1. The University of Akron College of Applied Science & Technology Dept of Business & Information Technology
2440: 141 Web Site Administration
Web Server Basics and Administration
Instructor: Joseph Nattey

2. Server Administration
The Server Administrator's role is to design, install, administer, and optimize company servers and related components to achieve high performance of the various business functions supported by the servers as necessary.
This includes ensuring the availability of client/server applications, configuring all new implementations, and developing processes and procedures for ongoing management of the server environment.
Where applicable, the Server Administrator will assist in overseeing the physical security, integrity, and safety of the data center/server farm.
Web Server Basics and Administration

3. Server Administration
Common tasks of server administrators include:
Implement the policies for the use of the computer system and network
Setup security policies for users.
A sysadmin must have a strong grasp of computer security (e.g. firewalls and intrusion detection systems)
User administration (setup and maintaining account)
Maintaining system
Monitor system performance
Create a backup and recover policy
Monitor network communication
Web Server Basics and Administration

4. Server Administration
Common tasks of server administrators include:
Update system when new version of OS and application software comes out
Implement the policies for the use of the computer system and network
Documentation in form of internal wiki
Password and identity management
Provide access to software and services
Make sure that the user environment is reliable and consistent
Protection of system and database
Minimize harm that users can do to network
Access control
Web Server Basics and Administration

5. Server Administration…
Working with Users:
Users are central to server administration because:
Users need to be productive
Reliable environment and equipments
Users like consistency
A LAN can serve hundreds or even thousands of users
Make sure they can access the resources they need.
Web Server Basics and Administration

6. Server Administration…
Establishing Access Control:
Users need just enough access to do their jobs, but not more
Typically, users are organized into groups such as students or faculty
The groups are given access to network resources
Users can be given different access to the same resources
A document can be read by everyone but modified by only specific people
Web Server Basics and Administration

7. Server Administration…
Understanding the Server Environment:
With Windows computers, servers and users’ computers can be organized into domains in order to centralize control
users log on to a domain, which can be completely separate from or related to other domains
Administrators must understand and often maintain the other devices that surround the server.
for example, switches, or hubs connect computers to the network.
Web Server Basics and Administration

8. Web Server Administration
Web server administrators focus on the Internet
need to work with ISPs and Web page developers
Typically, a Web server provides information to anyone who requests it over the Internet
Web servers can contain other applications such as FTP,
, DNS, etc
Technical skills are needed to administer a Web server in order to:
Control access to Web pages
Create virtual Web sites on a single server
Make sure programming environment and other services are running correctly
Web Server Basics and Administration

9. Web Server Administration…
Depending on the size of the organization, some tasks of Web server administrators may be delegated
Systems maintenance
administration
Security implementation
Web page development
Database design
Programming
Web Server Basics and Administration

10. Web Server Administration…
Understanding the Web Environment:
Web server administrators work with Web developers and other network administrators
Web Servers administrators control Internet users’ access to Web servers
Web Server Basics and Administration

11. Web Server Administration…
Web systems administrators are really network administrators who have chosen to specialize in web server administration.
Their primary responsibilities include setting up, monitoring, upgrading and troubleshooting the web servers and maintaining the external connections to the Internet.
Since web applications are often accessed by company employees and frequently involve connections to databases,
web systems administrators will interface often with database administrators (DBAs) and the network administrators that maintain the company's network infrastructure.
Web Server Basics and Administration

12. Web Server Administration…
Therefore, in addition to training in supporting web servers, web systems administrators often
have training in database development and design and network operating systems (NOSs).
Commonly used web servers are Apache, which is available on a variety of computer platforms and Microsoft's Internet Information Server(IIS) 
Web Server Basics and Administration

13. Web Server Administration…
Responsibilities –
Although tasks can overlap with other areas of web development in small organizations, pure web administration positions would cover the following:
Administration, installation and maintenance of web servers
Selection of appropriate web server platform and operating system –
Which web server should the company use – Apache or IIS?
Should it be hosted on a UNIX, Linux or Windows box?
When should the company upgrade to a new version of the web server software?
The web administrator has to make these calls.
Advise on the selection of web development tools –
Gives assistance to the web publishing group during the selection of web development tools (Dreamweaver, FrontPage/Expressions, etc.).
Web Server Basics and Administration

