Using Microsoft Commercial Internet System

Peter Kitson

ISBN : 0789710161

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Introduction

Until recently the home of only academics and computer scientists, the Internet has become the place to visit for millions of computer users around the world.

Yet in spite of hearing every day how the Internet is going to change the way we do business, few of us in fact have Internet access, fewer still know how to use the access we have for anything other than e-mail, and only an infinitesimal number of us actually conduct any business on the Web. To our dismay, our children might be more accomplished and regular users than we are. A 10-year-old friend of mine knows his HTML 6-digit color numbers better than he knows his multiplication tables!

This should not be surprising to people reading this book. We are all looking for ways to better access and distribute information, yet network administrators, business owners, and Internet Service Providers spend hours figuring out how to make a mail server program interface reliably with the authentication system only to have a hacker invade the system and wipe out everyone\'s password. Meanwhile, individual users buy a fast modem and a browser, and then sign up with an online service only to learn it is not always easy to find information, or that servers are "down" whenever they try to dial in, and are reluctant to buy anything online because they have no idea if it\'s wise to give out credit card numbers or don\'t see why they should pay to read a few more sports stories on a sports magazine site.

Recognizing a need and an opportunity when they see one, Microsoft has designed the Microsoft Commercial Internet System (MCIS) as the complete answer to online commerce. The set of Internet servers that make up MCIS is designed to enable users to conduct business, access information, and communicate with others on the Internet, and to provide more comprehensive management of Internet sites and activities. MCIS is built on a foundation of Windows NT Server 4.0 and the Internet Information Server. Tightly integrated, with a common user interface, Microsoft Commercial Internet System and its foundation offer scalability, stability, and security that cannot be found by cobbling together pieces of whatever else is out there.

This book is designed to guide you through the complex administration and implementation issues associated with the Microsoft Commercial Internet System. To better accomplish that task, a group of individuals employed full-time in developing and delivering Internet services to users has written Special Edition Using Microsoft Commercial Internet System. Each author brings to this book a level of expertise and perspective that assures the reader the fullest discussion of design, installation, management, and training issues.

There is, however, very little discussion of the membership, content replication, and address book components of CIS. Because of the late public availability of these components, we were unable to adequately verify the final features and test operability problems before going to press.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book addresses itself to information system managers and administrators who are responsible for Internet site management or for moving elements of their business onto the Web, to software developers who develop applications and interfaces for use with the Internet, to commercial Internet Service Providers interested in providing the highest level of services for its business customers, and to readers interested in implementing a full-fledged commercial Internet system. The reader is assumed to be thoroughly familiar with installing and administering a Windows NT 4.0 server and have a working knowledge of SQL Server 6.5, the Internet, and the World Wide Web.

This book\'s readers will learn how to install, configure, and use the individual servers that make up the Microsoft Commercial Internet System as well as the Proxy Server, Index Server, and the Merchant System. Special attention is paid throughout the book to real-world applications for each server, providing administrators with the information necessary to decide how and to what extent to implement a commercial presence on the Web.

With each of the servers that make up the Microsoft Commercial Internet System given separate attention, this book will serve as a complete reference with clear step-by-step instructions for how to install, configure, and administer all components of Microsoft Commercial Internet System, as well as integration issues and techniques, background material designed to enhance your understanding, and discussion of advanced topics to improve the effectiveness of Internet and intranet ventures.

In addition, the book is based in part on the actual implementation of Microsoft Commercial Internet System on a site that presently consists of four enterprises: a retail store, a syndicated columnist, a nonprofit community-building entity, and the statewide management structure for local charitable agencies. Each chapter includes a discussion of the implementation of its server software in one or more of the site enterprises and provides screen-shots and URL links to actual online pages.