e-commerce 2011, 7e (laudon/traver) chapter 4

8/20/2019 E-Commerce 2011, 7e (Laudon/Traver) Chapter 4

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E-Commerce 2011, 7e (Laudon/Traver)

Chapter 4 Building an E-commerce Web Site

1) The systems development life cycle methodology is not useful when creating an e-commerceWeb site.

Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $'(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$) ,ne of the most important challenges in developing a new e-commerce site is understandingthat the technology must drive the business.Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

) /sing pre-built templates is typically one of the most cost-effective choices when building a

Web site.Answer: T&/"#iff: 1 %age &ef: $11-$1AA!*: Analytic !+ills

() 0t can cost as much to maintain a Web site on an annual basis as it does to build it.Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2) 0n a two-tier architecture3 a Web server is lin+ed to one middle-tier layer that typically

includes a series of application servers3 as well as to another bac+-end layer.Answer: FA!"#iff: %age &ef: $$$-$$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4) 0n order to use Apache 5TT% Web server software3 you need to be able to wor+ with the /ni6operating system.Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: /se of 0T

) The Web server software you use does not significantly impact how your Web site7s Web pages loo+ on users7 computers.Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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) %rior to the development of e-commerce3 Web sites primarily delivered static content.Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $$(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

8) #ynamic page generation increases menu costs.Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $$4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1') A list server is an application server used to provide a database for product descriptions and prices.Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

11) /pgrading a server from a single processor to multiple processors is an e6ample of scaling asite hori9ontally.Answer: FA!"#iff: %age &ef: $AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1$) !toring 5T pages in &A rather than on a server7s hard drive is an ine6pensive way tofine-tune the processing architecture of a Web site.Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1) ;ava !erver %ages <;!%) uses ;ava =servlets.=Answer: T&/"#iff: $ %age &ef: $(2AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1() Accessibility rules help to ensure that low-bandwidth users can access your Web site.Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $(4AA!*: "thical &easoning

12) The first step in translating your firm7s e-commerce strategy into a wor+ing e-commerce site

is to define the technology platform.Answer: FA!"#iff: $ %age &ef: $1'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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14) What are the two most important management challenges in building a successful e-commerce site>A) developing a clear understanding of business ob?ectives and +nowing how to choose the righttechnology to achieve those ob?ectives*) having an accurate understanding of your business environment and an achievable business

plan) building a team with the right s+ill sets and closely managing the development process#) identifying the +ey components of your business plan and selecting the right software3hardware3 and infrastructure for your siteAnswer: A#iff: %age &ef: $'AA!*: /se of 0T

1) 0n order from beginning to end3 the ma?or steps in the !#3 are:A) systems analysis@planning systems design building the system testing and implementation.*) systems design testing building the system and implementation.) systems analysis@planning systems design building the system implementation and testing.#) systems analysis@planning implementation building the system and testing.Answer: A#iff: %age &ef: $'8AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1) BBBBBBBB are the types of information systems capabilities needed to meet businessob?ectives.A) 0nformation reCuirements*) !ystem functionalities) !ystem design specifications#) %hysical design specificationsAnswer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $1'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

18) Which of the following basic system functionalities is used to display goods on a Web site>A) product database*) digital catalog) shopping cart system#) customer database systemAnswer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $1'

AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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$') Which system functionality must be implemented for your Web site to be able to personali9eor customi9e a product for a client>A) an ad server *) a site trac+ing and reporting system) an inventory management system

#) customer on-site trac+ingAnswer: ##iff: %age &ef: $1'AA!*: /se of 0T

$1) A system design has two main components:A) a logical design and a physical design.*) a behavioral design and a technological design.) business ob?ectives and technology reCuirements.#) front-end systems and bac+-end systems.Answer: A

#iff: %age &ef: $11AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$$) Which of the following systems is reCuired to understand the mar+eting effectiveness of your e-commerce site>A) shopping cart*) product database) site trac+ing and reporting system#) inventory management systemAnswer: #iff: %age &ef: $1'AA!*: /se of 0T

$) Which of the following is not one of the nine basic business ob?ectives for an e-commercesite>A) display goods*) e6ecute a transaction) provide production and supplier lin+s#) optimi9e system architectureAnswer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $1'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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$() All of the following are basic information reCuirements for a product database except :A) product descriptions.*) stoc+ numbers.) customer 0# numbers.#) inventory levels.

