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Web Design and Development:
Server Technologies,
Communication Protocols, and
Website Creation Tools
Elaboration of the Given Text
1. Explain Server Technologies
A server is a computer equipped with specific programs and/or hardware that enables it to offer services to other computers (clients) on its network. There are different types and capabilities of servers.
Web Server
A web server is a mainframe connected to an extended computer network. The server contains all the data for which it is authorized to manage. Each server has its own IP and can read a variety of languages such as HTML, HTM, File, etc. The server has a large capacity and very high speed to be able to store and operate data stores on the internet well. Through the separate communication port of each server, the computer system is able to operate more smoothly. The server must ensure continuous operation to be able to provide data to its computer network.
Application Server
The Application Server, also known as the App Server, is a program that controls all application activities between users and the bottom-level applications of an enterprise organization or databases. Typical application services are typically used for basic transactional conjugate applications. To support high requirements, an application service must have redundancy within it, control for high visibility, high-level presentation, distribution of application services, and support for physical access links to databases.
1.2 Management Services Associated with Hosting
Managed hosting is an IT provisioning model in which a service provider leases dedicated servers and associated hardware to a single customer and manages those systems on the customer's behalf. In managed hosting, customers can rent equipment such as dedicated server, storage and network hardware; operating systems; and system software. The customer usually has administrative access to the leased systems yet rarely uses it, instead opting to interact with the system through a web-based interface.
P1: The Purpose and Types of DNS, including Explanations
on how Domain Names are Organized and Managed
The Purpose of DNS
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a name resolution system invented in 1984 for the Internet, which allows the corresponding setting between IP address and domain name. DNS is a system of naming order for computers, services, or any resources involved in the Internet.
Function of DNS for Each Website
The main function of DNS is to translate domain names into IP Addresses, which computers can understand. It also provides a list of mail servers which accept Emails for each domain name. Each domain name in DNS will nominate a set of name servers to be authoritative for its DNS records.
Types of DNS Servers
All DNS servers fall into one of four categories: - Recursive resolver - Root name server - TLD name server - Authoritative name servers
In a normal DNS lookup (when there is no caching available), these four DNS servers work in harmony to complete the task of providing an IP address for a specified domain for the client (the client is usually primitive solver -a simple solver built into an operating system).
Managed DNS Servers
Some of the businesses that offer Managed DNS services include: - Dyn - Cloudflare - Amazon Route 53 - Cloud DNS - UltraDNS - Verisign Managed DNS - NeustarUltraDNS - Akamai
DNS Protection
DNS protection is the concept of protecting the entire DNS service, sometimes focusing on security. DNS protection can be divided into approximately two categories: - Protecting the DNS service itself - Protecting the entire security posture.
P2: Explain the Purpose and Relationships between
Communication Protocols, Server Hardware, Operating
Systems and Web Server Software with regards to
Designing, Publishing and Accessing a Website
In order for the client-server model to connect to each other through the network, a communication protocol is required. A communication protocol is a protocol for two parties to communicate with each other with very strict
Operating Systems for Web Servers
There are two types of operating systems commonly used for web servers: Windows and Linux/Unix. When it comes to shared web hosting, the differences between Linux and Unix clones are not anything you should worry about.
P3: Discuss the Capabilities and Relationships between
Front-end and Back-end Website Technologies and Explain
how these Relate to Presentation and Application Layers
P4: Discuss the Differences between Online Website
Creation Tools and Custom Built Sites with regards to
Design Flexibility, Performance, Functionality, User
Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI)
Explain server technologies
Server Definition
A server is a computer equipped with specific programs and/or hardware that enables it to offer services to other computers (clients) on its network. There are different types and capabilities of servers.
Web Server
A web server is a mainframe connected to an extended computer network. The server contains all the data for which it is authorized to manage. Each server has its own IP and can read a variety of languages such as HTML, HTM, File, etc. The server has a large capacity and very high speed to be able to store and operate data stores on the internet well. Through the separate communication port of each server, the computer system is able to operate more smoothly. The server must ensure continuous operation to be able to provide data to its computer network.
Application Server
The Application Server, also known as the App Server, is a program that controls all application activities between users and the bottom-level applications of an enterprise organization or databases. Typical application services are typically used for basic transactional conjugate applications. To support high requirements, an application service must have redundancy within it, control for high visibility, high-level presentation, distribution of application services, and support for physical access links to the database.
Management services associated with hosting
Managed hosting is an IT provisioning model in which a service provider leases dedicated servers and associated hardware to a single customer and
manages those systems on the customer's behalf. In managed hosting, customers can rent equipment such as dedicated server, storage and network hardware; operating systems; and system software. The customer usually has administrative access to the leased systems yet rarely uses it, instead opting to interact with the system through a web-based interface.
