Chapter 1 The Basics of Server and Web Server Administration

At a Glance

Instructors notes
Chapter Objectives Instructor Notes Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes Key Terms

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
Review the Internet and the World Wide Web Learn about server administration Learn about Web server administration Explore the common tasks performed by administrators Examine networking building blocks Compare Web server platforms

INSTRUCTOR NOTES
Review the Internet and the World Wide Web (page 2)
The Internet is a network of networks. The Web is that part of the Internet based on the HTTP protocol. The HTTP protocol is used for communication between the browsers and the Web servers. The Internet shares the international telecommunications network with telephone service. The Internet is not centrally controlled. It began in the 1960s. In 1995, a backbone was created with four NAPs (Network Access Points). There have been many more NAPs created since then although much traffic is now routed between large ISPs. ISPs agree on sharing traffic through peering agreements.

QUICK QUIZ:
1. Is e-mail part of the Web or Internet? Answer: Internet 2. When did the Internet begin? Answer: 1960s 3. What is a backbone? Answer: high-speed network that connects other networks.

Understanding server administration (page 3)

The server administrator controls LANs. The focus is on the users needs. There could be thousands of users that need network resources. In Windows environments there are roaming profiles that give users a consistent interface and commonly used documents across multiple PCs. The administrator stresses the importance of establishing access control. Users should have access only to the resources they need. Typically, users are organized into groups, and groups are given access to network resources. Often, there are many servers in a LAN. In Windows, they can be grouped into domains. Besides domain controllers, there can be servers dedicated to databases and other specific applications. The Windows domain should not to be confused with a domain name on the Web

Understanding Web server administration (page 4)

The Web administrator focuses on the Internet, whereas the server administrator focuses on the LAN. Typically, the Web administrator provides information to anyone who requests it over the Internet. Also important, are intranet applications such as accounting that can reside on a Web server and are only used within an organization. The Web server administrator has a variety of tasks: Interface with ISP Set up and manage Web servers, DNS servers, e-mail servers, FTP servers and more.

Because you are open to the Internet, security is extremely critical. Firewalls are needed. There is a significant need for programming languages and databases in a Web environment. The Web administrator often needs to understand how to install and maintain these components. To develop web-based applications, you need programming languages. Microsoft has Active Server Pages (ASP) and ASP.NET. The Linux/Apache environment favors PHP, Perl, and Java-based languages. Although most languages available in the Linux/Apache environment can be used with Windows, most development in Windows is done in ASP and ASP.NET. An important exception is when software companies develop Web-based applications that need to be installed on a variety of platforms. In such a case, they will pick a language that is compatible with both Microsoft and Linux. Most popular DBMSs are relational. The language used to communicate with a relational database is SQL. At the low end is Microsoft Access. Microsoft SQL Server is the highend Microsoft DBMS. Oracle9i is a popular DBMS available on many platforms. MySQL is freely available and of high quality. E-mail servers are probably more popular than Web servers within an organization. There are challenges to reducing spam and viruses from entering the system. FTP servers allow users to upload and download files. DNS servers are relatively rare because often the organization uses the DNS servers set up by the ISP. Firewalls protect the organization. As you can see with the above systems, a typical administrator in a Web environment needs a more varied set of skills that a LAN administrator.

QUICK QUIZ:
1. What does the server administrator focus on? Answer: LAN 2. How is access control implemented? Answer: Users with common need are put into groups, and the groups are given access to resources. 3. In Windows, servers and users are organized into what? Answer: domains 4. In Windows Server 2003, domains can be grouped into what? Answer: forests 5. What does the Web server administrator focus on? Answer: Internet 6. True/False: A Web server can also be an FTP server and an e-mail server. Answer: True 7. What are some programming languages available for Web servers? Answer: ASP, ASP.NET, JSP, Perl, ColdFusion, PHP.

Explore the common tasks performed by administrators (page 10)

The following items are the major common tasks. Installing and configuring systems More varied server installations for Web administrators Maintaining security With the Internet, there is more potential for hackers Monitoring the system

The many different systems need to be monitored differently Maintenance and backup Backing up e-mail and DBMSs can be very difficult because often files are kept open. This requires special backup modules.