Answer: #iff: 1 %age &ef: $1'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$2) Which of the following typically includes a data flow diagram to describe the flow ofinformation for a Web site>A) physical design*) logical design) testing plan#) co-location planAnswer: *

#iff: $ %age &ef: $11AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$4) Which of the following details the actual hardware components to be used in a system>A) architecture plan*) system functionalities plan) logical design#) physical designAnswer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $11AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$) BBBBBBBB verifies that the business ob?ectives of the system as originally conceived are infact wor+ing.A) !ystem testing*) Acceptance testing) /nit testing#) 0mplementation testingAnswer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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$) BBBBBBBB involves testing a site program7s modules one at a time.A) !ystem testing*) Acceptance testing) /nit testing#) 0mplementation testing

Answer: #iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$8) The primary amount of time maintaining an e-commerce site is spent on:A) debugging code.*) responding to emergency situations.) general administration and ma+ing changes and enhancements to the system.#) changes in reports3 data files3 and lin+s to bac+end databases.Answer: #iff: $ %age &ef: $1-$18


') A e-commerce site that cost D$23''' to develop is li+ely to reCuire a yearly maintenance budget of appro6imately:A) D23'''.*) D1'3'''.) D$23'''.#) D2'3'''.Answer: #iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1) All of the following are simple steps for optimi9ing Web page content that can reduceresponse times except :A) reducing unnecessary 5T comments.*) segmenting computer servers to perform dedicated functions.) using more efficient graphics.#) avoiding unnecessary lin+s to other pages on the site.Answer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $18AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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$) All of the following can enhance page delivery speed except :A) using edge caching services.*) using speciali9ed content delivery networ+s.) increasing local bandwidth.#) increasing the dynamic content on the pages.

Answer: ##iff: %age &ef: $18AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

) All of the following might be part of a Web siteEs bac+end layer except :A) a pre-e6isting corporate database.*) a human resources system.) a production &% system.#) an application server.Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$$


() All of the following might be part of a Web siteEs middle-tier layer except:A) a database server.*) an ad server.) legacy corporate applications.#) a database server.Answer: #iff: $ %age &ef: $$$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2) The leading Web server software is:A) Apache.*) icrosoft 0nternet 0nformation !erver.) Web!TA& !erver.#) oogle "nterprise !erver.Answer: A#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4) All of the following are basic functionality provided by Web servers except :A) site management tools.*) data capture tools.) security services.#) a shopping cart.Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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) Which of the following is used to process certificates and private@public +ey information>A) 5TT%*) !!) FT%#) data capture tools

Answer: *#iff: %age &ef: $$(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

) Which of the following would you use to identify orphan files>A) 5TT%*) FT%) data capture tools#) site management toolsAnswer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$(


8) oogle Analytics is an e6ample of which of the following>A) search engine*) site management tool) Web browser #) security services toolAnswer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $$(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

(') Advantages of dynamic page generation include all of the following except :A) lowered menu costs.*) mar+et segmentation.) nearly cost-free price discrimination.#) client-side e6ecution of programming.Answer: ##iff: %age &ef: $$4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

(1) Which of the following cannot be used to retrieve ob?ects from a database>A) 0*) A!%) ;!%#) 5TAnswer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing




($) Which of the following types of servers monitors and controls access to a main Web serverand implements firewall protection>A) pro6y server *) list server ) groupware server

#) mail serverAnswer: A#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

() Which of the following technologies could you use to place the content of your Web site in adatabase so that you can then dynamically generate reCuests for pages>A) Apache web server *) pro6y server ) shopping cart#) W!

Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

(() Which of the following is not a type of application server>A) pro6y server *) mail server ) ad server #) FT% server Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: Analytic !+ills

(2) All of the following are basic functionality provided by e-commerce merchant serversoftware except :A) a product catalog.*) mar+eting software.) a shopping cart.#) credit card processing.Answer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $$-$$AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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(4) Which of the following is not one of the main factors in Web site optimi9ation>A) page content*) page generation) page delivery#) page stic+iness

Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $18AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

() An e-commerce Web site that processes orders reCuires3 at minimum3 a BBBBBBBB systemarchitecture.A) single-tier *) two-tier ) three-tier #) multi-tier Answer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $$1-$$$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

() A template that allows you to build an online store3 such as that offered by *igstep.com3 ismost appropriate for a:A) medium-si9ed business with a wide variety of products.*) small business with a relatively small variety of products.) large multinational business.#) none of the above.Answer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: Analytic !+ills

(8) Which of the following is not an open source software tool>A) Web!phere*) Apache) y!G#) %5%Answer: A#iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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2') The term stateless refers to the fact that:A) no one government entity controls the 0nternet.*) the server does not have to maintain an ongoing dedicated interaction with the clientcomputer.) system performance degrades as more simultaneous users reCuire service.

#) Web servers may maintain multiple instances of server software to handle reCuests.Answer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $-$(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

21) Which of the following is not a true statement>A) #ynamic page generation and business logic <such as a shopping cart) are 0@, intensiveoperations.*) !ystem performance tends to degrade as more and more simultaneous uses reCuest service.) Hiewing dynamic pages reCuires far more capacity than viewing static Web pages.#) The more large multimedia files a Web site has3 the greater the load on the system.

Answer: A#iff: %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2$) Which of the following types of sites typically tends to have high to very high page views<hits)>A) Web services*) customer self-service) trading#) publishing@subscriptionAnswer: ##iff: %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2) Which of the following types of sites typically needs a high percent of secure pages>A) Web services*) customer self-service) trading#) publishing@subscriptionAnswer: #iff: %age &ef: $AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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2() Which of the following is not a main factor in determining overall demand for an e-commerce site>A) static file si9es*) number of items in inventory) user profiles

#) type of contentAnswer: A#iff: %age &ef: $AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

22) The number of hits per second that a Web site can handle depends on:A) the number of simultaneous users.*) the number of networ+ connections the Web site has to the 0nternet.) the bandwidth between the Web site7s server and the 0nternet.#) the speed of the Web server7s processors.Answer:

#iff: %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

24) Web servers are most efficient at:A) serving static Web pages.*) accessing a database.) streaming audio and video files.#) generating dynamic page content.Answer: A#iff: $ %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2) The larger the bandwidth available to a Web site:A) the more visitors can simultaneously access the site.*) the fewer visitors can simultaneously access the site.) the faster the server can process a reCuest.#) the more degradation the site may e6perience.Answer: A#iff: %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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2) All of the following are steps one can ta+e to right-si9e a Web site7s hardware platform andmeet demands for service at a Web site except :A) scaling hardware vertically.*) scaling hardware hori9ontally.) replacing static pages with dynamically generated pages.

#) improving processing architecture.Answer: #iff: %age &ef: $4-$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

28) All of the following are methods of improving the processing architecture of a Web siteexcept :A) separating static content from dynamic content.*) optimi9ing A!% code.) optimi9ing the database schema.#) adding Web servers.