P1: The purpose and types of DNS, including
explanations on how domain names are
organised and managed
The purpose of DNS
DNS is an acronym in English for the Domain Name System, which is a name resolution system invented in 1984 for the Internet. It is a system that allows the corresponding setting between IP address and domain name. Domain Name System (DNS) is a system of naming order for computers, services, or any resources involved in the Internet. It links a variety of information to domain names assigned to participants. Most importantly, it translates meaningful domain names for people into identifiers (binary), linked to network equipment for the purposes of locating and addressing devices around the world.
Function of DNS
The main function of DNS is to translate domain names into IP Addresses, which computers can understand. It also provides a list of mail servers which accept Emails for each domain name. Each domain name in DNS will nominate a set of name servers to be authoritative for its DNS records.
Types of DNS
All DNS servers fall into one of four categories: Recursive resolver, root name server, TLD name server, and authoritative name servers. In a normal DNS lookup (when there is no caching available), these four DNS servers work in harmony to complete the task of providing an IP address for a specified domain for the client (the client is usually primitive solver - a simple solver built into an operating system).
Recursive resolver
The recursive solver (also known as a DNS receiver) is the first stop in DNS queries. The recursive resolver acts as a middleman between the client and the DNS name server. After receiving the DNS query from the web client, the recursive resolver responds with the data stored in the cache or sends the request to the nameserver, followed by another request to the nameserver. TLD and then a final request to the authoritative nameservers. After receiving the response from the authoritative name server containing the requested IP address, the recursive resolver will send the response to the client.
other applications. The most common server operating systems are Windows Server, Linux, and Unix.
Web Server Software
Web server software, also known as a web server, is the program that delivers web content to clients (usually web browsers) over the internet. The most popular web server programs in use today are:
Apache HTTP Server Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS) Sun Java System Web Server (JSWS)
These web server programs handle the communication between the client and the server, process the requested web pages, and deliver the content back to the client.
The relationships between these components are as follows: - The communication protocols (HTTP, TCP/IP) define how the client and server communicate and exchange data. - The server hardware provides the physical resources (processing power, memory, storage) to run the web server software and handle the website traffic. - The operating system manages the server hardware and provides the platform for the web server software to run on. - The web server software is responsible for receiving client requests, processing the requested web pages, and delivering the content back to the client.
These components work together to enable the design, publishing, and access of a website. The choice of operating system and web server software can impact the website's performance, functionality, and compatibility with certain technologies.
P3: Discuss the capabilities and relationships
between front-end and back-end website
technologies and explain how these relate to
presentation and application layers.
Front-end and Back-end Website Technologies
Front-end
The front-end is focused on presenting information to the user. Everything you see when navigating the internet, from fonts and colors to drop-down menus and sliders, is a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript controlled by the front-end.
Back-end
The back-end is focused on processing business logic and interacting with the data management system (DBMS). It consists of components for processing information from the front-end, usually referring to the interaction with the DBMS.
Relationship between Front-end and Back-end
The front-end and back-end have a two-way relationship:
The front-end takes user data (entered in a form) and passes it on to the back-end. The back-end receives data from the front-end, processes it, and then passes the processed data back to the front-end. The front-end receives the processed data from the back-end and presents it to the user.
This two-way flow of data between the front-end and back-end is what enables the presentation and application layers of a website to work together.
Presentation and Application Layers
The presentation layer is responsible for the user interface and user experience, which is the domain of the front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
The application layer is responsible for the business logic and data processing, which is the domain of the back-end technologies (server-side programming languages, databases, APIs).
The front-end and back-end work together to create a seamless and functional website, with the front-end handling the presentation layer and the back-end handling the application layer.
P4: Discuss the differences between online
website creation tools and custom built sites
with regards to design flexibility,
performance, functionality, User Experience
(UX) and User Interface (UI).
Online Website Creation Tools
Online website creation tools, such as website builders and content management systems (CMS), provide a more user-friendly and accessible way to create and manage websites. These tools often have pre-designed templates and drag-and-drop interfaces, making it easier for non-technical users to build a website.
Domain Name System (DNS)
IANA Divisions of TLD Servers
IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) divides top-level domain (TLD) servers into two main groups:
Generic Top-Level Domain Names : These are country-specific domain names, some of the most commonly known TLDs include .com, .org, .net, .edu. Country Code Top-Level Domain Names : They include any domain names specific to a country or state. Examples include .uk, .us, .ru, and .jp.
Authoritative Name Servers
When a recursive resolver receives a response from a TLD nameserver, that response will direct the resolver to an authoritative nameserver. The authoritative nameserver is usually the resolver's last step in the journey for an IP address. The authoritative nameserver contains information specific to the domain name it serves (e.g., google.com) and it can provide a recursive resolver with the IP address of that server found in the DNS A record, or if the domain has a CNAME record (alias) it will provide the recursive resolver with an alias domain, at which point the recursive resolver will have to perform a whole new DNS lookup to procure a record from an authoritative nameserver (often an A record containing an IP address).