14. Web Server Administration… (ksa)
Ensure routine back-ups of the web servers occur.
Prepare and implement disaster recovery plans –
Fire, flooding, theft, security breaches and equipment failures can all lead to loss of data and systems capabilities.
Customers normally expect a web site to be operating and available 24/7.
Having a plan to smoothly and efficiently recover from failures is essential.
Generate web site statistics reports –
Upper management, web publishing, sales, marketing, accounting and fulfillment will all be interested in how users are using your web site.
This information is invaluable when deciding how to update your site and which areas are the most popular.
Web Server Basics and Administration

15. Web Server Administration…
Ensure security is adequate on the web servers –
There will always be nefarious or inquisitive individuals attempting to breach your site.
Installation and maintenance of a firewall, anti-virus software, traffic logs and security patches (for the web server and system software) are your best lines of defense.
Evaluate new hardware and software for possible adoption at your company. (cnf)
Maintain connection to the Internet –
this includes negotiation with third party ISPs and telecommunication companies to provide needed bandwidth and connectivity.
Maintenance of user accounts –
Content on a web site or intranet is not necessarily available to everyone.
Individual user accounts must be created to give appropriate personnel access to the information they need.
Web Server Basics and Administration

16. Web Server Administration…
Selecting Programs:
Web server administrators need to know how to install programs and services
Programs – solve specific problems
Service (daemon) – programs that run in the background
Web service – one or more programming modules that reside on a Web server and can be accessed from client computers
Web Server Basics and Administration

17. Web Server Administration…
Selecting Server-Side Programs:
Web developers use a variety of server-side programming languages
Perl – one of the 1st languages for dynamic Web pages
Active Server Pages (ASP) – interprets programs written using VBScript or JavaScript
ASP.Net – compiles programs written using Visual Basic.NET, C#.NET (similar to C++), J#.NET (similar to Java)
Java Server Pages (JSP) – compiles programs written using Java into Java servlets
PHP Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) – has structure similar to ASP and JSP and syntax similar to Perl and Java
ColdFusion – has syntax similar to ASP and JSP
Web Server Basics and Administration

18. Web Server Administration…
Selecting Databases:
There are quite a variety of database products on the market today, making the selection of a platform for your organization's infrastructure is a daunting project.
The needs analysis process will be specific to your organization but, at a minimum, should answer the following questions:
who will be using the database?
what tasks will they perform?
how often will the data be modified?
who will make these modifications?
Web Server Basics and Administration

19. Web Server Administration…
Selecting Databases:
Who will be providing IT support for the database? (v)
What hardware is available?
is there a budget for purchasing additional hardware?
Who will be responsible for maintaining the data?
Will data access be offered over the Internet?
if so, what level of access should be supported?
Once you've gathered the answers to these questions, you'll be prepared to begin the process of evaluating specific database management systems. 
Web Server Basics and Administration

20. Web Server Administration…
Selecting Databases:
Database – an organized collection of data about related entities
The right database software will turn columns and rows of data into valuable information that can drive your business.
Database management system (DBMS) – A tool or software application used to create and manipulate databases. It utilizes a standard method of cataloging, capturing, and running queries on data
managing incoming data, organizing it, and providing methods for the data to be modified or extracted by users or other programs. 
ex: for large sites – Oracle, MySQL, MS SQL Server, DB2, MS Access, etc
Structured Query Language (SQL) – the language used to create and manipulate databases, considered the foundation of all relational databases.
Web Server Basics and Administration

21. Web Server Administration…
Managing Servers:
servers are open by design to accept from anyone
Spam can be a problem to manage
Specific utilities can be used to help minimize spam
Viruses are commonly sent by
use virus detection software and keep it updated
Retrieving over the Internet often involves sending your user name and password as clear text
Web Server Basics and Administration

22. Web Server Administration…
Working with Other Web Applications:
Firewall
Helps protect your Web server environment from attack
You need to limit access, especially from the Internet to your internal computers
Restrict access to Web servers, servers, and other related servers
FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
A service that allows users to download files from and upload files to a server
DNS (Domain Name Service)
Translates host names such as to an IP address (ksa)
Web Server Basics and Administration

23. Web Server Administration…
Managing the Internet Connection:
The Web administrator needs to maintain a connection to the Internet
The Web administrators responsibility ends at the connection to the Internet
Additional support is handled by the ISP, who may also have to contact a local phone company to confirm that your connection from your building is working.
Web Server Basics and Administration