Answer: ##iff: %age &ef: $4-$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4') Which of the following e-commerce Web site features do customers find the most annoying>A) dead lin+s*) pop-up ads) reCuiring the installation of e6tra software to view the site#) slow-loading pagesAnswer: *#iff: $ %age &ef: $(1AA!*: /se of 0T

41) All of the following are important factors in Web site optimi9ation except :A) selecting +eywords and page titles.*) identifying mar+et niches for your services or products.) buying search engine ads.#) ensuring your mar+et is global rather than local.Answer: ##iff: 1 %age &ef: $(1-$($AA!*: /se of 0T

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4$) BBBBBBBB provides a set of standards for communicating between a browser and a programrunning on a server that allows for interaction between the user and server.A) 0*) oldFusion) ;ava!cript

#) H*!criptAnswer: A#iff: $ %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4) BBBBBBBB is a programming language invented by Ietscape used to control the ob?ects on an5T page and handle interactions with the browser.A) H*!cript*) ActiveJ) oldFusion#) ;ava!cript

Answer: ##iff: $ %age &ef: $(2AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4() The primary way a Web site is able to personali9e the content presented to a visitor isthrough the use of:A) privacy policies.*) coo+ies.) accessibility rules.#) site management tools.Answer: *#iff: 1 %age &ef: $(4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

42) 0n general3 the costs of BBBBBBBB account for at least 2' percent of a Web site development budget.A) content design and development and system maintenance*) content design and development and hardware) hardware3 software3 and telecommunications#) hardware and system developmentAnswer: A#iff: %age &ef: $$'AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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44) The information elements that the system must produce to achieve its business ob?ectives arecalled BBBBBBBB.Answer: information reCuirements#iff: $ %age &ef: $1'AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4) 5iring an e6ternal vendor to provide services that you cannot perform with in-house personnel is +nown as BBBBBBBB.Answer: outsourcing#iff: $ %age &ef: $11AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

4) The practice of owning <or leasing) and managing your own Web servers but housing them ina vendor7s physical facility is +nown as BBBBBBBB.Answer: co-location#iff: $ %age &ef: $12AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

48) BBBBBBBB involves testing the site as a whole3 in the same way a typical user would whenusing the site.Answer: !ystem testing#iff: $ %age &ef: $1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

') BBBBBBBB is the process of comparing a Web site with that of its competitors in terms ofresponse speed3 Cuality of layout3 and design.Answer: *enchmar+ing#iff: $ %age &ef: $18AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

1) BBBBBBBB refers to the arrangement of software3 machinery3 and tas+s in an informationsystem needed to achieve a specific functionality.Answer: !ystem architecture#iff: $ %age &ef: $$1AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

$) A standard +nown as BBBBBBBB ma+es it possible to access data from any applicationregardless of what database is used.Answer: ,#*

#iff: %age &ef: $$4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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) With BBBBBBBB3 the contents of a Web page are stored as ob?ects in a database3 rather than being hard-coded in 5T.Answer: dynamic page generation#iff: $ %age &ef: $$4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

() A Web BBBBBBBB is a software program that provides the specific business functionalityreCuired of a Web site.Answer: application server #iff: $ %age &ef: $$AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

2) An online BBBBBBBB allows shoppers to set aside desired purchases in preparation forchec+out3 review what they have selected3 and edit their selections as necessary.Answer: shopping cart#iff: 1 %age &ef: $$-$$8


4) The BBBBBBBB of a Web site refers to the nature of customer reCuests and customer behaviorat that site.Answer: user profile#iff: $ %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

) BBBBBBBB increases processing power of hardware components but maintains the physicalfootprint and the number of servers.Answer: Hertical scaling#iff: $ %age &ef: $4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

) A<n) BBBBBBBB is a small3 pre-built chun+ of code that e6ecutes automatically in your 5TWeb page to perform a specific tas+ such as providing weather information.Answer: widget#iff: 1 %age &ef: $(AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

8) BBBBBBBB is a language that icrosoft invented to compete with ;ava!cript.Answer: H*!cript#iff: $ %age &ef: $(2


