Chapter 4 Intranets and Extranets OBJECTIVES What is

Chapter 4 Intranets and Extranets

OBJECTIVES • What is Intranet? • Software Applications • Architecture of software • E-mail and Intranet • Extranets 2

WHAT IS AN INTRANET? • An organization-wide software and data system applying Internet technology to a closed network • A network of application and wired machines (software + hardware) • Usually runs in a client/server environment and a local area network configuration 3

WHY INTRANET: BENEFITS • Links employees and managers together • Automates a lot of intraorganizational traffic (e. g. , reduce inter-office mail) • Establishes the foundation for developing enterprise-wide systems integration (e. g. , Web order + order processing + delivery) 4

SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS • Human Resources – Timesheets (People. Soft, Oracle) – Internal/external recruiting – Company calendars 5

APPLICATIONS (Cont’d) • Accounting and Finance – Expense reports – Accounts receivable/payable processing – Payroll (People. Soft) 6

TECHNICAL INFRASTRUCTURE • Client/Server Basis – Client/Server software architecture: client requests and server responses – As opposed to mainframe architecture: all intelligence is within the central host computer 7

TWO-TIER ARCHITECTURE DESIGN User System Interface Database Management 8

THREE-TIER ARCHITECTURE DESIGN User System Interface Process Management Database Management 9

BASIC INTRANET COMPONENTS • • • Server and Client PCs Web Server/Browsers Electronic Mail Network File System (NFS) Internet Relay Chat (IRC) 10

E-MAIL TIPS • Write in different color to express attitude or mood • Keep sentences short • Be aware of your office and organization culture • Avoid flaming • Don’t use e-mail to send bad news • Don’t type in capital letters 11

EXTRANETS • Let limited, controlled business partners interact with the firm for all kinds of exchanges • Benefits: customer (partner) loyalty, increased partner interaction, and improved processes • Enabled by VPN – Virtual Private Network 12

Example: VPN Client 13

Exercises • • • What is three-tier architecture? Why is Intranet needed? What is the architecture of Intranet? What is a go-between agent? What is called an angry response to an email? 14

Summary • • • What is Intranet? Software Applications on Intranet Technical Infrastructure (N-tie architecture) E-mail and Intranet Extranets 15