Volume 3, Number 7 http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005
In this issue:
A System for Teaching MIS and MBA Students to Deploy a Scalable Database-driven Web Architecture for B2C E-Commerce
Alexander Y. Yap Claudia Loebbecke Elon University University of Cologne Elon, North Carolina 27244, USA 50969 Koeln, Germany
Abstract: The growing need for real-time information and interactive online feedback has shifted the thrust of web development from static websites to dynamic database-driven web applications. ’E- Commerce capable’ or ’transaction-capable’ websites are naturally database-driven due to the simple fact that transaction-related information (customer and order information) needs to be captured or entered into a database. Although database-driven web applications are seen as solutions for automating online transaction processing, optimizing business processing, and improving online customer relations management, Internet statistics reveal that a substantial majority of websites on the Internet are not E-Commerce capable or transaction-capable, and nor are they dynamically scalable in terms of content. To understand how technology is an extension of corporate strategy in the 21st century, it is vital that MIS and MBA students have a certain level of knowledge about how e-commerce systems actually automate web transactions, help optimize business processes, and how web application systems are designed to handle content, data, or information. This paper discusses how a systems blueprint has been developed over time for educating students to build and deploy a database driven e-commerce website. The system has been successfully used for both MIS and MBA students over a period of 4 years. It has been successful in the sense that students who did not have any background in database and web programming were still able to deploy and design a working system in one semester by themselves.
Keywords: e-Commerce, web architecture, system design, database integration, scalability
Recommended Citation: Yap and Loebbecke (2005). A System for Teaching MIS and MBA Students to Deploy a Scalable Database-driven Web Architecture for B2C E-Commerce. Information Systems Education Journal, 3 (7). http://isedj.org/3/7/. ISSN: 1545-679X. (Also appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2004: §3225. ISSN: 1542-7382.)
This issue is on the Internet at http://isedj.org/3/7/ ISEDJ 3 (7) Information Systems Education Journal 2
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c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 3
A System for Teaching MIS and MBA Students to Deploy a Scalable Database-driven Web Architecture for B2C E-Commerce
Alexander Y. Yap Campus Box 2075 Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, Elon University Elon, North Carolina 27244, USA Tel. 336 278 5590, Fax 336 278 6000 [email protected]
Claudia Loebbecke Department of Media Management University of Cologne Pohligstr. 1, 50969 Koeln, Germany Tel. +49-221-470 5364, Fax +49-221-470 5300 [email protected]
Abstract
The growing need for real-time information and interactive online feedback has shifted the thrust of web development from static websites to dynamic database-driven web applications. 'E-Commerce capable' or 'transaction-capable' websites are naturally database-driven due to the simple fact that transaction-related information (customer and order information) needs to be captured or entered into a database. Although database-driven web applications are seen as solutions for automating online transaction processing, optimizing business processing, and improving online customer relations management, Internet statistics reveal that a substantial majority of websites on the Internet are not E-Commerce capable or transaction- capable, and nor are they dynamically scalable in terms of content. To understand how technology is an extension of corporate strategy in the 21 st century, it is vital that MIS and MBA students have a certain level of knowledge about how e-commerce systems actually automate web transactions, help optimize business processes, and how web application systems are designed to handle content, data, or information. This paper discusses how a systems blueprint has been developed over time for educating students to build and deploy a database driven e-commerce website. The system has been successfully used for both MIS and MBA students over a period of 4 years. It has been successful in the sense that students who did not have any background in database and web programming were still able to deploy and design a working system in one semester by themselves.
