Exercise 4: Answer

1. Describe the IP protocol. What is DNS?

   
   According to (Wikipedia)

   The Internet Protocol (IP) is a protocol used for communicating data across a packet-switched internetwork using the Internet Protocol Suite, also referred to as TCP/IP. IP is the primary protocol in the Internet Layer of the Internet Protocol Suite and has the task of delivering distinguished protocol data-grams (packets) from the source host to the destination host solely based on their addresses. For this purpose the Internet Protocol defines addressing methods and structures for datagram encapsulation. The first major version of addressing structure, now referred to as Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) is still the dominant protocol of the Internet, although the successor, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is being deployed actively worldwide

   
   

   The Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical naming system for computers, services, or any resource participating in the Internet. It associates various information with domain names assigned to such participants. Most importantly, it translates domain names meaningful to humans into the numerical (binary) identifiers associated with networking equipment for the purpose of locating and addressing these devices world-wide. An often used analogy to explain the Domain Name System is that it serves as the "phone book" for the Internet by translating human-friendly computer hostnames into IP addresses. For example, www.example.com translates to 208.77.188.166.(Wikipedia)

   
   

2. Describe the TCP protocol. How is it related to the IP protocol?

   
   

   The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the core protocols of the Internet Protocol Suite. TCP was one of the two original components, with Internet Protocol (IP), of the suite, so that the entire suite is commonly referred to as TCP/IP. Whereas IP handles lower-level transmissions from computer to computer as a message makes its way across the Internet, TCP operates at a higher level, concerned only with the two end systems, for example, a Web browser and a Web server. In particular, TCP provides reliable, ordered delivery of a stream of bytes from a program on one computer to another program on another computer. Besides the Web, other common applications of TCP include e-mail and file transfer. Among its other management tasks, TCP controls message size, the rate at which messages are exchanged, and network traffic congestion.(Wikipedia)

3. Differentiate between intranets and extranets.

   
   

   Intranet is a internal computer network, normally housed behind a companies firewall, that can be accessed only by authorized persons, especially members or employees of the organization. Extranet is an online (internet) site with additional information, which is restricted to registered users only.(Ukobona)

4. Describe the different elements of HTTP protocol.

   
   

   HTTP is a request/response standard of a client and a server. A client is the end-user, the server is the web site. The client making a HTTP request—using a web browser, spider, or other end-user tool—is referred to as the user agent. The responding server—which stores or creates resources such as HTML files and images—is called the origin server. In between the user agent and origin server may be several intermediaries, such as proxies, gateways, and tunnels. HTTP is not constrained to using TCP/IP and its supporting layers, although this is its most popular application on the Internet. Typically, an HTTP client initiates a request. It establishes a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to a particular port on a host (port 80 by default; see List of TCP and UDP port numbers). An HTTP server listening on that port waits for the client to send a request message. Upon receiving the request, the server sends back a status line, such as "HTTP/1.1 200 OK", and a message of its own, the body of which is perhaps the requested resource, an error message, or some other information. Resources to be accessed by HTTP are identified using Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs)—or, more specifically, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)—using the http: or https URI schemes.(Wikipedia)

   for a more in depth look at the protocol look at Craig’s blog entry.
   
   

5. What do you know about building e-business applications as an Intranet, Extranet, Web portal, B2B, B2C or Virtual Private Network (VPN)? Find some examples on the Web.

   
   According to Creative Web Solutions (a web design company located in Mumbai India),

   B2C Portal is like a store front where you can display your products, catalogue, price etc. The customer comes to your store visiting the website and chooses the items/products which he requires; once choosing products gets completed he is shown the total amount to be paid for the items he has selected. He is given an option for paying to complete the transaction.

   Approaching Payment Gateway Service Provider

   Now the Payment Gateway Service Provider comes into picture that is authorized to accept credit card on behalf of the merchant. It may be a Bank or authorized Company who can accept and process the credit card online. They provide the merchant with the payment gateway software that needs to be integrated with the website to enable a secure transaction.

   Integrating Payment Gateway with the Website

   This is the last stage of building a B2C Portal. The Payment Gateway software is integrated with the website to carry online transaction safely and securely.

6. What role can a VPN play in business-to-business e-commerce?

   A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an enabling technology that allows companies to build cost-effective private e-marketplaces or extranets that can typically operate within a sector. The Australian Automotive Network Exchange is an example of a VPN.(DCITA)

References

DCITA. Contemporary developments in B2B e-commerce. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://www.archive.dcita.gov.au/2001/10/b2b_e-commerce/developments
Ukubona. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://www.ukubona.com/Inter/Intra/Extranets-2660.htm
Wikipedia. Internet Protocol. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Protocol
Wikipedia. Domain Name System. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_Name_System
Wikipedia. Transmission Control Protocol. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmission_Control_Protocol
Wikipedia. Hypertext Transfer Protocol. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP
Wright, C. (13 May 2009). Visiting EBay. Retrieved 23 May 2009, from http://itc565developersblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/http-protocol.html