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The World Wide Web is an amazingly powerful tool for communicating. This power results from the ease with which information (the merchandise of the Information Age) can be obtained and shared on the Web. Building an Intranet with Windows NT 4 shows you how to put that power to work processing information in new and creative ways within your company or organization.
To me, the word Intranet means nothing more than the usage of Web technology, such as a Web browser and server, in a local network environment. But what you can achieve with an Intranet stretches way beyond the ordinary capabilities of a typical Local Area Network.
In my opinion, every business, large and small, needs an Intranet. And when it comes to cost and ease-of-use, there is no network operating system better than Windows NT on which to build an Intranet. Windows NT 4 is not only capable of exceptional performance, but it is also very reliable and secure.
A fascinating thing about the Intranet is that one can be built so inexpensively. The fact that Web browsers (such as Internet Explorer) are both free and easy to use helps to make the decision a no-brainer. Indeed, I can't think of any parallel in business history where there has been a similar opportunity for a single employee to help guide his or her company to such a revolutionary and cost-effective new level of productivity!
This book goes way beyond the basics of using an Intranet, and into the realm of actually inventing, creating, and managing an Intranet. Until now, setting up an Intranet or Internet Web site has required deep knowledge of several Internet protocols and lots of experience. Many people still assume that you need to be a UNIX system administrator to run a Web server. Not only is this untrue, but I believe that no other book will show you how easy it really is.
Web technology evolves extremely fast. I have made every effort to verify that the information in this book is accurate at the time of printing. I have also endeavored to pack this volume with the most useful information you are likely to need. I hope you will find that the numerous cross-references to other sections in the book and to the World Wide Web itself is a valuable aid to furthering your understanding.
Good luck in your efforts. I'll be happy to hear of your questions and success stories.
|
--S.Z. |
As with any technical book, this book could not have been completed without the help of many others. I owe my deepest thanks to Tim Evans of DuPont Corporation for writing the first version of this book, geared more toward the UNIX platform. So many of the ideas in this book, and significant sections of the writing, are based on his deep networking experience and his excellent book "Building an Intranet," also published by Sams.net.
Next on my list is Christopher Brown, for being so knowledgeable and kind at the same time. Chris runs his own Web services company (http://www.fbits.com) and he introduced me to all the behind-the-scenes Web technology when we wrote our first two books for Sams.net.
I am honored by the permission from Martijn Koster to include some of his research material on Internet robots and for donating his time to help review the work on robots and security. Hershey Quintana contributed research and graphic editing.
Richard Graessler was especially helpful with the software engineering for various PERL scripts. No less thanks goes to J.J. Allaire for providing the software and documentation for Cold Fusion; Ken Nesbitt for providing the shareware version of WebEdit; and Chris Wensel for providing CGI Perform.
Special thanks to: Software.com for providing the trial version of Post.Office; and the authors of the many other fine software packages we include on the CD-ROM-too numerous to name here. I hope my gentle readers will appreciate the hard work that goes into the creation of all the software needed to make a Web site tick.
I also owe my gratitude to the members of the webserver-nt@DELTA.PROCESS.COM listserver, for without their advice (in fact, anyone I ever talked to about Windows NT and the Internet), my knowledge of the Web would not be what it is today.
Scott Zimmerman has been developing software for 15 years. He has programmed in over two dozen languages, primarily C++ and Visual Basic. His full-time hobby is being the Software Engineering Manager with Azron, Incorporated. The Azron team produces an award-winning client/server system for wireless electronic medical records on Windows 95 and Windows NT. Zimmerman has also co-authored, with Christopher Brown, Web Site Construction Kit for Windows NT and Web Site Construction Kit for Windows 95, published by Sams.net. His interests include nature conservation, science, and technology. He can be reached at http://www.hqz.com where he helps with the technical aspects of running a Windows NT Web services company, or by e-mail at scottz@sd.znet.com. (In a previous career, he won the World Overall Frisbee Championships eight times and still holds the Guinness World Record for the longest throw of any object at 1257 feet.)
Tim Evans is the author of Building an Intranet. He is a network administrator at the DuPont Corporation, where he led the development of a corporate-wide Web of 35 servers in locations throughout the world. Completely isolated from the Interent as a whole, the DuPont-wide Web serves corporate, scientific, and manufacturing information to customers inside the company. Evans has more than 10 years experience as a UNIX system and network administrator.
Christopher L. T. Brown (clbrown@netcom.com) is a Senior Chief in the U.S. Navy. For the past 15 years, he has worked in the Naval Command Control and Communications. Brown has written programs in several computer languages including BASIC, Pascal, C, and C++. In addition to proprietary operating systems, he has worked with UNIX, Macintosh, DOS, Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 95. During the past three years, Brown has dedicated most of his time to evaluation and operation of Windows NT as an Internet platform. In addition to his Navy career, he runs a World Wide Web publishing and consulting company called Final Bit Solutions, which maintains an active Internet Web server as part of its services. Brown's interests include cryptography, surfing, skiing, and wildlife.