Cloudflare DNS distributes authoritative nameservers, which come with Anycast routing to make them more reliable.
Managed DNS Services
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the Internet's system that converts human-readable domain names into digital IP addresses and vice versa. For example, when a web address (URL) is entered in the browser, the DNS server returns the IP address of the web server associated with that name.
Some of the businesses that offer Managed DNS services include: - Dyn - Cloudflare - Amazon Route 53 - Cloud DNS - UltraDNS - Verisign Managed DNS - Neustar UltraDNS - Akamai
DNS Protection
DNS protection is the concept of protecting the entire DNS service, sometimes focusing on security. DNS protection can be divided into approximately two categories: protecting the DNS service itself and protecting the entire security posture. DNS protection is not an industry standard term; Depending on the context, it may mean different things to different people.
Web Communication Protocols
A variety of secure communication standards that use public key technology have been developed, including Hypertext Transfer Protocol (SHTTP), IP Security (IPSec), PPTP, and L2TP. The leading general-purpose, secure web communication protocols are SSL 3.0 and the open TLS protocol that is based on SSL.
Server Hardware
Tower Server
If you don't care about space, you can store more drives and more hardware into a tower. However, if you are considering scalability and future scalability, space may become a constraint with a tower server.
Server Rack
The rack is designed to accommodate multiple servers and is specifically designed to fit into small spaces. They are often stacked, which makes cooling devices difficult but a big plus when it comes to scalability. In addition, the stacking model helps to consolidate network resources and minimize floor space requirements.
Blade Server
Although blade servers are similar to rack servers in design, they are thinner and also cost more than back servers. A blade server is a server frame that contains many thin EC module boards, called server blades. Each blade is actually a server, usually dedicated to an application. Server blades literally mean servers on the card that contain the processor, memory, integrated network controller, and other input/output (IO) ports.
Operating Systems for Web Servers
Windows
If you use an ASP.NET, MS SQL, or Access database, you need to host Windows because those technologies are not available on other platforms. Support for traditional ASP is better on Windows, and ColdFusion storage is most common on Windows servers, although ColdFusion runs as well as on Linux. On the other hand, Windows servers are more exposed to viruses and hacker attacks. Windows hosting is also more expensive, and Windows servers tend to crash a bit more frequently. Windows also consumes more server resources than Linux, resulting in fewer hosting accounts per server and higher prices.
To make server, application, and database interoperable, back-end developers use server-side languages like PHP, Ruby, Python, Java, and .Net to build an application, and tools like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server to search, store, or change data and serve it back to the user in the front-end. Back-end developer jobs also often require experience with PHP frameworks such as Zend, Symfony, and CakePHP; have experience with version management software such as SVN, CVS, or Git; and experience with Linux in system development and deployment.
Online Website Creation Tools vs. Custom-
built Sites
Online Website Creation Tools
Online website builders typically require customers to sign up with the web hosting company. Some companies provide examples of fully functional websites made with their website builder. The range of services varies anywhere between creating basic personal web pages or social network content to making complete business and e-commerce websites, either template-based or, on the more flexible platforms, totally design-free. The main advantage of an online website builder is that it is quick and easy to use, and often does not require prior experience. Often, a website can be built and be up and running live on the Internet quickly. Technical support is usually provided, as are how-to video and help files.
Custom-built Sites
Custom-built sites offer more design flexibility, performance, functionality, and better User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI). However, they require more time and expertise to develop.
UI (User Interface) Concept
UI stands for User Interface, meaning the user interface. In the simplest terms, the UI includes everything that users can see such as web colors, how the layout is organized, what fonts/web fonts are used, and attractive web images or not. The UI acts as the element that conveys the message from the designer, service provider, and product to the user.
UX (User Experience) Concept
UX stands for User Experience, meaning the user experience. Simply put, UX is the user's reviews when using the product, such as: Is your website or App easy to use, is it possible to arrange such a layout? Did the product achieve its intended purpose? The UX Designer will research and evaluate the habits and ways that customers use and then evaluate about certain website/App products.
References: 1. GONYEA C., What is DNS (domain name server)? How DNS Works – the Domain Name System (Part One), page 121. 3. Windows Server
Administration Fundamentals. Microsoft Official Academic Course. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030: John Wiley & Sons. 2011. The Need For Multiple Protocols, p. 177, 'They (protocols) are to communication what programming languages are to computation'. 5. 'Difference Between Frontend and Backend MVC – Joomlatuts'. Shelly J., THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TEMPLATE AND CUSTOM-BUILT WEBSITES. [Accessed on 2021-12-31]. 7. LAMPRECHT E., The Difference Between UX and UI Design
- A Beginner's Guide. https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/the- difference-between-ux-and-uidesign-a-laymans-guide/. [Accessed on 2021/12/11]