Keywords: e-Commerce, web architecture, system design, database integration, scalability
1 Research Context and Objective interactive' system architectures. In 1999, an AMR research report, only 12% of companies While many companies have jumped onto the E- (approximately) in retail, finance, and the utilities Commerce bandwagon, E-Commerce statistics sectors have 'transactions-capable' websites and (Netfactual.com 2003, Friscia 1999) indicate that order tracking capabilities. Four years later, more than 80% of websites have relatively more Netfactual.com statistics (2003) claimed that only 'static' rather than 'dynamic and real-time 19% of all websites are E-Commerce capable, with
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5.8 million e-commerce capable websites out of 31 web content management administered by a back- million websites. E-Commerce-enabled or end database system – addressing the complexity transaction-capable websites are defined as sites of managing information, and 3) interoperability that can capture orders, record or track customer between different web applications and systems to transactions, and process payments via an see how information is exchanged between application server and a database. Contrary to the different applications and servers. belief of some, not all large corporations have E- Commerce capable sites. Levi.com, for example, In this context, the objectives of this paper are has deliberately created a website without transaction capabilities as they felt the need to (1) to illustrate a scalable and interoperable focus on their bricks and mortars distribution e-commerce system that has been outlets. successfully taught in 4 years among MIS majors and MBA students It may also come as a surprise to long time users (2) to illustrate and evaluate the process of and surfers of the Internet, but the US Census deploying a highly scalable 'multi-tiered' Bureau (2003) reported that 'less than 2%' of total architecture system. retail sales is transacted online (excluding online auction transactions). Eight years after the start of The paper is structured in the following manner. In the Internet Revolution, there are still several Section 2, it starts with a comparative framework factors impeding enterprises from implementing a illustrating four different E-Commerce solutions fully scalable and interoperable B2C E-Commerce and architectures that have been reviewed before web architecture system. Obvious reasons include developing a teaching course on e-commerce. lack of technical skills and competence, Then, in Section 3, the work provides a case study organizational issues, technological bottlenecks discussing the development of an end-to-end E- (i.e. software application incompatibilities and Commerce solution. The final section then interoperability problems), system development summarizes and concludes the experience in time, or simply a vague understanding why such setting up the system. system is needed to improve business operations (also refer to Porter, 2001). The trend is that most companies, large, medium, and small, will be 2 System Development: putting a lot of effort in choosing and developing Requirements and Alternative their e-commerce infrastructure for the next ten to fifteen years and the new workforce and Architecture Approaches entrepreneur of tomorrow, and the students of today, needs to understand the importance of e- The paper covers the experience of developing a commerce technology from the ‘strategic system that is fully 'E-Commerce capable', i.e. information systems’ perspective (Galliers 1998, 'transaction-capable' via the Web platform. The Willcocks et al. 1997). objective of setting up the system was to generate a prototype B2C E-Commerce system that was Although IS strategists constantly talk about highly scalable, so that it could be used to build scalability and interoperability as IS objectives either a sparse or extensive online catalog, with (Treese and Stewart 1998; Turban et al 2002), complete transaction processing capabilities, web several e-commerce solutions do not seem to administrative tools, real-time inventory checking, address these goals. Without scalability and and reporting. We based this architecture on the interoperability, websites choke at peak web traffic earlier work of E-Commerce transaction or are difficult to administer when new content or processing systems (Treese and Stewart 2000) and data needs to be added dynamically or linked to modular multi-tier systems architecture another application or server. Therefore, research (Mathiassen et al. 2000). We envisioned an E- that develops and evaluates systems architecture Commerce system where more than 90% of its and development environments for such systems is content (e.g. product descriptions, prices) is in demand especially from a strategic (SIS) extracted from a database and where the content perspective. In the classroom, it is worthwhile for could be updated by any non-technical person who students to learn the importance of 1) systems knows how to fill up a web form and click a scalability – to address e-commerce growth, 2) 'submit' button. MBA students who had no
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 5 previous knowledge of how a system was designed Model '1' - Complete Outsourcing of and developed were successful in deploying this Development and Deployment to architecture within one semester. a Web-Hosting Firm, Model '2' In-House Content Generation 2.1 System Requirements and Partial Outsourcing of Website Deployment to a Web- As we planned the system architecture for Hosting Firm teaching, we pinpointed six essential components Model '3' - Stand-Alone E-Commerce of a B2C E-Commerce system that students should Systems Fully Developed In- be aware of: House, and Model '4' - E-Commerce Systems Built for (1) an advertising component (i.e. banners, Scalability and E-Business keywords for web spiders, attractive Connectivity. front-end design) that attracts consumers to surf the online catalog, 2.2.1 Model '1' – Complete Outsourcing (2) an online catalogue that allows consumers of Development and Deployment to to navigate and choose items they want to a Web-Hosting Firm buy, (3) an electronic shopping cart that captures In this solution, the entire E-Commerce system the items chosen by consumers from the (catalog, shopping cart, order capture, payment