Business

Tahun : 2005

Versi : <<versi/revisi>>

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Learning Objectives

• List the components necessary for front-end and back-end of e-commerce transaction systems

• Elicit the steps involved in establishing an e-commerce web site.

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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

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Application Server

• An extension of middleware solution

• Introduced in order to isolate the business logic in projects

• Facilitates multi-tier applications with flexible connections.

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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

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Current trends

• Most vendors now focus on e-commerce integration and e-business

– (database integration with ERP, Accounting Systems, OLAP, CRM, SCM etc.)

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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.

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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)

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Supporting technologies (Cont’d)

• Component Object Model (COM and COM+)

• Distributed Component Model (DCOM)

• Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA)

• JavaBeans

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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Active Server Page (yes, also ASP)

• A specification for viewing dynamically created web page that utilizes ActiveX scripting.

• Customized page for an individual viewer.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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Developing an E-Commerce platform

• One of most important decisions

– Build,

– Buy,

– Rent

• e-commerce solutions?

– Where to start?

– Scope of the project?

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Deployment Practices

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.)

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Factors that expedite transactions

• Order notification – (via e-mail, paging, fax, etc.)

• Administration security – (encryption, firewalls)

• e-Mail capabilities– (FAQ, Support, return…)

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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)

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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

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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 third-party add-ons.

• Flexibility and nimbleness

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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

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Elements of purchase pipeline

• Checking the order

• Checking the payment

• Accepting the contract

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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