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Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
A SYSTEM FOR TEACHING MIS AND MBA STUDENTS
TO DEPLOY A SCALABLE DATABASE-DRIVEN WEB ARCHITECTURE FOR B2C
E-COMMERCE
Alexander Y. Yap, Ph.D.
Elon University, North Carolina
Claudia Loebbecke, Ph.D.
University of Cologne, Germany
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Background IS Environment: Five Years Teaching in two Business School
Environments (MIS & MBA students)
A variety of B2C E-commerce systems solutions are available for different business needs …
But deciding on a particular systems solution can be a challenging process
Putting things in perspective for students • Choosing the appropriate IS strategy for Business Objectives• Looking at Business Processes behind E-commerce systems• Assessing how different solutions and systems address short
term vs. long term strategies
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Objective Show students different solution paths We came up with four generic solutions models Show different architecture scalability Demonstrate the role of database in e-commerce Show how a web application server (middleware) shuttles
data between the database and browser Discuss the importance of web interface and its usability
(front-end design) Develop and Deploy an E-commerce application (one
project for each student)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Business Process Optimization, Outsourcing, & Content Development
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Stand Alone Model (Two-tier Architecture)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
E-Commerce Integrated with E-Business Systems(Model 4 – Three-tier & Multi-tier Architecture)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Web Architectures
ClientComputer
(Web Browser)
Web Server+
Stand AloneDatabase (Access)
ClientComputer
(Web Browser)
Web Server
DatabaseServer
(Oracle, SQL Server)
ClientComputer
(Web Browser)
Web Server
Database Server
Email Server
File Server
Video Server
Two-tier Architecture Three-tier Architecture Multi-tier Architecture
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
E-Commerce: A Two Component Course (Teaching the Business & Technology Components)
Students taking MIS (Graduate Level) – needed 2 semesters to cover the business component (1) and the technology component (1)
• Three-tier architecture• Oracle and SQL programming• Customize the Application with a lot of hand coding • Setting up the Application Server & Web/HTTP Server
MBA students learning E-commerce were limited to a one semester. Business component (half a semester) and technology component (half a semester)
• Two-tier architecture• MS Access• Use Rapid Application Development Methods for Coding
(Wizards, Drag and Drop coding, reuse of existing components – shopping cart)
• No Server set up required
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Student Feedback MBA students with no database background were more
suited to learning Model 3 (just to see how technology manages the electronic process)
MIS students preferred Model 4, because they know that high-end relational database management systems (like Oracle) work with other enterprise applications
MBA students were able to see how different systems could be integrated with e-commerce systems, enabling them to make technology acquisition decisions (Model 4)
MIS students were able to set-up customized e-commerce applications with their own coding logic, their choice of database, and operating system (Linux)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
ApplicationDevelopment Environment
FLASH
Animation(Nested in html codes)
HOMESITEGenerates Cold Fusion EnabledWeb pages (*.cfm)
COLD FUSIONAPPLICATIONSERVERProcesses Web pages withCF tags
WebPage
HTMLTags
+
ColdFusionTags
WEB/HTTP SERVER(Microsoft IIS)
Process HTML tags
Cold Fusion Tags with SQL scripts are passed on to database
DATABASE
ORACLE or MS ACCESS(interprets SQL scripts)
Client Software(Home Installed)
Middleware(University E-commerce Server)
Database(University Server)
Parsing CodesEmbedded in Tags
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
TECHNOLOGIES USED
SOFTWARE TOOLS
• Macromedia Homesite+ & Dreamweaver (editors for coding)
• Cold Fusion Server (Application Server - middleware)
• MS Access Database or Oracle (relational database; back-end)
• Macromedia Flash MX (animation)
• Others (Fireworks, Photoshop, Graphic editors)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Application FeaturesWhen we decided to use CF (2000-2001)Features Cold Fusion (CF) Active Server Pages (ASP)
Multi-Platform (Interoperability)
Windows, HP Unix, Solaris, Linux
Windows only
Native RDBMS Drivers (i.e. Oracle drivers)
Yes No
Simplified One Tag XML Parser
Yes No
Clustering and Software Load Balancing
Yes No
Security Sandboxes Yes No
CORBA / COM /JAVA Support
Native support for all three
Only COM is native to ASP
Rapid Deployment (Rapid Application Development)
Drag and Drop coding, custom tags, automated scripting with SQL Builder, Template Wizards
No
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
RDBMS/Database Connectivity
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Cold Fusion Studio(now Macromedia Homesite +) – RAD Features
You can link the tables: ‘click and drag’ the primary key to the foreign key
Then, double click on the fields and they will appear automatically
SQL Script appears automatically
You can sort the order
by a chosen field (e.g. date)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
RAD Tools:Drag and Drop Query Codes(Cold Fusion Studio -> Homesite Plus)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
RAP - Using Wizards to createForm and Action Templates
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Select Table and Fieldsthat you want to include in form
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Form & Action Template Created(product_entryform.cfm, product_entryaction.cfm)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Form TemplateDesign & Code
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Action Template(CFINSERT)
Validation/Confirmation that data has been inputted into the database
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
First Step: Create Database
Datato be Provided
DataContent
Datato be Collected
Data Content (Samples)
Product Categories (Catalog)
Product Categories (i.e. cars, computers)
Client Information(upon ordering)
Name, Address, E-Mail, Phone
Products(Catalog)
Product Name, Product Description (short & long), Price, Images (small & large)
Payment Information(upon ordering)
Credit Card Number, Billing Address
Product Inventory (Catalog)
Stock Available (quantity), Back Orders, Date of Delivery
Order Information(upon ordering)
Products Ordered, Quantity, Order Date
Order Invoice(after Ordering)
Order No., Item No., Items Ordered, Total
Customer Services(after ordering)
Complaints and Comments, Item and Order Tracking
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Second Step: Show students how their data is connected to the Server “Creating the ‘data source’ using student’s name”
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Data source
MSAccess – set up the path of the database file in the server
Oracle – create a schema name for each student (using Oracle’s userid and password)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Third Step:Creating the E-commerce Application:Separating Content and Web Design
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
TheShopping Cart
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Handling Session Variables(Passing Data from Catalog to Shopping Cart to Database)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Passing Data Variables(Using different web templates)
OnlineProductCatalog
ShoppingCart
CaptureOrder Info
In Database
ProductTableInfo
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Form Variables Inserted into the Customer Table
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Fourth Step:Flash Animation
SPLASH PAGE
Create layers
Separate animated objects for each layer
Different animation effects
Timeline of the animated objects
NAVIGATION BUTTONS (optional)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Embedding Sound
Drag the sound clip to the object If you successfully dragged the sound, it will
appear on the frame
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Conclusion
Students taking MIS at the Graduate level, with background in SQL and Oracle, handled the three-tier architecture system very well.
They all wanted to learn full scalability of the architecture (Model 4). MIS students mostly combined hand-coding and RAD functions MBA students learning E-commerce for the first time could handle the
two-tier architecture without a problem. But they need to use RAD methods with minimal coding (drag & drop,
wizards, application server handled by someone else) MBA students felt they could make technology-related decisions better
knowing the capabilities of web technologies to improve business process.
Multi-tier architecture was only feasible if taught across several courses (logistics limitations; cannot be compressed into 1 or 2 semesters)
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
CFGraph Create query You can use
SUM to add Use an alias –
e.g “as totalsum” for the sum of a variable
Define the graph as shown
Sum (Quantity x Price)
Pie ChartOf Quantity Sold
Horizontal barChart ofSales Amount
Yap, Elon University, N. Carolina
Dynamic Charts based on the Database (Sales Table)