What Is The Intranet?
- deploying Internet applications on the local network to disseminate
information within the organization's boundaries
- most users have become familiar with Web browsers, and intranets
bring a wealth of information to their desks via that common interface
As with their Internet Web brethren, adding graphics, interactive
methods and continuously updated information to the intranet
- web servers can make the best use of computing and people
resourcesWeb servers can be configured to allow users with average
computer skills to update information, such as their address,
tax status, and retirement contributions, or to post simple announcements
such as for company events and using one of the various Web-based
groupware packages, discussion groups can help employees discuss
business issues or collaborate on projects and documents
Intranet Supports Cross-Platform
- the primary advantage in using standard Internet types of
servers is that users are probably already using Netscape or another
Web browser and they are familiar with that interface and that
way of working. Deploying access to internal information in a
way everyone can use only makes sense
- most Web browsers are available on a variety of platforms
(PCs, Macs, or UNIX workstations)
- browsers have incorporated support for NNTP and POP. These
protocols give you threaded discussions and e-mail, and cover
a majority of groupware functionality.
- by using the browser, you've eliminated almost all of the
GUI development issues
- with an intranet, a three-tier architecture is used. This
means that the client asks for information from a central server
(an HTTP server in this case), and the server in turn gathers
the necessary information from a variety of sources, such as databases.
In the custom client/server application scenario, the client does
the data requests itself, and so it must be customized to the
data being requested. Using a three-tier intranet architecture
offers the possibility of easier upgrades, since only the second-
and third-tier software needs to be updated, while in a traditional
client/server application, when the application needs to be updated
so does desktop and file server software--all when no one is using
them
- If you have specific needs for constantly updated information
at the desktop, client-side solutions are available. Java and
JavaScript offer a full-featured execution container in Netscape's
browser, and other browser vendors are starting to license the
technology as well
Intranet Supports a Form of Rapid Development
- with server-based data querying and tools designed to mine
that information for HTML use, data is not only easier to get
(than building client/server apps), but also it is formatted for
use on any Web browser
- with a three-tier model, we have a client, a server and a
data store. Since the client is simply a Web browser, data access
development only happens on the server. Clients talk to the server,
where they are authenticated and to which they submit requests.
The server, if authentication warrants, passes the query to the
data store, retrieves the proper information, formats it and sends
it back to the user
- development cycles are limited to server-based development.
In addition, code can be reused on the server. In the past, applications
were standalone, client-side querying devices. Now the server
holds all the logic, allowing modules to interoperate and to make
more complex queries and decisions (sounds like a mainframe)
- note bandwidth issues here. In the old model, clients are
very intelligent, requesting only data structures. In a three-tier
architecture, the server must collect all the data and then send
a fully formatted version to the Web browser. In most cases, this
will add more overhead to the transaction. Client-based forms
software via plug-ins or Java can help reduce that network traffic