online catalog (but not mandating system) is fully outsourced. Merchants can consumers to buy the items), customize and manage the system using only a (4) a trigger that captures and transfers order web browser and an Internet connection. In information from the shopping cart into a addition, the web hosting company provides the database (when the consumer finally online merchant with an email so that consumers decides to buy the items), can interact with the merchant for customer (5) a payment system that captures and relations (see Figure 1). accepts credit card payments along with personal customer information (i.e. billing address, phone), and The basic advantage of this solution is low cost. (6) a customer relations component that There are no resource and technology acquisition provides satisfaction to customers before costs, and it frees the company from problems of and after order fulfillment (i.e. order/item technology maintenance. tracking, complain/feedback forms). This approach is sufficient for companies that do 2.2 Architecture Approaches not need to update catalog content frequently. It is
more appropriate for micro/small enterprises with To develop the system, we first compared different scarce resources. The disadvantage is that the solutions for developing transaction-capable web company's online business is at the mercy of the systems. Although there are several variations, we Web hosting company as they have total control of have categorized four 'typical architectural the technology and its setup. approaches' for purposes of illustration, which we call
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Marketing/ Online Shopping Order Payment Customer Advertising Catalog Cart Capture System Relations
Pointing Outsourced E-Commerce site E-Mail to customers web-hosting company company to website
Figure 1. Model '1' - Complete Outsourcing of Development and Deployment to a Web-Hosting Firm
2.2.2 Model '2' - In-House Content The advantage of this solution is that companies Generation and Partial have more freedom to be creative in designing and Outsourcing of Website presenting the 'content' or the 'website design Deployment to a Web-Hosting Firm layout' that it wants conveyed to the electronic The second solution is to partially outsource the market. In terms of technical constraint, deploying development of the E-Commerce system (see an online transaction system goes beyond HTML Figure 2). In this case, the company has an in- technology, and most companies lack such house webmaster that develops/designs online technology or implementation competence. The advertising and catalog layouts, and is also an weakness of this model is that customer and order expert in front-end design (HTML, Flash, and information are still transparent to the web-hosting JavaScript). However, the company outsources company, because such information are captured electronic transaction components like the on the web-hosting companies' database server. shopping cart and the payment system to a Web Although there is the apprehension that customer hosting company, because these components need data is held by a third-party, the positive side is a web application server to manage clients and that excellent web-hosting companies perform client sessions (e.g. remembering what clients put regular data back-ups, system checks, and keep in their shopping cart during a browsing session) clients' privacy in sacred trust (as they claim). which cannot be fulfilled using static websites using only HTML.
Marketing/ Online Shopping Order Payment Customer Advertising Catalog Cart Capture System Relations
Developed by an in house Outsourced E-Commerce site E-Mail to web master web-hosting company company
Figure 2. Model '2' - In-house Content Generation and Partial Outsourcing of Website Deployment to Web-Hosting Firm
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The weakness of this system is that file database 2.2.3 Model '3' – Stand-Alone E- systems, such as MS Access, are frail in terms of Commerce Systems Fully simultaneous data access or multi-thread database Developed In-House connections. Therefore, this system is not very When a company has a large product selection and scalable and robust. However, it can handle the sizeable customer base, it may fully develop and volume of online transactions up to a certain level. deploy a complete system in-house (see Figure 3). It works for companies that are not keen in going However, in this model, the system is accessible to into systems integration. These are companies that few technical people (webmaster, graphic run their E-Commerce system separate from other designer, network technician, database corporate information system. Companies use this administrator). particular model/ solution because they hold the conservative notion that E-Commerce should be a separate division from other parts of business The personnel maintaining the system are fully operations. The problem with this kind of E- responsible for updating the website's content and Commerce system is the lack of scalability and the maintenance/ improvement of the system. connectivity to information systems used in other Non-technical personnel are not involved in the business operations. Problems will arise when: (1) evolution of the E-Commerce system. The system the time comes for the system to accommodate uses a stand-alone file database (e.g. Access), more web traffic; (2) there is need to improve which is not directly accessible across the entire customer relationship management by linking the enterprise. It may come as a surprise that some E-Commerce transaction processing system to large enterprises, whose E-Commerce systems are other systems (i.e. procurement system, customer separate from their other systems, are running support) or to the physical logistics (transport and them on a rudimentary database such as MS warehousing systems); or (3) when the consumer Access. However, we have encountered some E- expects other processes (e.g. order fulfillment) to commerce websites that throw out errors saying be almost as fast as the electronic transaction 'OBDC connection not found for MS Access process (hence the need to connect the online database'. This clearly indicates that some E- transaction processing system to other enterprise Commerce outfit still uses MS Access as their systems). database.
