1. E-Business Tenth Edition
Chapter 2 E-Business Technology Basics 1 1

2. The Internet and the World Wide Web
Computer network
Technology allowing people to connect computers
Internet
Interconnected global computer networks (large)
Basic technology structure
Computer networks and the Internet
Underlies e-commerce
World Wide Web (Web)
Subset of Internet computers
Contents easily accessible
Includes easy-to-use interfaces
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3. Packet-Switched Networks
Local area network (LAN)
Network of computers located close together
Wide area networks (WANs)
Networks of computers connected over greater distances
Circuit
Combination of telephone lines and closed switches that connect them to each other
Circuit switching
Centrally controlled, single-connection model
Single electrical path between caller and receiver
E-Business, tenth Edition

4. Packet-Switched Networks (cont’d.)
Circuit switching (cont’d.)
Works well for telephone calls
Does not work as well for:
Sending data across large WAN, interconnected network (Internet)
Circuit-switched network problem
Connected circuit failure
Causes interrupted connection, data loss
Solution
Packet switching: move data between two points
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5. Packet-Switched Networks (cont’d.)
Small pieces labeled electronically (origin, sequence, destination address)
Travel along interconnected networks
Can take different paths
May arrive out of order
Destination computer
Collects packets
Reassembles original file or message
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6. Intranets & Extranets
Intranet: Inter connected networks inside an organization
VPN is used to form intranet over the public networks using a technology called IP tunneling
IP tunneling creates a private passageway. It transfers the packets encrypted
Extranet: Networks between the organizations i.e. business partners, customers, suppliers.
A cheaper option than fax, express document carriers
VPN is used to secure the networks
Web is used as part of the extranet and intranet
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7. TCP/IP Internet protocols Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
-establishes a connection between the computers
-sequences the transfer of packets
-acknowledges the packets sent
Internet Protocol (IP)
-responsible for delivery of the packets
-includes disassembling and reassembling of packets during transmission
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8. IP Addressing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) IP address
Can provide 4 billion different addresses
IP address
32-bit number identifying computers
Byte (8-bit number)
Octet (networking applications)
Binary values: to
Decimal equivalents: 0 to 255
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9. IP Addressing (cont’d.)
Dotted decimal notation
IP numbers (addresses)
Four numbers separated by periods
Four parts range from 0 to 255
IP addresses range: to
Three organizations assign IP addresses: ARIN (Americas), RIPE (Europe), ACNIC (Asia Pacific)
Whois server (by ARIN)
Returns IP address list owned by an organization
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10. Electronic Mail Protocols
Electronic mail ( )
Formatted according to common set of rules
Client/server structure
server
Computer devoted to handling
Stores, forwards messages
client software
Read and send
Communicates with server
Standardization and rules very important: SMTP & POP
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11. Electronic Mail Protocols (cont’d.)
Two common protocols
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
Specifies mail message format
Administers on server
Transmits mail from server to client
Post Office Protocol (POP)
Sends mail to user’s computer from server
Store mail to user’s client software
Asks if new mail arrived
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12. Electronic Mail Protocols (cont’d.)
Example:
Suppose you use Gmail server to send to
You click send on client Gmail
Gmail client delivers to Gmail server using SMTP
Gmail server delivers to Microsoft’s server, mail.microsoft.com, using SMTP
Bill’s client download the from the Microsoft’s server using POP
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13. Web Page Request and Delivery Protocols
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
Internet Web page file delivery rules from Web servers
Web page request using Web browser
Type of protocol name followed by “//:” before domain name
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
Combination: protocol name, domain name
Locate resource (Web page) on another computer (Web server)
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14. Emergence of the World Wide Web (cont’d.)
Graphical interfaces for hypertext
Web browser
Software interface
Users read (browse) HTML documents
Move from one HTML document to another
Text formatted with hypertext link tags in file
HTML document
No specification of text element appearance
Graphical user interface (GUI)
Presents program control functions, output to users
Pictures, icons, other graphical elements
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15. Domain Names Dotted decimal notation difficult to remember
Sets of words assigned to specific IP addresses
Example:
Contains three parts separated by periods
Top-level domain (TLD): rightmost part
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs)
Sponsored top-level domains (sTLD)
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
Responsibility: managing non-sTLD
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17. Markup Languages and the Web
Text markup language
Specifies tag set inserted into text
Markup tags (tags)
Formatting instructions Web client understands
HTML
Web markup language
Most commonly used
Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) subset
Older, more complex text markup language
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18. Markup Languages and the Web (cont’d.)
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
Derived from SGML
Mark up shared information with another company
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Maintains Web standards
Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML)
HTML version 4.0 reformulation as XML application
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20. Hypertext Markup Language
Hypertext elements
Text elements related to each other
HTML
Prevalent markup language to create Web documents
W3C HTML Working Group page
Detailed HTML versions, related topic information
HTML extensions
Features that work in specific Web browsers
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21. Hypertext Markup Language (cont’d.)
HTML tags
Interpreted by Web browser
Format text display
Enclosed in angle brackets (<>)
Opening tag and closing tag
Format text between them
Closing tag
Preceded by slash within angle brackets (</>)
User may customize tag interpretations
Tags: lowercase or uppercase letters
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22. Hypertext Markup Language (cont’d.)
One-sided tags
Require opening tag only
Two-sided tags
Optional closing tag
Closing tag position very important
Opening tag may contain one or more property modifiers
Further refine tag operation
Other frequently used HTML tags
Graphics and tables
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25. Hypertext Markup Language (cont’d.)
HTML links
Hyperlinks form interlinked pages that form a “web”
Linear hyperlink structure
Read Web page in serial fashion
Good for when customer fills out form
Hierarchical hyperlink structure
Introductory page (home page, start page) links to other pages
Leads customers from general to specific topics
Hybrid designs combine linear and hierarchical structures
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28. Extensible Markup Language (XML)
Web design tool
Web pages contain large amounts of data, lists
Includes data-management capabilities
HTML cannot provide
See Figures 2-10 and 2-11
Illustrate HTML shortcomings in presenting lists
XML different from HTML
XML is not a markup language with defined tags
XML tags do not specify text appearance on page
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31. Figures 2-12 and 2-13 Advantages of XML list presentation
More effectively communicate the meaning of data
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33. Extensible Markup Language (XML) (cont’d.)
Strength of XML
Allows users to define their own tags (weakness as well)
XML files not intended to display in browser
Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)
Contains formatting instructions
XML parsers: format XML file for device screen
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35. HTML and XML Editors HTML document creation XML files
General-purpose text editor or word processor
Special-purpose HTML editors
Freeware, shareware, commercial
Web site design tools
Create and manage complete Web sites
Upload entire site from PC to Web server
Example: Adobe Dreamweaver
XML files
Created with text editor or programs
E-Business, tenth Edition