Web Server Administration

1
Web Server Administration

• Chapter 1
• The Basics of Server and Web Server Administration

2
Overview

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

3
Review the Internet and the World Wide Web

• The Internet is a worldwide network of networks
• Shares WAN used by the international
  telecommunications network
• Uses TCP/IP
• Where the Internet uses the HTTP protocol, it is
  called the Web
• Web servers use HTTP to communicate
• The Internet is not centrally controlled

4
Review the Internet and the World Wide Web

• Internet had its origins in the 1960s
• In 1995 a high-speed backbone was created
• Included 4 network access points (NAPs)
• More have been created since then
• Now much Internet traffic is handled without
  going through NAPs
• Peering agreements allow this

5
Understanding Server Administration

• Server administrators
• Focus on the LAN
• Provide access to software and services
• Make sure environment is reliable and consistent
• Minimize harm that users can do to network

6
Working with Users

• A LAN can server hundreds or even thousands of
  users
• Users need to be productive
• Users like consistency
• Roaming profiles allow users to have the same
  personalized desktop environment on multiple
  computers

7
Establishing Access Control

• Users need just enough access to do their jobs,
  but not more
• Typically, users are organized into groups, and
  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

8
Understanding the Server Environment

• All but the smallest network includes more than
  one server
• With Windows computers, servers and users
  computers can be organized into domains in order
  to centralize control
• In Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, domains
  can be grouped into forests

9
Understanding 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 and e-mail

10
Understanding Web server Administration

• Depending on the size of the organization, some
  tasks may be delegated
• Web page development
• Database design
• Programming
• E-mail administration
• Security

11
Selecting Programs and Databases

• Web server administrators need to install
  programming languages
• Web developers use a variety of languages
• Active Server Pages (ASP)
• Original language from Microsoft
• ASP.Net
• A newer environment that includes many languages
• Java Server Pages (JSP)

12
Selecting Programs and Databases

• Non-Microsoft languages are popular, even on
  Microsoft Web servers
• Perl one of the first and still popular
• PHP easy to use
• Java Server Pages (JSP)
• Macromedia ColdFusion

13
Selecting Programs and Databases

• A database management system (DBMS) is used to
  store data used with Web pages
• Microsoft Access is appropriate for small sites
• Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle 9i, and MySQL are
  sophisticated DBMSs for larger sites
• Standard Query Language (SQL) is the language
  used to communicate with the DBMS

14
Managing E-mail Servers

• Open by design to accept e-mail from anyone
• Spam can be a problem to manage
• Specific utilities can be used to help minimize
  spam
• Viruses are commonly sent by e-mail
• Use virus detection software and keep it updated

15
Other Applications

• Firewall
• Helps protect your Web server environment from
  attack
• FTP
• A service that allows users to download files
  from and upload files to a server
• DNS
• Translates host names such as www.technowidgets.co
  m to an IP address

16
Administrators' Common Tasks and Services

• Installing and configuring systems
• Maintaining security
• Monitoring the system
• Maintenance and backup

17
Network Building Blocks-The OSI Model
Layer Name Description
7 Application Responsible for low-level application access to the network.
6 Presentation Can convert data into a format that is understandable to the Application layer.
5 Session Can open, maintain, and shut down communication.
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 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.
18
TCP/IP Model
Layer Name Common Components OSI Reference
Application HTTP, SMTP, POP3 FTP, DNS Application Presentation Session
Transport TCP, UDP Transport
Network IP, ICMP Network
Physical Ethernet, FDDI Data Link Physical
19
TCP/IP Protocols

• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
• Web servers implement this protocol
• Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
• Used by e-mail servers (and sometimes Web
  servers) to send e-mail
• Post Office Protocol Version 3 (POP3)
• Used to retrieve e-mail

20
TCP/IP Protocols

• 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
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• Creates a reliable connection between two
  computers

21
TCP/IP Protocols

• User Datagram Protocol (UDP)
• Does not establish a connection, just sends
  messages
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• Provides addressing scheme
• Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP)
• Provides error messages

22
Connecting Your LAN to the Internet

• Your ISP connects to the Internet
• A WAN connection is used between your building
  and the ISP
• A T-Carrier connection is often used
• A digital connection for voice and data

23
Common T-Carrier Connections
24
Connecting to the Internet
25
Other ways to Connect to the Internet

• Integrated services digital network (ISDN)
• Dial-up access
• Basic Rate Interface (BRI) up to 128 Kbps
• Primary Rate Interface (PRI) up to 1.544 Mbps
• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)
• Often differing speeds for uploads and downloads
• Depending on type, up to 6.1 Mbps for downloads
  and 1.544 Mbps for uploads
• Cable Modem
• Shared access cable provided by cable TV company

26
Web Hosting Solutions

• Standard hosting
• Your site resides on the same computer with many
  other sites
• Cheapest solution
• Dedicated server
• You have a server that only you use
• Co-location
• Your own server is physically located at the
  company that does your Web hosting

27
Web Server Platforms-Microsoft

• Windows NT (IIS 4)
• IIS (Internet Information Server) was added in
  the mid-1990s, and support for ASP was added
  later
• Windows 2000 (IIS 5)
• IIS part of the OS from the beginning
• .NET Framework add-on allows use of ASP.NET
• Windows Server 2003 (IIS 6)
• .NET Framework integrated into OS

28
Other Microsoft Server Products

• Application Center
• Allows you to manage a cluster of servers as if
  it is one server
• Biztalk Server
• Connects to your business partners using XML
• Commerce Server
• Builds e-commerce sites in a short amount of time

29
Other Microsoft Server Products

• Internet Security and Acceleration Server
• Combines a firewall product with a Web cache
• Operations Manager
• Helps decrease support costs for a server
  environment
• SharePoint Portal Server
• Set up a site that is highly personalized

30
UNIX/Linux

• UNIX was introduced in 1969
• Linux is from the early 1990s
• Based on MINIX
• Three basic components
• Kernel central portion of OS
• File system provides input and output
  mechanisms
• Shell provides user interface

31
Linux

• Source code is freely available
• Developers can make changes
• Available from a number of organizations
• Red Hat
• Mandrake
• SuSe

32
Summary

• Server administration focuses on LANs
• Web server administration focuses on the Internet
• Both types of administrators install, configure,
  and maintain servers
• Many pieces make up the network
• There are many Web server platforms from which to
  choose