Marketing/ Online Shopping Order Payment Customer Advertising Catalog Cart Capture System Relations
Stand-alone database (Ms Access) E-Mail to person in System developed, administered, and maintained in-house by a few technical people, chrage web server/database not connected to other corporate information systems
Figure 3. Model '3' - Stand-Alone –E-Commerce Systems Fully Developed In-House
interoperability, and rapid integration with a larger or more extensive E-Business information system. 2.2.4 Model '4' - E-Commerce Systems This type of architecture can be scaled down for Built for Scalability and E-Business small or medium-scale businesses that needs some Connectivity basic system integration, or scaled up for larger enterprises for a more elaborate integration effort
with several enterprise-level information systems. The architecture for this E-Commerce system is built on the principles of scalability,
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Marketing/ Online Shopping Order Payment Customer Advertising Catalog Cart Capture System Relations
Relational Database Management System (RDMS) and XML Parsers/Wrappers
Marketing Information Sales Logistics/ Accounting / Customer Research, Management Pricing and Delivery Finance Care Advertising Content/ Inventory Ware- Accounting, Customer Business Knowledge Management Housings and and Relations Intelligence Management System, Order Billing Management System, Data System Sales Support Fulfillment Systems (CRM) Mining System System Systems
Supply Chain System/E-Procurement System, ERP System Intranets/Extranets
E-Business Information System (integrated corporate information system that uses web technologies)
Figure 4. Model '4' - E-Commerce System for Scalability and E-Business Connectivity
Unlike Model '3', this system enables non- Figure 4 illustrates how the transaction process technical personnel to update and manage web components of this system can be connected to content without the help of technical people. In other E-Business systems either through an this architecture, web content management enterprise-level relational database such as Oracle functions are intentionally separated from the using special database drivers or standard ODBC design interface and application logic. In this connections (Merant website, 2002) or through respect, scalability concerns should not only be XML parsers/wrappers via the API (Application limited to the ability of a system to Programming Interface) of the Middleware that is accommodate web traffic, because scalability can uses. (See next section for a detailed discussion of also be seen as the ability of the system to support the business process). rapid content expansion and richness. In addition, the system is intended to improve content structure Figure 5 illustrates such a multi-tiered E-Business and real-time content update. Content updates are architecture with a three-tier E-Commerce not necessarily limited to content needed by architecture acting as the core system for linking consumers, but content updates can include real- online customers to the rest of the enterprise. With time reporting of daily sales or inventory levels three-tier architecture, the E-Commerce system needed by managers. As products are bought from can be connected to other systems (i.e. ERP), the online store, events in this transaction can be because the relational database is an independent immediately reflected in an online sales report or a tier and runs with other non-E-commerce systems stock inventory update. as well.
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Figure 5. Resulting to Multi-Tiered System - Three-Tier E-Commerce Architecture with Interconnectivity to other Corporate Information Systems
With this type of architecture, the E-Commerce of product to buy base on customer requirements). system can be integrated or interfaced with other The catalog, shopping cart, and order capture types of information systems. A database-driven system can be linked to Inventory Management E-commerce system could be interfaced with a systems so that whatever is bought online is larger system such as an ERP or a department- immediately reflected in the stock inventory specific information system via the relational levels. The E-Commerce system can also be linked database or other application interfaces (i.e. XML). to a sales support system, so that whatever is This includes systems such as business bought online is properly documented with the intelligence, data mining, content/knowledge sales team in case the customer needs to phone management, inventory management; order sales support for questions on the order or fulfillment, accounting/billing, customer problems with the order. Once orders are captured relationship management, and in a relational database, warehousing systems, warehousing/logistics systems. The marketing or logistics and order fulfillment system can process advertising component of the E-Commerce system the transactional data for delivery to customers. can be linked to a Business Intelligence system The payment process of the E-Commerce system that helps direct or redirect advertising content to can be connected to the Accounting or Billing specific customer profiles collected from the system, so that orders are processed faster and at transactional data (i.e. previous orders and favorite the same time properly recorded in the system. items bought). Data Mining systems can also help Lastly, the E-Commerce system can be connected search valuable information to support form to a separate customer relationship management personalized advertising or one-to-one marketing. system (CRM). The online catalog can be linked to a content or knowledge management system that will help In such a system, information content displayed on customers in their decision making process (i.e. the web pages is not contained or encoded in product specification comparisons; the right type HTML web-pages, but in data variables queried