Examine networking building blocks (page 13)

The OSI is theoretical; TCP/IP is a real-world model. They define a set of protocols and interfaces. A protocol is a set of communication rules. Some of the common protocols are HTTP (Web communication), SMTP (send e-mail), POP3 (get e-mail), TCP (data transport), IP (addressing) There are many ways to connect to the Internet. A T-Carrier connection is often used which is a digital connection for voice and data. Some of the components, such as cable modems and routers, some students may have at home. Other components they may have seen where they work. Find out the information from the students. Instead of having Web servers at your own organization, you can have someone else host your site. There are a number of options. Standard hosting site is on a computer with many other sites. Ask students whether any of them have Web sites. How much do they pay and what do they get? Dedicated server you have access to a server that only you use. Co-location your own server at the hosting company.

QUICK QUIZ:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What protocol is used to send e-mail? Answer: SMTP What protocol is used to transfer files? Answer: FTP What protocol provides an addressing scheme? Answer: IP True/False: A T-carrier can be used for both voice and data. Answer: True How fast is a T-1 line? Answer: 1.544 Mbps Which operating system uses IIS 6? Answer: Windows Server 2003

Compare Web server platforms (page 29)

There are the three generations of Windows servers and the Web servers on them. Windows NT has IIS 4, Windows 2000 has IIS 5, and Windows Server 2003 has IIS 6. Under NT, IIS stands for Internet Information Server. With the rest of the versions, it stands for Internet Information Services. Microsoft has produced a number of server products such as: Application Center Biztalk Server Commerce Server

Content Management Server Internet Security and Acceleration Server Operations Manager Mobile Information Server SharePoint Portal Server Whereas UNIX dates from 1969, Linux was created in the early 1990s. Linux was based on Minix which was an operating system created for a text book. Minix strongly resembled UNIX. Common to both are the standard components of a kernel, a file system, and a shell. Linux is distributed under the GNU General Public License. The source code for the operating system is available and developers can make changes.

QUICK QUIZ
1. When was UNIX introduced? Answer: 1969 2. Which UNIX component provides the user interface? Answer: shell 3. Who produces Linux besides Red Hat? Answer: Mandrake and SuSe

Discussion Questions
1. The text uses an analogy of sending a package in describing networking building blocks. Ask students to come up with other procedures where there are separate tasks and the need to interface the tasks. 2. Ask students who work in a network environment what components they have dealt with. See how much detail they can provide. 3. Ask students how they connect to the Internet outside of school. Do they have a connection at home? Do they have an Internet connection where they work? What details can they provide? 4. Have students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their choice of Internet connection. Most likely they have dial-up, cable, and DSL. 5. Ask students which platform, Windows or Linux, is better for Web development. Topics could include cost, support, quality, and flexibility. 6. Ask students the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to Web hosting.

Key Terms
Active Server Pages.NET (ASP.NET) The latest generation of programming environment that allows for more productive programming, it is used to create dynamic pages. Based on Active Server Pages (ASP), this Web-based programming language was created by Microsoft for Windows Web servers. backbone A high-speed network that connects other networks. bandwidth The theoretical maximum number of bits that can be sent in one second. Berkeley Systems Distribution (BSD) A UNIX standard distributed by Berkeley Systems. Examples of the BSD implementation include FreeBSD and SunOS. database management system (DBMS) A system that stores data on a computer in an organized format. It typically uses SQL as the language to define and manipulate the data, and stores data in an organized manner for processing. digital subscriber line (DSL) Allows you to transfer data at high speeds over conventional telephone lines. domain In Windows, a logical grouping of computers that administrators use to organize common resource needs. file system A data structure that provides the input and output mechanisms for an operating system. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) A Web service that allows users to upload and download files. firewall Software that implements an access control policy between networks. When you want to keep the attackers out, but let legitimate users in, you typically filter IP packets between two networks. GNU General Public License A license intended to guarantee your freedom to share and change free software, thereby making sure the software is free for all its users. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) A protocol that defines how information is passed between the browser and the Web server. Internet service provider (ISP) The organization that provides you with a connection to the Internet. JavaServer Pages (JSP) A Web-based scripting language that uses a subset of the Java language. The code is compiled into a Java servlet before it runs for the first time after changes are made to the file.

kernel The central, high-security portion of the UNIX/Linux operating system that contains its core elements. local area network (LAN) A group of connected computers along with the devices and media that connect them. network access point (NAP) Each NAP provides a major Internet connection point. Open Source Interconnection (OSI) model A model that defines the building blocks that divide data communication into discrete parts. PHP Hypertext Protocol (PHP) A Web-based scripting language commonly used with Apache Web servers. Also called PHP Hypertext Preprocessor. protocol A set of communication rules. Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) The suite of protocols used in data communication. wide area network (WAN) Primarily a public, shared network that connects regions and countries.