G046 Lecture 04 Task C Briefing Notes Mr C Johnston ICT Teacher

Objectives Know hardware and software required to develop a website, Know and understand the different costs involved in connecting to and accessing the internet, Understand technical terms relating to the internet and communication services.

Developing Websites Hardware and software needed to develop a website include Computer with OS, screen, keyboard and pointing device WYSIWYG web authoring software Media editing software – graphics, sound, video, animation Web browser – (too preview) Media capturing devices – scanner, digital camera, video camera, microphone etc FTP Client – (too possibly upload) The first part of task c requires you to write about the requirements and costs to build a website – use these to help.

Setting Up A Website Once the site is built need to consider Where will the website will be hosted? Options available and costs involved What Domain Name should be used for the site? Which Internet Service Provider? Are they providing a link to your server to the rest of the internet or just a means of uploading files? If hosting on own server UPSTREAM speed is vital - even if remotely hosted though still need an ISP so can upload the files and carry out maintenance. Band width requirements for the site? Some ISP’s and Web hosts place restrictions on the amount of data which can be transferred – need to do some calculations to ensure enough is bandwidth is purchased.

Hosting Overview All websites need a place where the files are stored online so people can access the site - this is called a host, A host is a server (computer) which is permanently connected to the internet, A server runs special software (web server) which when a user requests a webpage it is hosting it sends it over the internet in small data packets, Browser software on the users machine reassembles these data packets into the correct order so the webpage displays, Host could run 100’s of web pages and have thousands of hits per second therefore they need to be powerful machines capable of handling the load. They also need a fast internet connection so users are not sat around waiting.

Hosting Options Remotely Hosted This could be you ISP or a separate company, Pay per month for amount of space needed and bandwidth, Could be a shared or dedicated server depending on the requirements, Prices vary vastly – good to shop around, Need to ensure that technical aspects are supported – databases, ASP, CGI, SQL etc Hosted Internally Need to buy a server with hosting software and install and set up, Unlimited space / control – can install add ones etc and configure as required, Bandwidth limited by connection provided by ISP – UPLINK SPEED vital – need to carefully research business packages,

Own Server Considerations Server Hardware Specification Number, type and speed of processor Number, type and capacity of HDD Type and amount of RAM Speed and type of network card Server Software Specification Operating system Web server software Security software Reporting software Connection Specification Static IP address for each website hosting (given by ISP) Permanent internet connection with fast upstream as well as down

Paid Hosting Considerations Server Type Shared or Dedicated Windows, LINUX, UNIX Hosting Features Sub domain support, accounts (number, redirection), database support, programming language support (CGI, PHP, ASP, SQL), FTP access Connection Amount of bandwidth required Other Services Level of technical support and cost Backups Reporting and monitoring services (statistics)

Domain Names Domain names are a textual way of accessing websites – instead of entering an IP address companies can register their name or a related word and link it to their IP address, You can register a domain name for as little as 99p for 2 years. The “Domain Name Service” (DNS) links your domain name to your web servers IP address so it will work, Domain names are made up of 2 main parts: This part is the domain name This part is the extension or suffix Lots of different extensions are available from an accredited registrar e.g.

Domain Name Choice Choice #1 – Actual Domain Name The obvious choice is your business name What if its taken or not possible e.g. B&Q??? (& not allowed) Need to think outside the box and something key to do with your business – in B&Qs case they chose DIY Choice #2 – Domain Name Extension Lots available but some are reserved and others not really for businesses.com – international company.org – none profit organisation.net - network services such as ISPs.co.uk – UK company.gov – government.ac.uk – UK college / university

Bandwidth Calculations Bandwidth is the amount of data sent from your web server to visitors computers, Often you are given a bandwidth allowance which is the total amount of data which is allowed to be sent each month – exceed this and web site stops!! Bandwidth calculations allow you to estimate how much data you will send and ensure that purchase the correct allowance. Total Average Bandwidth Per Month = visits a day * page views per visit * average page size * 30 (number of days a month)

Bandwidth Calculation Example

Assignment Link Task c requires you to write a report for Fly-A-Way Travel which considers all the costs of developing and hosting a website including: The hardware and software required to build the site, The hardware and software required to host the site in-house, The costs of hardware, software, running costs and maintenance, Different methods which can be used to connect to the internet in order to host the website in house – including a consideration of bandwidth requirements, Comparison of different hosting options offered by external hosts including the cost, space, bandwidth and extra facilities, Identify a suitable ISP and host for your website, Justification of the choice of ISP and host in relation to the technical requirements of the website.

Report Structure Introduction What is the purpose of the report Costs of Developing Website Develop it in house Hardware Required (types, examples, costs) Software Required (types, examples, costs) Other Stuff Required (ISP to upload, html knowledge, software knowledge, training costs, domain name). Use a Developer Services offered, how many pages, how much, domain included?? Conclusion

Report Structure Costs of Hosting Website Host it in house Hardware Required (server spec, cost, other bits) Software Required (types, examples, costs) Other Stuff Required (ISP to host). Use an external host Different options (storage space, cost, bandwidth, facilities) Bandwidth calculations Conclusion