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 10 from a relational database and automatically students how web content could be scaled translated into HTML format by a web application automatically by adding more content in the server. Moreover, data captured by the E- database and having the middleware translate Commerce system (i.e. order data and customer database information to web content. data) become immediately accessible and transparent across other E-Business systems in We also envisioned a system that was modular in real-time via an enterprise-level relational database terms of its ability to be ubiquitously connected to (sometimes with the help of XML to preserve other systems even outside a LAN environment of complex data structures, such as data arrays). In the university, so students could work at home as brief, the E-Commerce system is created with E- long as they had Internet connection. Lastly, this Business systems connectivity in mind, and the E-Commerce application should be suitable for enterprise-wide relational database plays a pivotal small enterprises, but also easy to be scaled-up for role in how it inter-connects to other information use with larger corporations. Below is a systems. description of the process that we undertook when developing the E-Commerce system for teaching. Such a system is better implemented using a three- tier architecture where the database runs on a 3.1 Step 1: Choosing the Appropriate separate platform (a database server) - a 'tier' Technology independent from the web application server. With such a setup, the database server could be located in any geographic location and is Internet- When we initiated plans to build the E-Commerce accessible via TCP/IP and HTTP protocols/ system, we had a variety of top-level E-Business connections and services. The web server can fetch software in our inventory - SAP/R3, JD Edwards' data from remote database servers using the One World ERP software, Oracle JDeveloper, middleware's ability to pass data between the web Oracle Data Warehouse, SAS Enterprise Miner, client and the database. Oracle 8i, and IBM WebSphere to name a few. There were some discussions on acquiring Oracle's
E-Commerce suite or using IBM's WebSphere, The E-Commerce system is fully developed in- since we were historically committed to using house and can be maintained by both technical and Oracle and IBM products. non-technical personnel. Technical personnel are in charge of systems maintenance or upgrades, while non-technical personnel (i.e. marketing/sales Therefore, the initial dilemma was the choice of people) take care of content management (i.e. technology. Looking closely at the software online catalog, other information needed by available, we knew that most options for SMEs consumers). What a non-technical person needs to were expensive solutions and affordable only by know, for him/her to update web content, is the larger corporations. We had to consider that some simple ability to 'key-in' data in a web form (like students would like to set websites for small filling up online surveys). businesses, and that some MBA students mentioned that they want to set up their own small
businesses online and was excited to learn about 3. Towards a Scalable Architecture designing their website. E-Commerce System In the discussion below, our decision to acquire When setting up our E-Commerce system, we Allaire's Cold Fusion (the middleware chose to develop a system tailored according to the application), the enterprise-level relational Model '4' architecture for MIS students and Model database system 'Oracle 8i' and macromedia’s ‘3’ for MBA students (as elaborated in Section front end design suite (Dreamweaver, Fireworks, 2.2). MIS students already had a background of and Flash) will be outlined. Allaire's Cold Fusion how Oracle database systems work and could and Macromedia's suite contained cheaper therefore do Model 4, but MBA students could solutions compared to Oracle or IBM web only deal with a stand alone database such as MS development products. (Allaire in 2002 had a large Access. At any rate, both systems showed business merger with Macromedia and Cold