24. System Installation and Configuration
Web administrators determine the hardware and software requirements of the system environment
Both Server and Web server administrators install and configure software
Web Server Basics and Administration

25. Security Maintenance
Physical and software security must both be considered against:
Internal security breaches (ksa)
External security breaches
Often, operating system flaws can assist the hacker
Inattentive administrators often fail to implement patches when available (ksa)
Web Server Basics and Administration

26. System Monitoring
Systems are monitored to track performance, troubleshoot problems and usage using:
Software tools
Log files
Analyzing the log files of your Web server is very important if you're going to find out how to improve your Web site.
Web administrators will make sure that the Web logs are stored and rotated so that they don't take over all the space on the server.
Web Server Basics and Administration

27. System Maintenance and Backup
Systems must be periodically updated to take care of security loopholes and other possible software malfunctions
Backing up systems is vital for both server and Web server administrators
Systems may have to be reconfigured due to some severe problems
Web Server Basics and Administration

28. Network Building Blocks (gyina)
Systems administrators need to understand parts of a network and how they work together to help:
Create an efficient and balanced network
Prevent system disruptions from hackers
Web server administrators need to look at networks as a:
Logical model – to understand how computers communicate
Physical structure – to understand network parts
Web Server Basics and Administration

29. Network Building Blocks… (gyina)
To understand network communication, the following models are used:
Open Source Interconnection (OSI) model
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) model
Web Server Basics and Administration

30. The OSI Model
A theoretical definition of the parts of network data communication
Developed in the 1970s and implemented in the 1980s
Depicts seven layers that show how the networking protocols should function and separate the complex task of communication into manageable parts
By dividing the tasks, a protocol only deals with a specific task and how it communicates with the layer below and above it.
Web Server Basics and Administration

31. The OSI Model…
Web Server Basics and Administration

32. The OSI Model… Layer Name Description 7 Application
Responsible for low-level application access to the network. Ex. FTP 6
Presentation
Can convert data into a format that is understandable to the Application layer. This layer formats and encrypts data to be sent across a network, providing freedom from compatibility problems. 5
Session
Can open, maintain, and shut down communication between applications. 4
Transport
Responsible for transporting the data from one computer to another. (TCP and UDP) 3
Network
Primarily responsible for addressing between two computers. (IP and Internet Control Message Protocol ICMP) 2
Data Link
Responsible for the interface between the packets coming down through the upper layers and the physical layer. 1
Physical
Responsible for transferring the data to the network medium.
Web Server Basics and Administration

33. The TCP/IP Model
is a real-world model showing how the TCP/IP protocols actually work
Does not correspond exactly with the more common but theoretical OSI model
Depicts network data communication in four layers instead of the seven layers of the OSI model
Web Server Basics and Administration

34. The TCP/IP Model…
Web Server Basics and Administration

35. TCP/IP Protocols
Components of the application layer level of the TCP/IP model include:
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
Web servers implement this protocol
Web servers use HTTP to communicate
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
Used by servers (and sometimes Web servers) to send
Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3)
Used to retrieve
Web Server Basics and Administration

36. TCP/IP Protocols…
Other components of the application layer of the TCP/IP model include:
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Transfers files to and from server
Domain Name Service (DNS)
Translates host names to IP addresses and IP addresses to host names
BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) – the most popular program used to implement DNS
Web Server Basics and Administration

37. TCP/IP Protocols…
Components of the transport layer of the TCP/IP model include:
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
Creates a reliable connection between two computers
User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
Does not establish a connection, just sends messages
No retransmission, hence, faster
Web Server Basics and Administration

38. TCP/IP Protocols…
Components of the network layer of the TCP/IP model include:
Internet Protocol (IP)
Provides addressing scheme
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
Provides error messages
Web Server Basics and Administration

39. Common Network Components
Components of the physical layer of the TCP/IP model include:
Ethernet – the most common network technology which connects multiple devices
Switch – central device that allows PCs to communicate with one another
A data cable connects the network interface card (NIC) of each computer to the switch
Router – forwards data packets across computer networks
Web Server Basics and Administration