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') A<n) BBBBBBBB is a set of public statements to customers declaring how you will treat any personal information that you gather from them on your Web site.Answer: privacy policy#iff: $ %age &ef: $(4AA!*: &eflective Thin+ing

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1) #escribe the ma?or issues surrounding the decisions to build and@or host your own e-commerce Web site or to outsource some aspects of site development. 0nclude the advantagesand disadvantages of each decision.Answer: 0f you decide to build an e-commerce Web site in-house3 you will need a multi-s+illedstaff including programmers3 graphic artists3 Web designers3 and pro?ect managers. Kou will also

have to select and purchase software and hardware. *uilding a site from scratch involves a greatdeal of ris+3 and the costs can be high because many of the reCuired elements of an e-commercesite such as shopping carts3 credit card authentication and processing3 inventory management3and order processing are Cuite comple6. !peciali9ed firms have already perfected these tools andyour staff will often have to learn to build all of these features themselves. The advantage is thatyou and your staff may be able to build a site that e6actly suits the specific needs of yourcompany. Another advantage is that you will be developing a s+illed staff and conseCuentlyacCuiring an invaluable supply of in-house +nowledge that will enable your firm to change thesite if necessary due to the rapidly changing business environment.

0f on the other hand3 you decide to purchase an e6pensive site-building pac+age3 you will have to

evaluate different pac+ages to decide which one will be best suited to your firm7s needs. This can be a lengthy process and some pac+ages may have to be modified. Additional vendors may haveto be hired to e6ecute the modifications3 and this can cause the costs to mount rapidly. Kou canalso purchase less e6pensive3 pre-built templates3 but you will be limited to the functionalityalready built into the template. *ric+-and-mortar retailers can generally design a site themselves because they have a s+illed staff in place and have made large investments in informationtechnology3 such as databases and telecommunications. They will usually use outside vendors to build the e-commerce applications for the site. edium-si9e startups will often purchase a prepac+aged site-building tool and ma+e modifications as necessary. !mall startups that onlyreCuire a simple virtual storefront will usually use a template.

The hosting decision is an independent decision from the building decision3 but the two areusually considered at the same time. ost businesses choose to outsource hosting because it isgenerally less e6pensive than it would be for them to purchase all of the hardware and the physical space and to lease the communications lines and hire the staff. arge hosting firms can build the telecommunication lin+s and emergency power supplies and achieve economies ofscale by establishing huge =server farms= in strategic locations around the country. 0f you hostyour own site you must also build the security and bac+up capabilities yourself.

Another option is co-location in which a firm purchases or leases a Web server and has totalcontrol over its operation3 but the server is located in the vendor7s physical facility. 0n a co-location agreement3 the vendor maintains the facility3 the machinery3 and the communicationlines. !mall 0!%s may not be able to provide service that is as reliable as the large providers. Thedisadvantage of outsourcing hosting is that as your business grows3 you may need more power or services than the hosting company can provide. This is the main reason that firms will decide tohost their own sites3 but the costs will almost always be higher than if they had chosen anoutsourcing firm.#iff: $ %age &ef: $11-$1AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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$) "6plain the main functionalities included in e-commerce server software and the decision-ma+ing process for a manager choosing from among the various e-commerce merchant serversoftware suites.Answer: The main functionalities included in e-commerce server software are an online catalog3order ta+ing capabilities using an online shopping cart3 and online credit card processing.

erchant server software typically includes a database and the capability to post lists3 productdescriptions3 product photographs3 and in larger sites even sound3 animations3 videos3 orinteractivities with product demonstrations and customer service representatives. ,nlineshopping carts enable customers to set aside items they wish to purchase while they continue toshop at the site. ,nline shopping cart capabilities must also include the ability for consumers toreview the items they have set aside and delete or edit items as necessary. Finally3 the customermust be able to clic+ a button to begin the order processing system. redit card processing mustwor+ in con?unction with the shopping cart so that the customer7s credit card can be verified3 thecharge can be debited to the card3 and a credit to the firm7s account can be made. erchant server software@e-commerce suites offer an integrated environment that promises to provide most or allof the functionality and capabilities you will need to develop a sophisticated3 customer-centric

site. "-commerce suites come in three general ranges of price and functionality: *asic3 mid-range3 and high-end.