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Fusion products are now packaged with with OBDC connectivity. We confirmed Macromedia products). that CF native database drivers were faster as they did not pass through the 3.1.1 Choosing the Middleware Package extra OBDC layer when the CF (Cold Fusion) application server communicated with the database. When choosing the middleware package, we (3) CF can parse XML codes using CF tags; assessed the middleware to be the most critical therefore, CF can work with E-Business component for providing real-time functionality systems that employ XML or with mobile and interactivity to the E-Commerce application, commerce systems that use WAP because middleware creates the application logic (wireless application protocol), which is that addresses the automation of business based on WML (wireless mark-up processes and tasks. When we compared Cold language). WML is a derivative of XML. Fusion to Oracle's E-Commerce suite, there was Cold Fusion also addresses the need of hesitation to use the newly released Oracle suite B2B applications for data translation for two reasons. Firstly, the Oracle suite was new using XML due to its inherent XML to the market, and secondly we did not want to support. Only one CF tag,
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(with data-handling capabilities) almost A very short comparison table between CF and instantaneously, saving a lot of coding ASP (Table 1) summarizes why we chose Cold time. Homesite Plus also allows the Fusion at that time. As of 2002-03, ASP has creation of custom tags and code snippets, improved its functionality and ASP is an excellent making coding very modular and re- language for web development. However, it usable. Custom tags and code snippets are remains a fact that ASP is native to the similar to database 'stored procedures'. Windows/Microsoft operating environment, while These are modular codes/scripts that can Cold Fusion has always been multi-platform be used over and over again, and ASP running on Unix and Linux in addition to does not have such feature. Windows. As can be seen in Table 1, our primary concern was scalability, interoperability, and rapid deployment rather than cost. Features Cold Fusion (CF) Active Server Pages (ASP) Multi-Platform (Interoperability) Windows, HP Unix, Solaris, Windows only Linux Native RDBMS Drivers (i.e. Yes No Oracle drivers) Simplified One Tag XML Parser Yes No Clustering and Software Load Yes No Balancing Security Sandboxes Yes No CORBA / COM / Native support for all three Only COM is native to ASP JAVA Support Rapid Deployment Drag and Drop coding, custom No tags, automated scripting with SQL Builder, Template Wizards Table 1. Comparing Cold Fusion and ASP for Scalability, Interoperability and Rapid Deployment
3.1.2 Choosing the Relational Database 3.1.3 Choosing the Front-End System: System Macromedia
For MIS students who were trained in enterprise- Finally, we needed to decide on the tools to be level relational database, it was necessary to use an used for front-end design. Considering that enterprise-level relational database, such as Oracle, Macromedia was the perceived leader in the front- to achieve the level of scalability and robustness if end design market, we choose to use Macromedia these students needed to work with larger Fortune Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks. (Macromedia 500 companies that use Oracle. For this reason, claims that more than 90% of web browsers have a MIS students needed to dovetail and link their Flash plug-in that runs Macromedia animations.) knowledge of Oracle with that of an E-commerce We used Macromedia Flash and Fireworks more system. With Cold Fusion, we knew that we could than Dreamweaver, because Cold Fusion Studio easily downscale the database by using Microsoft (now renamed as Macromedia Homesite Plus) Access (as a cheaper and easier setup) for MBA could generate HTML coding and formatting as students who did not have previous knowledge of well as other web languages like Cold Fusion, complex relational database programming, such as ASP, JSP and Java. Unlike Cold Fusion, Oracle. Both Oracle and MS Access connected Macromedia Dreamweaver was more well with Cold Fusion, as a middleware for WYSIWYG-oriented and the objective was to delivering database-driven e-commerce system. expose students to some coding and programming, so we choose Homesite Plus as the coding software. In our experience, Macromedia Flash was the best tool for two-dimensional (2D) web
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 13 animation. Flash not only could create motion 3.2 Step 2: Creating the Application graphics, but it also provided sound effects and Development Environment real-time interactivity to web presentations with its multimedia capability and scripting language Setting up the Cold Fusion web application server (Flash Actionscripts). However, if we embed with an Oracle 8i database server as a separate tier graphic files (*.bmp, *.jpg) in addition to the was a trial-and-error configuration process due to drawings that Flash generates with its native the lack of public documents available to show vector-based graphic tools, downloading a web how these two could work together. With Cold page with Flash animation can take longer. Several Fusion and Oracle 8i working together, we tested surfers consider animations only as a browsing three scenarios (see Figure 6). We were successful obstacle. On the other hand, the fast growth of on all three scenarios. broadband Internet connection (DSL, Cable, Optical Cable) is to address the issue of downloading multimedia-based or graphic- intensive web-pages.
