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
18
TCP/IP Model
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