Web Hosting and CoLocation for Electronic Commerce

1
Web Hosting and Co-Location for Electronic
Commerce

• Foothill College
• Electronic Commerce

2
Three options for ecommerce Websites to connect
to the Internet

• Hosting it internally
• your server, your network, on your premises
• Co-locate your server
• plug your server into someone else's network
• Outsource Web hosting
• load your site onto a dedicated server at an ISP

3
Web hosting needs

• server
• network
• physical security
• telecommunications
• database / programming
• value added services (back end engineering)
• CGI, FrontPage support, shopping cart, EC

4
Benefits of Web hosting

• domain name identity (100)
• map your domain name onto another server
• significantly reduced monthly cost
• 100 per month vs. 1000 (recurring)
• no capital costs, depreciation, maintenance
• improved access, speed and reliability
• leveraging the assets of a large ISP

5
Typical Web hosting offering

• 20 to 50 Mbyte local storage
• thats a lot of storage!
• 1 Gbyte to 10GByte monthly transfer
• 1 Gbyte per month is roughly equal to a T-1
• POP Mail boxes
• typically 10 or so, good for Website contacts

6
Value added services(back end engineering)

• database programming
• putting your inventory into a searchable site
• shopping cart support
• building the engine for a real-time purchase
• electronic commerce support
• SSL and digital certificates
• SET and CyberCash for real time payments

7
Co-location

• your server
• your OS and programs
• your database engineering
• complete hardware responsibility
• plug your server into someone else's network
• its a great solution for retaining total control
• you really have to know what youre doing!

8
Typical costs of Web hosting

• 25 to 50 per month - no frills
• very popular entry level and for the masses
• 100 to 500 per month - SSL and some EC
• a step up and good for most small commerce sites
• 1K to 3K per month - value added services
• supply database engineering and turn key
  solutions
• accounting, logistics, and fulfillment integration

9
Virtual Private Networks

• scaffolding parallel to public Internet
• private data roads with multiple peering points
• using RIP and BGP for an intelligent network
• RIP (Router Internet Protocol)
• BGP (Border Gate Way protocol)
• load balancing using mirrored Web servers
• multiple servers positioned along the VPN
• network routes calls and traffic for fastest
  delivery

10
Redundancy is the key to success!

• redundant data feeds from backbone ISPs
• typically 3 T-3s from Sprint, MCI, UUNET
• a total of 135 Mbps available (usually burstable)
• hot swappable Web servers
• one public, one backup, one development
• RAID-5 server back-up
• redundant array of inexpensive drives
• configured to supply back and rebuild capability

11
Why go into the Internet business?

• why
• buy telecommunications?
• set up a NOC, 24x7, and firewall security?
• buy a server, router, DSU-CSU, OS, software?
• set up physical security of premises / hardware
• what business are you in?
• outsource problems - pursue opportunities
• outsource what is strategic (telecommunications),
  but not your core competency

12
Why outsourcing Web hosting makes sense for
ecommerce on the WWW

• your Web presence is your business
• it delivers your customers, products, and
  payments
• outsource your site to ISP experts
• dont go into a tricky and expensive business
• choose your level of service based on needs
• shared, dedicated, mirrored, or co-location
• simple storage or complex back end engineering
• outsource problems and pursue opportunities!

13
Lecture review

• web hosting
• co-location
• website analysis
• selling propositions
• malls and portal sites
• self configured (ViaWeb)
• shopping for the best provider