CF Server CF Server CF Server Distribution Web/ Application Service (handle net trafifc)
Clustering web farm (using load balancing)
Oracle Server CF Server CF Server CF Server CF Server
Oracle Oracle Oracle Oracle Oracle Oracle Server Server Server Server Server Server Access different data sets from Combination geographically dispersed databases
Figure 6. Set Up for Web Application and Database Scalability Using Oracle and Cold Fusion
(1) Application Scalability - the first (2) Database Scalability - the second scenario was for two or more Cold scenario was for one Cold Fusion Fusion application servers to access server to access two or more Oracle one Oracle database server. The database servers. The purpose was to purpose of this testing was to see if the test the Cold Fusion application server's architecture is scalable at the web ability to pass data to several remote server level, where more than one web databases. server can share the load burden of web (3) Multi-tier Scalability - the third test traffic but keep one central database. was to see two or more Cold Fusion servers accessing two or more Oracle
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database servers. The purpose of this environment that allowed students to work at was to see scalability at both the web home with client software while the teaching server and database server levels. faculty maintains the web and database server within the university premises (see Figure 7). After testing the applications for scalability, the next step was to design a web development
Middleware Parsing Codes Client Software (University E-commerce Server) Embedded in Tags (Home Installed)
FLASH Web WEB/HTTP SERVER
Animation Page (Microsoft IIS)
(Nested in html COLD FUSION Process HTML tags HTML APPLICATION Tags SERVER Cold Fusion Tags
Processes Web pages with SQL scripts are HOMESITE + with passed on to Generates Cold Fusion Enabled CF tags database Web pages (*.cfm) Cold Fusion Tags
Database DATABASE (University ORACLE or Server) MS ACCESS (interprets SQL scripts)
Figure 7. The Web Development Environment
The E-Commerce Server (mainly using the Cold Fusion tags and Structured Query Language middleware application), as illustrated in Figure 7, (SQL) which the database understands. The Cold is set up within the University premises and it is Fusion server translates and passes all SQL scripts shared and accessed by more than 20 graduate to the database, thereby allowing data to be culled students (MIS and MBA students) in a given from or inputted into the database via a Web semester. The students can access the server browser. For MIS students, Oracle 8i was installed remotely by using a client development application in a separate database server that connected to the such as Macromedia Homesite Plus, which is Cold Fusion server in order to illustrate a more packaged with Dreamweaver MX. The students robust true three-tiered architecture. For MBA also use Macromedia Flash to create animated students, the MS Access software was installed on front-end design for their e-commerce storefront. the same server as the Cold Fusion Server for ease of operation and use. Microsoft’s HTTP server, IIS, is installed with the Cold Fusion Application Server (the middleware) This was a good way to show students that they running on top of the HTTP server. The HTTP could develop and design a complete web server is responsible for translating HTML tags application without having to run and maintain a and all HTTP requests from the Web, while the web and database server themselves. However a Cold Fusion server is responsible for translating
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 15 handful of savvy students were permitted to run database via a spreadsheet-like format with MS their own Cold Fusion server. Access. The challenge was to integrate business processes and to link those to Web functionality. Table 3 shows how we linked business processes The E-Commerce application sitting on the web to the features of the website, and which tools we server was developed remotely using Homesite used. Plus’ remote development service (RDS). On a cable modem, RDS was fast enough that students did not notice that writing codes at home were The online catalog displays product name, price, directly saved to a remote server. product description, and the number of stocks available (product 'in stock'). Figure 8 depicts the 3.3 Step 3: Designing Database and Oracle database showing the same variables, Interface for the E-Commerce except for the number of stocks available. Due to relational database normalization the 'stocks System available' data is in another database table.