Ley factors to consider when selecting a pac+age include functionality3 support for different business models3 business process modeling tools3 visual site management tools and reporting3 performance and scalability3 connectivity to e6isting business systems3 compliance withstandards3 global and multicultural capability3 and local sales ta6 and shipping rules.

For instance3 although e-commerce suites promise to do everything3 your business may reCuirespecial functionalityMsuch as streaming audio and video. Kou will need a list of businessfunctionality reCuirements. Kour business may involve several different business modelsMsuch asa retail side and a business-to-business side you may run auctions for stoc+ e6cess as well asfi6ed-price selling. *e sure the pac+age can support all of your business models. Kou may wishto change your business processes3 such as order ta+ing and order fulfillment. #oes the suitecontain tools for modeling business process and wor+ flows> /nderstanding how your site wor+swill reCuire visual reporting tools that ma+e its operation transparent to many different people inyour business. A poorly designed software pac+age will drop off significantly in performance asvisitors and transactions e6pand into the thousands per hour3 or minute. hec+ for performanceand scalability by stress testing a pilot edition or obtaining data from the vendor about performance under load. Kou will have to connect the e-commerce suite to your traditional business systems. 5ow will this connection to e6isting systems be made3 and is your staff s+illedin ma+ing the connection> *ecause of the changing technical environmentMin particular3 changesin mobile commerce platformsMit is important to document e6actly what standards the suitesupports now3 and what the migration path will be toward the future. Finally3 your e-commercesite may have to wor+ both globally and locally. Kou may need a foreign language edition usingforeign currency denominations. And you will have to collect sales ta6es across many local3regional3 and national ta6 systems. #oes the e-commerce suite support this level of globali9ationand locali9ation>#iff: %age &ef: $$-$1AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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After you have estimated the present and future demands you e6pect your site to have3 you willhave to loo+ at the supply side considerations. First and foremost is scalability. 5ow will yoursite be able to increase in si9e as demand warrants> Kou can scale your site vertically byupgrading the servers from single processor to multiple processors. The drawbac+s are that thiscan become e6pensive with each growth cycle and that the site becomes overly dependent on ?ust

a small number of powerful machines. Kou can scale your site hori9ontally by adding multiplesingle processor servers and balancing the load among many servers. This can be less e6pensiveas you can use older %s that would otherwise be discarded3 but you will have to purchasespecial load-balancing software. The main drawbac+s are that the si9e of the physical facility willhave to increase and that there is added management comple6ity. %erhaps the best method formeeting the demands for service on your site is to improve the processing architecture of yoursite by splitting the wor+load up into 0@,-intensive and %/-intensive operations. Then you canfine-tune the servers to handle each type of wor+load. Kou can add &A to servers that willstore the 5T pages3 reducing the load on the hard drives3 and move the %/-intensiveactivities to high-end multiple processor servers that are dedicated to handling a particular tas+such as order processing and accessing the necessary databases. These steps will enable you to

reduce the number of servers reCuired to handle your pea+ demand.#iff: $ %age &ef: $$-$AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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() What tools or technologies are available for providing interactivity and active content on aWeb site and what functionality do they add> #escribe at least five.Answer: Among the tools that are available for providing interactivity on a Web site are widgets3mashups3 0 scripts3 ;ava3 ;ava !erver %ages3 ;ava!cript3 Active !erver %ages3 ActiveJ3H*!cript3 and old Fusion.

Widgets are small chun+s of code that e6ecute automatically in your 5T Web page. Theytypically present users with dynamic content such as news headlines3 calendars3 cloc+s3 weather3live TH3 games and other functionality.

ashups pull functionality from one Web site and include it in another3 such as a real-estateagent incorporating oogle aps data in their own Web site.