Billy Barron (billy@metronet.com; http://www.utdallas.edu/~billy) is currently a New Technology Specialist for the University of Texas at Dallas and has an MS in Computer Science from the University of North Texas. He has written and edited so many books that he can't remember them all anymore. Some examples are Internet Unleashed 1996, Web Site Adminstrator's Survival Guide, and Tricks of the Internet Gurus.
Lay Wah Ooi (ooi@pobox.com) is a Computer Systems Engineer at Titan Spectrum Technologies. She graduated with a Computer Science degree from the University of North Texas. Lay Wah has contributed to Sams.net Publishing's Internet Unleashed, and was also a technical editor for Java Unleashed.
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| Note |
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This book is your complete guide to building a very economical Intranet-quickly, professionally, and securely. It is intended for savvy and aspiring employees who want to lead their companies to new levels of achievement and accelerate their own careers in the process. Hey, if you've gotten this far, you are obviously somewhat of a visionary. And in that case, wouldn't an introduction any less bold then be a bit of a let down?
Suppose you are savvy and aspiring but you are considering this book because you want to learn more about networking and Web technology. In particular, you want to study client/server networking on a very cool operating system named Windows NT. (And in case you haven't already noticed, Microsoft is posting new Internet products and technologies on their Web site so fast that NT is getting more and more cool every week.)
Although it would be helpful if you already have a basic understanding of Windows NT, that isn't essential beforehand, because this book covers all the necessary information for building your own Web server. In addition to being an extremely powerful operating system, Windows NT is also quite intuitive. Most tasks can be easily accomplished with point-and-click mouse commands.
| Note |
What is meant by client and server? The server is the computer that serves as a repository of information or provides a service when the client computer makes a request for the information or service. Sometimes the terms are arbitrary because both computers can provide information for, and make requests of, each other. Of course, the requests are usually initiated by humans. When you request to view a document on a server, the computers might actually carry out dozens of low-level client/server commands using protocols such as TCP/IP and HTTP. |
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) are the languages of the Web, in a sense. Despite its name, HTML isn't actually considered a programming language. After you read Chapter 5, "What You Need to Know About HTML," you will see just how easy it is. I'll continue to explore HTML with you throughout the book, and by the time you finish, you will be very familiar with it. But do not fear; you do not need to know a programming language before you start.
In addition to plenty of HTML code, I'll discuss several programs written in C++, Perl, and Visual Basic. All the programs are ready to run, so the reader does not need to know programming in order to use them. However, I also include the source code so that those familiar with these languages can study the programs for further information or to make enhancements. Again, knowledge of programming would be helpful, but it is not essential.
This book does not cover the Internet protocols in any significant way. I expect people who have a background in this area will be able to use this book as a guide to building their own Intranet. For those without a background in internetworking, you still should have no trouble getting your Intranet up and running with the software and examples that are provided. The subject of Web technology is a very large topic-too large to completely cover in one book. You might find that additional research into Internet protocols and security will be helpful in the long run. You will find some useful references in Appendix C and in the Bibliography.
There are many reasons to use Windows NT as your Intranet Web server operating system. NT offers superior reliability and security coupled with the familiar Windows user interface. NT runs on powerful and inexpensive hardware. When buying a computer to run NT, you have many excellent options depending on the bang-for-the-buck you want and can afford because the engineers at Microsoft were progressive enough to design NT to run on several hardware platforms. Today, this includes everything from Intel 486 to IBM Powerpc to MIPS to DEC Alpha. And because of multithreading, NT will continue to deliver exceptional performance under heavy user loads.
With TCP/IP and remote access software built into the operating system, NT is one of the easiest operating systems to use for an Intranet/Internet. Right out of the box, you can be surfing your Web, and the World Wide Web, in no time. When you consider the other benefits of NT, such as scala-bility, security, performance, and manageability, you've got an ideal platform to create an Intranet/Internet server that anyone can connect with. And there are hundreds of commercial, freeware, and shareware client and server programs for NT, in most every category, available on the Internet to help you get the most out of your project. Several are included on the CD-ROM with this book.
Microsoft advertises Windows NT as scalable, but what does that mean? I look at it this way: NT can run on several platforms, from low-end to high-end. It can also run on SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessing) machines with up to 16
CPUs. Finally, because it is portable, you never know when they will announce a version that runs on another new platform, such as they did with version 3.51 for the Powerpc. So if you find that your server is being overstressed by an increasing user base,
you have three options without dropping your existing software:
|
At home and at work, you and I and millions of others have found the World Wide Web irresistible, most often for recreational and personal reasons. Even the most commonly used buzzword describing how people use the Web-surfing the 'net-implies a recreational nature about the activity. It's gotten so that some corporate officials worry about just what it is their employees are doing when they're supposed to be working. Are they really searching for work-related resources, or just surfing? And, more importantly, what does or can this phenomenon mean to my business?