The next challenge was to determine the Cold Fusion displays all these data together in the requirements at the database level. What tables and catalog by using the SQL language. Figure 9 columns were to be created? What kind of data represents a 'database-driven HTML template' as should be provided and accessible to the clients (e- the content is not written in HTML, but is culled consumers)? from an Oracle database (Figure 8). Only the presentation format (i.e. font, colors) is HTML. What data were to be collected from the clients (e- Changing or manipulating the data variables in the consumers)? Table 2 illustrates the basic data to be Oracle database table will automatically change provided and collected on a real-time basis. MIS the content of the web interface. students created the Oracle database with Oracle’s SQL script editor, while MBA students created the
Data Data Data Data Content to be Provided Content to be Collected (Samples)
Product Categories Product Categories (i.e. cars, Client Name, Address, E-Mail, (Catalog) computers) Information Phone (upon ordering)
Products Product Name, Product Payment Credit Card Number, (Catalog) Description (short & long), Information Billing Address Price, Images (small & large) (upon ordering)
Product Inventory Stock Available (quantity), Order Products Ordered, (Catalog) Back Orders, Date of Delivery Information Quantity, Order Date (upon ordering)
Order Invoice Order No., Item No., Items Customer Complaints and (after Ordering) Ordered, Total Services Comments, Item and (after ordering) Order Tracking
Table 2. Database for E-Commerce Application
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Business Process Website Functionality Software Usage (Business Logic/Objectives) (Application Logic) (Implementation Tools) Marketing Process - Storefront presentation - Cold Fusion Studio (cascading (attract customers to surf site) - Layout of catalogue style sheets, HTML formatting) (Enticing and professional front- - Flash 5 and Fireworks (2D end design) Animation, Interactive Graphics, Dynamic Buttons) Decision Support Process - Navigability of online - Cold Fusion and SQL for (help customers choose products) catalogue linking web templates and data - Information and content variables across templates - Drill down search engine for - SQL scripts to search database product search - Flash5 for easy navigation - Real-time inventory to show menu product availability Buying/Shopping Process - Passing data variables from - Cold Fusion to manage and (ease the shopping experience) online catalogue to shopping keep track of multiple client cart sessions - Track client's shopping - Cold Fusion to hold temporary activities session variables in server's RAM before committing it to database Order Capture Process - Transferring temporary - Cold Fusion and SQL to (receive/record orders) variables from the shopping automate data input for cart into physical database shopping cart and into Oracle - Committing the final order database - Cold Fusion automatically generating order invoice and sales reports Payment Process - Credit Card verification Cold Fusion allowing (credit card verification, knowing - Capture credit card number connectivity to: customer's identity and address) - Customer Information (name, - Credit card verification billing address, phone, e-mail) - Financial payment gateways - E.g. Redi-check, Cybercash Customer Service Process - Item and order tracking - Cold Fusion passing data to (give customer satisfaction) - Automatic e-mail feedback SMTP server to send automatic - Customer feedback and e-mail and include data complain Form variables in e-mail message - Cold Fusion linking item and order number to other information Table 3. Integrating and Automating Business Processes through Web Functionality and Tools
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Figure 8. Oracle Database Table as Reflected in the HTML Web Template of Figure 9.
Figure 9. Online Catalog Using Cold Fusion to Retrieve Content from Oracle Database
or more templates. These business processes are 3.4 Step 4: Linking Business only integrated and automated electronically due Processes to Web Functionality and to the ability of the E-commerce application to Software Tools seamlessly pass and preserve data from one electronic process to another. We experienced a technical challenge to integrate and automate business processes for E-Commerce. Due to the length of describing the links between Each business process has its own logic, and the business process, web functionality, and software scripts to execute such logic are embodied in one tools, we deemed it better to compress the
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 18 description of the business process flow presented With Cold Fusion, an online form was created as in Table 3, where we show how business process part of the system. This is to enable customers to integration and automation is enabled by web get support services and solutions by entering an application technology (such as Cold Fusion). Item Number (a unique identifier for each item Business process integration is enabled with Cold sold). When customers enter such number, the web Fusion technology, because Cold Fusion enables application traces the order invoice and customer data variables to be passed/accepted/processed information so that company personnel handling from one web-page template to another. Creating customer relations can see the complete an application that could hold and keep track of transaction information. Although these temporary variables that are not committed to the illustrations only represent a small portion of the database during a client session (e.g. data system's functionality, they show how Cold Fusion temporarily stored in a shopping cart culled from can effectively automate business process – from an online catalog when a client is in the process of ordering, payment, credit card verification, to buying/shopping) is where the strength of the Cold customer relations. Fusion application server lies. Application servers can keep track of unique variables/data associated with a unique client session, a particular client, and 4 Conclusion and Outlook the client's ongoing shopping activities. Cold Fusion uses only one HTML-like tag to perform There are several benefits from adopting a scalable such function -
c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 19 had succeeded in working and deploying a systems W. pp.225-244. John Wiley & Sons, New architecture that allowed them to discover how York. database-driven web technologies can be used strategically and that the same technology could be Greenwald, R. & Milbery J. (1999) Oracle applied for automating other business applications, WebDB Bible. IDG Books Worldwide Inc, other than e-commerce, in their line of work. New York.
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