Title: A SYSTEM FOR TEACHING MIS AND MBA STUDENTS TO DEPLOY A SCALABLE DATABASEDRIVEN WEB ARCHITECTURE FOR
1A SYSTEM FOR TEACHING MIS AND MBA STUDENTSTO
DEPLOY A SCALABLE DATABASEDRIVEN WEB
ARCHITECTURE FOR B2C ECOMMERCE
- Alexander Y. Yap Ph.D.
- Elon University North Carolina
- Claudia Loebbecke Ph.D.
- University of Cologne Germany
2Background
- IS Environment Five Years Teaching in two
Business School Environments MIS MBA students - A variety of B2C Ecommerce 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 Ecommerce
systems - Assessing how different solutions and systems
address short term vs. long term strategies
3Objective
- Show students different solution paths
- We came up with four generic solutions models
- Show different architecture scalability
- Demonstrate the role of database in ecommerce
- Show how a web application server middleware
shuttles data between the database and browser - Discuss the importance of web interface and its
usability frontend design - Develop and Deploy an Ecommerce application one
project for each student
4Business Process Optimization Outsourcing
Content Development
5Stand Alone Model Twotier Architecture
6ECommerce Integrated with EBusiness
SystemsModel 4 Threetier Multitier
Architecture
7Web Architectures
Twotier Architecture
Threetier Architecture
Multitier Architecture
Client Computer Web Browser
Client Computer Web Browser
Client Computer Web Browser
Web Server Stand Alone Database Access
Web Server
Web Server
Database Server
Database Server Oracle SQL Server
Email Server
File Server
Video Server
8ECommerce 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 - Threetier 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 Ecommerce were limited to
a one semester. Business component half a
semester and technology component half a
semester - Twotier 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
9Student 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 highend relational database management
systems like Oracle work with other enterprise
applications - MBA students were able to see how different
systems could be integrated with ecommerce
systems enabling them to make technology
acquisition decisions Model 4 - MIS students were able to setup customized
ecommerce applications with their own coding
logic their choice of database and operating
system Linux
10ApplicationDevelopment Environment
11TECHNOLOGIES USED
- SOFTWARE TOOLS
- Macromedia Homesite Dreamweaver editors for
coding - Cold Fusion Server Application Server
middleware - MS Access Database or Oracle relational
database backend - Macromedia Flash MX animation
- Others Fireworks Photoshop Graphic editors
12Application FeaturesWhen we decided to use CF
20002001
13RDBMS/Database Connectivity
14Cold Fusion Studionow 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
15RAD ToolsDrag and Drop Query CodesCold Fusion
Studio Homesite Plus
16RAP Using Wizards to createForm and Action
Templates
17Select Table and Fieldsthat you want to include
in form
18Form Action Template Createdproduct_entryform.
cfm product_entryaction.cfm
19Form TemplateDesign Code
20Action TemplateCFINSERT
Validation/Confirmation that data has been
inputted into the database
21First Step Create Database
22Second Step Show students how their data is
connected to the Server Creating the data
source using students name
23Data source
- MSAccess set up the path of the database file
in the server - Oracle create a schema name for each student
using Oracles userid and password
24Third StepCreating the Ecommerce
ApplicationSeparating Content and Web Design
25TheShopping Cart
26Handling Session VariablesPassing Data from
Catalog to Shopping Cart to Database
27Passing Data VariablesUsing different web
templates
Online Product Catalog
Shopping Cart
Capture Order Info In Database
Product Table Info
28Form Variables Inserted into the Customer Table
29Fourth StepFlash Animation
- SPLASH PAGE
- Create layers
- Separate animated objects for each layer
- Different animation effects
- Timeline of the animated objects
- NAVIGATION BUTTONS
- optional
30Embedding Sound
- Drag the sound clip to the object
- If you successfully dragged the sound it will
- appear on the frame
31Conclusion
- Students taking MIS at the Graduate level with
background in SQL and Oracle handled the
threetier architecture system very well. - They all wanted to learn full scalability of the
architecture Model 4. - MIS students mostly combined handcoding and RAD
functions - MBA students learning Ecommerce for the first
time could handle the twotier 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
technologyrelated decisions better knowing the
capabilities of web technologies to improve
business process. - Multitier architecture was only feasible if
taught across several courses logistics
limitations cannot be compressed into 1 or 2
semesters -
32CFGraph
Pie Chart Of Quantity Sold
- 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
Horizontal bar Chart of Sales Amount
33Dynamic Charts based on the Database Sales Table