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.) 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In the spirit of academic freedom, permission is granted to make and distribute unlimited copies of this issue in its PDF or printed form, so long as the entire document is presented, and it is not modified in any substantial way. 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 c 2005 EDSIG http://isedj.org/3/7/ August 2, 2005 ISEDJ 3 (7) Yap and Loebbecke 4 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