40. Simple Network Diagram
Web Server Basics and Administration

41. Connecting to the Internet
Connecting to the Internet requires:
Internet Service Provider (ISP) – company that helps connect to the Internet
Wide Area Network (WAN) connection – used between a building and the ISP
T-Carrier connection is often used
A digital connection for voice and data
Web Server Basics and Administration

42. Connecting to the Internet…
Other types of Internet connections are:
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
Provides higher speeds of data transfer over telephone lines
Signal degradation is a limitation to DSL
Cable Modem
Shared access cable provided by cable TV company
Web Server Basics and Administration

43. Planning on Web Hosting
Some decisions about Web site hosting include: (ksa)
Hosting the Web site
Hosting the Web server
Hardware/software considerations
Sizing the server (performance requirements)
Registering a domain name
Web Server Basics and Administration

44. Hosting a Site Some of the popular options include:
There are many options to consider when deciding how to set up your Web site
Some of the popular options include:
Standard virtual hosting
Co-located server
Dedicated server
Web Server Basics and Administration

45. Standard Virtual Hosting
Allows you to have your own domain but must share a machine with other domains
Ideal for less custom server-side programming Web applications
Must use FTP to update
Pros:
Cheap way to have your own domain
No server to maintain
Cons:
Server shared with many other people
Web Server Basics and Administration

46. Co-Located Server
Having your own server located at the company that does your Web hosting (Internet Service Provider)
You are responsible for configuring the web page
Pros:
Control over entire server
Faster network
Cons:
You still have to purchase and manage the machine
Hardware is offsite
Web Server Basics and Administration

47. Dedicated Server Having your own server Pros: Cons:
Flexibility of having your server
Cons:
You still have to administer the machine
May cost more
Web Server Basics and Administration

48. Hosting a Web Server
Some of the resources needed to host a server include the following:
An ISP to provide a network connection
Hardware/Software consideration
Operating system/A server machine/other network interface
An IP address for the machine to make it accessible on the network
A domain name
A router or other network hardware
Web Server Basics and Administration

49. Sizing a Web Server
The goal of network sizing is to ensure that no bottleneck occurs between the Web server, the network cards, and network and client requests/response.
Running your own server requires looking at performance problems such as:
Too much traffic on network
Is the server running near capacity?
The amount/frequency of a request sent to the server (hits)
The size of that request (client request)
The size of the request (Web server response), total size of average Web page, including all objects
A good ISP should have plenty of network bandwidth
Bandwidth – the capacity or speed of a network expressed in bits per second (bps)
Throughput – amount of data that can move from one place to another in a time period
Web Server Basics and Administration

50. Bandwidth & Network Capacity
A network bandwidth may be slowed if:
Many clients are continuously requesting pages
Large files are being downloaded
To get a feel of how many people are visiting your site, the Web server log files should be checked
Each page requested counts as a “hit” or http operation (httpop)
Each line in the log file represents a hit
Web Server Basics and Administration

51. Server Performance Factors that may slow a server include
The size and type of files being transferred does not necessarily slow a server
The number of transactions over a network connection is more important
Factors that may slow a server include
CGI programs and other applications
Search engines
Server-side programs accessing databases
Web Server Basics and Administration

52. Resolving Server Performance Problems
Some of the things needed to be done when a server is struggling include:
Increasing the server’s RAM
Leads to increases in cache to store frequently accessed data
Upgrading the server configuration
Faster hard drive to support sustained transfer rates
Store data on multiple hard drives
Distributing the load across different servers
Load balancer
Web Server Basics and Administration

53. Web Server Platforms (Operating Systems)
Manages all the functions of a computer
The choice of operating system is important for a Web server because it determines:
What server software to run
The security and reliability of the Web server
How the Web server can be managed
Some of the operating system platforms include:
Microsoft Windows, Apache, Linux
Web Server Basics and Administration

54. Windows By Microsoft Corporation
The Windows platform has utilized several servers such as:
Windows NT Server
Windows 2000 Server
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows sql server
Web Server Basics and Administration

55. UNIX Created by AT&T Bell Laboratories Basic components include:
Some popular brands of the UNIX platform include: Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS), Oracle Solaris, BSD (FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD), IBM AIX, and HP-UX
Basic components include:
Kernel – central portion of operating system
File system – provides input and output mechanisms
Shell – provides user interface to the UNIX system.
It gathers input from you and executes programs based on that input.
Web Server Basics and Administration