Once the novelty of the Web has worn off a bit, you wonder about its potential value as a business or educational tool. Can this slick, seductive technology be put to work inside your company, organization, or institution, to some useful, real-work end? Can you capture the enthusiasm with which your employees surf the Web and channel it into their daily duties? Can you share information about your organization with its members-employees, students, and other insiders-using this glamorous and easy-to-use mechanism? The answer to those questions is an unqualified "Yes" in all cases, and the nuts and bolts of doing so is what this book is all about.
Setting up a corporate Intranet requires you to look under the surface of the Web for new and meaningful ways it can be used. Despite its glamour and accessibility for many users, the Web is essentially a passive experience. People use their Web browsers to look at things-documents, spreadsheets, images, videos, and the like. For the most part, however, there's very little a Web surfer can actually do with what he sees. Yes, Web pages can be saved, or printed, and there's potential value in doing so. Many Web pages contain valuable information, and pointers to other information. The information obtained from reading a Web page can often be used for some work-related purpose. Still, the whole Web experience remains passive: people look at static, unchanging things. You may have wondered why this attractive and easy-to-use interface can't somehow be put to work doing something active and real in a corporate or organizational environment that somehow contributes to the realization of the organization's mission.
You're not alone in asking these questions. In a recent survey by Business Research Group, reported in the Wall Street Journal (November 7, 1995), nearly a quarter of 170 medium- and large-sized companies surveyed are already setting up corporate Intranets using World Wide Web technology, while another 20 percent are actively considering doing so. LAN Times magazine on January 22, 1996 pointed to a Zona Research study stating that 200,000 Intranets will be installed during 1996 and triple that number in 1997!
Organizations do more than sell the goods and services they produce. All organizations, even noncommercial ones, have to manage themselves, buying supplies, running a physical plant, managing employees and their benefits, and otherwise keeping organizational house. Most other Web-related books pay little attention to how Web technology can be directly used by a company or other organization in fulfilling these missions. Usually, they provide a few simple examples of some kind or other, then trail off with vague statements (or even small-print footnotes) to the effect that the reader should be able to use her imagination to come up with ways to apply the books' examples to her own organization.
This book is about how commercial and noncommercial organizations can put Web technology to work inside their organization to do their real, everyday work.
This book will show how Web technology and related TCP/IP networking technology can be used to create information resources that can be actively used in the daily operation of a business, an educational institution, or any other organization. I'll provide examples ranging from simple, everyday office tools to sophisticated databases. I'll include step-by-step instructions that show you exactly how to implement useful Web features you can use in your daily work, or in the daily work of your company. Once you have set up your Intranet, your users will be able to use their Web browsers and other applications to help them perform their regular work duties.
WWW technology can provide a familiar, user-friendly front end to a wide range of information ranging from libraries of personnel and technical documents to data warehouses full of corporate statistics, to scientific and technical data. This data can not only be accessed with Web browsers, but can also be actively manipulated as needed. Web technology can provide front ends to commercial database applications, with both query and data-entry capabilities. Custom computer application programs can be wrapped up inside an easy-to-use Web interface, with Web-based online help a mouse click away. Users can collaborate with others on work-related projects and share scientific data and other information, again using familiar Web technology.
Because Web browsers have built-in support for many kinds of network services, you'll be able to extend your Intranet to include many other facilities. Most of these facilities are based on no-cost and low-cost software (much of which is available on the Intranet CD-ROM with this book), and they provide strong and inexpensive alternatives to commercial groupware packages (like Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes). These value-added services will be useful in your organization, providing facilities that can be accessed using a Web browser via simple point and click.
The accompanying CD includes many useful files and programs to help you craft and maintain your Intranet. As you read the book, you'll notice the icon you see beside this paragraph for references to files and programs on the CD. Be sure to read and follow installation instructions and all licensing/copyright restrictions.
Throughout this book I have made use of a few conventions developed by the good folks at Sams.net to assist you in recognizing important pieces of information. These include special highlighting methods for information displayed by your computer and for information you need to type in yourself.
Typographical conventions used in this book.
| Typeface | Meaning |
| Computer Type | There are a number of Internet addresses, filenames, directory paths, and World Wide Web URLs defined throughout this book that are printed in computer type to make them easier to recognize. |
| Bold Computer Type | Text printed in bold computer type represents information you need to type at your keyboard while working with the various programs discussed in this book. |
| Italic | When you encounter a word printed in italic, this indicates that you are about to examine a new concept. |
| Note |
Information printed in Note boxes provides you with additional points of interest relating to the topic currently being discussed. |
| Tip |
Tips offer additional suggestions about the use of programs and services. |
| Warning |
Warning messages are designed to make you aware of important issues that may affect set up of your Intranet or general Internet issues. |
And now, let's get started.