0 or ommon ateway 0nterface is a set of standards for communications between a browserand a program running on a server that allows for interaction between the user and the server.0 allows an e6ecutable program to access all of the information within incoming reCuests

from clients. The program then generates the reCuired output for a Web page and sends it bac+ tothe client through the Web server. For e6ample3 0 scripts are behind the display of the contentsof a shopping cart to a user. The 0 script retrieves the contents from a database and returns itto the server3 which sends it as an 5T page to the user7s client computer. All of the computingta+es place on the server side3 thus this is referred to as server-side computing.

Active !erver %ages are icrosoft7s version of server-side programming. 0n fact3 A!% is now thema?or server-side Web programming techniCue for the Windows environment. 0t enables Webdevelopers to easily create and open records from a database and e6ecute programs within an5T page. 0t also handles all of the various forms of interactivity found on e-commerce sites.

;ava is a programming language that allows programmers to create interactivity on the user7sclient computer. The leading browsers today have a ;ava Hirtual achine <H) that enables ;avaapplets to be downloaded to the client over the Web. Although ;ava can display interestinggraphics and create small interactive programs such as calculators and calendars that aree6ecuted entirely on the user7s computer thus saving considerable load on the server3 it is notused e6tensively on corporate e-commerce sites for several reasons. First3 the different vendors produce different versions of ;ava3 resulting in applets built using proprietary versions that wouldonly wor+ well in the vendor7s own browser3 or that would crash or malfunction in some browsers. !econd3 many firms will not allow ;ava applets through their firewalls for securityreasons.

;ava !erver %ages <;!%)3 li+e 0 and A!%3 is a Web page coding standard. #evelopers use acombination of 5T3 ;!% scripts and ;ava to dynamically generate Web pages. ;ava servlets<small programs) are specified in the Web page and run on the Web server to modify pages before they are sent to the user. ;!% is supported by most of the popular application servers onthe mar+et today.

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;ava!cript is a programming language invented by Ietscape that is used to control ob?ects on5T pages as well as the interactions with the browser. 0t is much more acceptable tocorporations because it is more stable than ;ava3 and it is restricted to the operation of reCuestedWeb pages. 0t is used for many common3 yet crucial functions such as verifying and validatingcustomer input. For e6ample3 it is used to verify that a valid phone number or e-mail address has

been entered.

ActiveJ is icrosoft7s programming language that competes with ;ava3 while H*!cript is thecompetitor for ;ava!cript. ActiveJ controls are the eCuivalent of ;ava applets3 however3 whenthe browser receives a Web page containing an ActiveJ control3 the browser simply runs the program on the page rather than downloading it to the client7s computer. ActiveJ also has fullaccess to the client7s resources <printers3 networ+s3 and hard drives)3 unli+e ;ava. 5owever3neither ActiveJ nor H*!cript wor+ in any browser other than 0nternet "6plorer. #ue to the proprietary nature of ;ava3 ActiveJ3 and H*!cript3 they are generally avoided by e-commercesite developers. 0 scripts3 ;!% and ;ava!cript are the leading tools for providing interactivecontent.

oldFusion is an integrated server-side environment for developing interactive Web applications.0t combines an intuitive tag-based scripting language and a tag-based server scripting language<F) that lowers the cost of creating interactive features. 0t provides visual design3 debuggingand deployment tools that ma+e it a complete Web application development platform.#iff: $ %age &ef: $($-$(4AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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2) #efine the terms site management tools and dynamic page generation and e6plain theimportance of these tools to an e-commerce Web site.Answer: !ite management tools are used to verify that lin+s on Web pages are valid and toidentify orphan files on a site. ,rphan files are files that are not lin+ed to any pages on a site. !itemanagement tools survey the lin+s on a Web site and report any problems or errors that users

may encounter3 such as dead lin+s that lead to /&s that have been moved or deleted. This ise6tremely important to an e-commerce Web site because users will become annoyed if theyencounter lin+s that cause error messages to display3 and they may ta+e their business elsewhere.!tandard site management tools will also +eep trac+ of site hit counts and information on thenumbers of pages visited. ,ther site management tools and services can be purchased that willmonitor customer purchases and evaluate the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

