A Web Design and Hosting Company
Internet 101
The basics of how the technology works
Internet Terms Access provider Anonymous FTP server AS (Autonomous system) ASN (asynchronous system number ATM (asynchronous transfer mode Backbone provider Bong Broadband Busy signal analysis ccTLD (country code top level domain Client Copper line Country code top level domain Cracker Crosstalk DCC (data collection Center) Denial of Service Destination Dialup account Digital subscriber line (DSL) E-commerce
DNS (Domain Name System) Domain name DoS DSL Event File transfer protocol FTP Server FTP Generic top level domain gTLD Hacker Host HTML Hypertext Markup Language IAP IETF (Internet engineering task force) ISDN (integrated services digital network) Ping Traceroute Whois Gopher
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Internet Terms TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
HTTP(Hyper Text Transmission Protocol) The World Wide Web protocol
DNS(Domain name Service) The process of converting a domain name to an IP address
HTML(Hyper Text Markup Language) The World Wide Web page description language
Cookies Web/Application
ServerASP(Active Server Pages) Server side programming scripting language – Microsoft
Cold FusionServer Side Scripting language – Macromedia/Allaire
TCP/IP – The Transport Layer! Stands for:
Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol
TCP/IP is the common method that allows two computers to talk to each other
Every other protocol rides on top of TCP/IP
TCP/IP
TCP/IP – We Number Everything!
The InternetThe Internet192.168.0.125
192.168.0.205
192.168.0.15
192.168.0.35
Every Computerhas an IP number
NNN.NNN.NNN.NNN
DNS – What we call things! Stands for:
Domain Name Service
English language names for computers
Hierarchical grouping of computers
Read from left to right
.com
uxbinternet.com
mail.uxbinternet.com
reports.uxbinternet.com
www.uxbinternet.com
yahoo.com
maps.yahoo.com
DNS – We Name Everything!
The InternetThe InternetStudent.yale.edu192.168.0.125
yahoo.com192.168.0.205
ns.uxb.net192.168.0.15
Almost Every Computerhas a Domain name
uxbinfo.comuxbinternet.com
192.168.0.35
DNS – Domain Name Servers
The InternetThe InternetStudent.yale.edu192.168.0.125
yahoo.com192.168.0.205
ns.uxb.net192.168.0.15
uxbinfo.comuxbinternet.com
192.168.0.35
Domain servers contain a database of what IP is associated with each domain name
Domain Name Server
DNS/HTTP - The World Wide Web
The InternetThe InternetStudent.yale.edu192.168.0.125
ns.uxb.net192.168.0.15
Client program (web browser) asks the DNS server what the IP is for uxbinternet.com
Domain Name Server
uxbinfo.comuxbinternet.com
192.168.0.35
Web Server
www.uxinternet.com
DNS/HTTP - The World Wide Web
The InternetThe InternetStudent.yale.edu192.168.0.125
ns.uxb.net192.168.0.15
The DNS responds with the IP address and uses the HTTP protocol to request a web page
Domain Name Server
uxbinfo.comuxbinternet.com
192.168.0.35
<html><head>
<title>UXB Internet - A web design and hosting company</title><link href="mystyle.css" rel="stylesheet" rev="stylesheet" type="text/css">
</head><body bgcolor="#7B3A5B" ><table width="732" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tr> <td width="160" align="left" valign="top" bgcolor="#E4DDD3"> <img src="images/cor_top_lft.gif" width=12 height=12 border=0 alt=""> </td>
<td width="560" bgcolor="#E4DDD3"></td> <td width="12" valign="top" bgcolor="#E4DDD3"> <img src="images/cor_top_rt.gif" width=12 height=12 border=0 alt=""> </td> </tr></table></body></html>
HTML – Hyper Text Markup Language
Web Server – Sends HTML files
Web server
Web Server
- index.html- menu.html- directions.htmlHard drive
Application Server – Server side logic
Web server
ApplicationServer Database
Application files - index.asp - index.cfm
Web Server
* Cold Fusion* ASP (Active Server pages)
Web server
ApplicationServer
Cold Fusion & ASP - Differences
Web server
ApplicationServer
Cold Fusion runs as a separate process
ASP runs within the web server process
Cookies, Privacy & Tracking
The Web is StatelessThe Web is Stateless
The Web is StatelessWith a State Machine (like your PC) a program keeps track of every process at all times
The PC can always know what is and has happened at all times.
