Intranet & Extranet

To understand Intra-business e-BusinessTo describe Intranet and ExtranetTo understand corporate portals

TCP/IP

• Message is sent from application layer to TCP layer• Message broken down into packets• TCP assigns a port number and sequence number• Packets and TCP header, passed on to IP• IP gives packets destination address• Hardware turns alphabetic text packets into electronic signals

and transmit over phoneline• ISP router examines destination address and sends off• At the receiving end we start at the bottom of stack• Headers are stripped off as packet goes up the stack• When data reaches to application layer, message is assembled

into its original form

Application

IP

TCP

Hardware Internet

Application

IP

TCP

Hardware

Sending computer Receiving computer

So We have...

• Internet– Most common platform for B2C

We also have...• Intranet

– Most common platform for internal corporate system

• Extranet– The most common platform for B2B

Intranets

– Internal Web– Primary platform to serve internal information needs– A wide variety of services– A platform for provision of news and training– A collaboration platform for the employees– Enables easy access to corporate resources– Could be connected to Internet

Advantages and disadvantages of Intranets

• Advantages– Low cost of converting client/server network – Secure internal networks

• Through use of Firewalls

• Disadvantage– Information overload

Types of Intranet

• A business to employee (B2E)– Employees procure for themselves (needed

supplies)– Corporate shop– Information dissemination to employees

• between units within the business

• between employees within the business

Application ServersERP

Legacy System

Client’sBrowser

Intranet

Product DatabaseCustomer Database

Internet

Firewall

Web ServersE-Mail

Architecture of Intranet

Corporate Portal

• Emerging due to information over-load• Personalised• Single point of access• Rich content• Narrow community• Can be delivered in phases

Corporate Portal FrameworkAneja et al, Intel Technology Journal Q1

CorporatePortal

Applications

ExternalWeb Sites

OrganisationalKnowledge

Base

DocumentsCollaboration

Products

InternalWeb Sites

Publishing

DataWarehouses

KnowledgeManagement

Search

News andNews Feeds

ExternalContent

ExternalServices

Personalisation

Collaboration

Integration BusinessIntelligence

ExternalInformationResources

InternalInformationResources

AccessibilityS

ecu

rity

Scalability

Ext

ens

ibili

ty

Extranets

– Extended Intranet– Primary platform for B2B exchanges– A meeting place for for trading partners– Adds value to customer experience– Uses Internet infrastructure– Non-proprietary technical tool that supports EC

Benefits of Extranets

– Enhanced communication– Productivity enhancements– Business enhancements– Cost reduction– Information delivery

Advantages and disadvantages over proprietary networks

• Advantages– Ubiquity of access– Open standards– Less costly

• Disadvantages– System Vulnerability– Slow Links– Human Factors

EnterpriseNetwork

CorporateClient

CorporateClient

Server

WirelessRoamingClient

Web

Internet

ISP

WebClient

WebClient

The Architecture of Extranet

BrowserDialling softwareConnection Device

Remote AccessServerWeb

Server

Firewall

BrowserRemote Access ServerRemote dial-in SoftwareDialling softwareFirewallWeb ServerIntranetVPN

Need for Security

• Need– Encryption

• Ensures privacy and Integrity

– Authentication• Provides identification of remote user

Virtual Private NetworksTunnelling Technology

– VPN • A network that uses public network to transmit data in secure and private

manner

– IPSEC• Supported by Internet Engineering task force (IETF)• Supported by the new IP6• Designed to supports new encryption algorithms

TCP

IPIPSEC