#ynamic page generation is a process in which the contents of Web pages are stored as ob?ects ina database rather than hard-coded in 5T. When a user reCuests a Web page3 the contents ofthe page are retrieved from the database using 03 A!%3 ;!%3 or other server-side programs. ThistechniCue is much more efficient than wor+ing directly in 5T because it is much easier to

change the contents of a database than to change the 5T coding for a page. This has been oneof the most important innovations for e-commerce Web sites because of the dynamic3 constantlychanging content. Iew products3 new promotions3 sales3 price increases3 news stories3 andnational and global corporate events must be constantly added or updated on an e-commerceWeb site. #ynamic page generation also gives e-commerce Web sites several significantcapabilities that generate cost and profitability advantages over traditional commerce. enucosts3 the costs incurred by merchants when they must change product prices and descriptions3are significantly lowered. #ynamic page generation also permits easy online mar+etsegmentation. erchants can sell the same product to different mar+ets. They can also sell thesame product to different customers at different prices. This nearly cost-free ability to practice price discrimination is one of the great advantages that dynamic page generation gives to e-commerce merchants. For e6ample3 a firm might sell the same product to other corporations andto government agencies. A coo+ie placed on client files can identify whether a customer iscorporate or governmental and the correct Web page will be retrieved from the database tomar+et to that segment. #ynamic page generation enables merchants to approach differentcustomers with different mar+eting messages and different prices.#iff: $ %age &ef: $$-$$AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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4) What is the systems development life cycle <!#)> #escribe the main phases of the !#.Answer: The systems development life cycle <!#) is a methodology for understanding the business ob?ectives of any system and designing an appropriate solution. The !# method alsohelps in creating documents that communicate to senior management the ob?ectives of the site3important milestones3 and the uses of resources. The five ma?or steps involved in the systems

development life cycle for an e-commerce site are: <1) systems analysis@planning <$) systemsdesign <) building the system <() testing and <2) implementation.

The systems analysis@planning step of the !# tries to answer the Cuestion3 =What do we wantthe e-commerce site to do for our business>= To answer this3 identify the specific businessob?ectives for your site3 and then develop a list of system functionalities and informationreCuirements.

0n the system design step3 you plan on how the system functionality and reCuirements will beachieved. Kou must come up with a system design specificationMa description of the maincomponents in the system and their relationship to one another. The system design itself can be

bro+en down into two components: a logical design and a physical design. The logical designdescribes the flow of information at your e-commerce site3 the processing functions that must be performed3 the databases that will be used3 the security and emergency bac+up procedures thatwill be instituted3 and the controls that will be used in the system. The physical design translatesthe logical design into physical components.

0n building the system3 you perform the programming of the system and gather and implementany data needed. There are two basic choices3 to outsource the building to a vendor or to buildthe site in-house. 0f you build in-house3 you will need to determine what if any portions you will build from scratch and which you will use pac+aged software for.

,nce a site is built3 and before it is released for general use3 it must be tested thoroughly. Testingis reCuired whether the system is outsourced or built in-house. Testing includes unit testing3system testing3 and acceptance testing.

The final step3 implementation3 begins the systems operational life. #uring implementation3 thesystem will need to be monitored3 chec+ed3 tested3 and repaired on an ongoing basis."6penditures on maintenance can run nearly as high as on the development costs.#iff: $ %age &ef: $'-$18AA!*: Analytic !+ills

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e-commerce 2011, 7e (laudon/traver) chapter 4

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