The Web is StatelessThe Web Server is optimized for speed so it can send multiple objects simultaneously to multiple users
After it sends an object or page it promptly forgets about it and concentrates on sending the next object.
The Web is Stateless
Therefore at any given time the web server can not determine the “state” of the program.
At any given time, the web server can never be sure what object was sent, what order it was received processed or who requested it…?
??
The Web is StatelessTo determine the state of the program the client (web
browser) MUST constantly remind the web server where it is.
There are two ways to for the client to return information:
• CookiesCookies• URL VariablesURL Variables
COOKIE:CUSTID=12345ShoppingCart=On
The Web is StatelessA Cookie is a small bit of text the server asks to be held by the browser
On each request for a page, the browser returns the cookies (text) to the server
Page Request
Send Cookie
Return Cookie
Serve Page
URL Variables
URL Variables are included with the page request
On each request for a page, the server is told where in the program it is
Page Request
Serve Page
http://www.uxbinternet.com/index.cfm?Level=4&itemno=AMA-234&CFID=10&CFTOKEN=10405114
Design Issues - The Web is Stateless
CookiesCookies Server level
can be used regardless of the pages being served (HTML, TXT, CFM…etc)
Users can (and do) turn off cookies in the browser
With Cookies off you can’t track the user
URL VariablesURL Variables Application Level
Variables only used by application programs (Cold Fusion, ASP, CGI) and not HTML pages
Special Coding required Security issues
Users can change the URL variable in their browser
Cookies & Security Are used to track
movement though the web site
The web site determines what information is in the cookie
Can only be read by web site (domain) that sent them
Flaws: A web page can have
embedded information from several web sites. Each web site can set a cookie
Users can turn off accepting cookies and the web site may become unusable.
A Database Driven Web Site
Why a Database? Structured Data
All data about a product is in a structured format
Easier to manage and organizeRelational data structures clearly defines the products and all associated information
Decisions can be made based on user input
Content can be changed without the need to know HTML or page layout
Interacting with a database
Web server
ApplicationServer Database
Application files - index.asp - index.cfm
Web Server
* Cold Fusion* ASP (Active Server pages)
InteractivityExample: The Company Directory
1,000 employees, List by First letter of last name, display Detail page for each employee.
Using HTML: 26 pages for the list + 1,000 pages for the
details= 1,026 pagesUsing Cold Fusion: 1 template for the list + 1 template for the
details = 2 pages
The Company Directory
{Last name}, {First name}
Company List for {letter}
Enter First letter of last name: GO
Find all records where the first letter of the last name equals {input}
Display using the format
Create link to detail page
Output as html to web server
Using Cold Fusion Template
Maintenance Using HTML: Edit two pages for
each employee change
Must know HTML More difficult to
search Cannot use data
for other functions
Using Cold Fusion: Maintain the data
in the database – Automatically updates the web pages – no html
Easy to do searches
Can use the data for other functions
Uses & Marketing
Should you have a web site?
Common Misconceptions
1. If you build it they will come!(apologies to: Field of Dreams screenwriter/director Phil Alden Robinson and Author William P. Kinsella)
2. You need to use the latest and greatest technology!
3. Selling on the web will make you rich!
Common Misconceptions - 1
If you build it they will come!
WRONG!
Common Misconceptions - 1 You need to market your web site
In Print/Radio/TV or other advertising On all business correspondence and cards Targeted Internet ads or sponsorships (industry
centric sites) Do not rely on search engines
Most now charge for listings Yahoo=$299.00 a year Lycos=$18.00 a year for 1 page InfoSeek= $99.00 Plus $0.05 per click-thru Google = $0.00 4 to 8 weeks for inclusion no
guarantee
Common Misconceptions - 2
You need to use the latest and greatest technology!
WRONG!
Common Misconceptions - 2 Know the browser technology level
of your target market. High Tech Products – Latest & greatest Commercial Market – AOL (America On-
Line), No Microsoft specific HTML formatting Government – No Java, No JavaScript, No
Flash, No HTML email Academia / Education – No HTML email,
limited Java and Flash
Common Misconceptions - 3
Selling on the web will make you rich!
WRONG!
Common Misconceptions - 3 Evaluate the investment and return.
Know your market. What is the market potential? What will it cost to get/keep customers?
Know your customers. What percentage will/can use the web?
Know your business process. What is saved by the customer using the web? What is the cost to do business on the web?
(development, infrastructure, personnel)
Common Misconceptions - 3 What is the ROI (Return on Investment) ?
Is the business model sound?
Why do youyou want a
web site?