by Greg Sullivan
This chapter presents a brief overview of BackOffice's characteristics. By the end of this chapter, you will have a fundamental knowledge of the purposes for BackOffice, the architecture of BackOffice, and how its design fulfills a variety of needs in modern computing.
Understanding the reasons for the existence of BackOffice, the architecture of BackOffice, and the design principles upon which it is built puts you in the best position to take full advantage of its capabilities. As you learn more about the various roles of BackOffice, keep in mind its place in the evolution of computing. (See Chapter 1, An Inside Look at BackOffice.")
BackOffice is based on current technologies with an eye toward the future. Microsoft continues to invest heavily in BackOffice as it moves toward an object-based, distributed enterprise computing platform. In fact, the basis for a significant portion of its Internet strategy is BackOffice. This parallels its continued investment in desktop computing tools and platforms.
Interestingly, even though BackOffice is based on current and leading edge concepts, such as object-oriented technology and distributed computing, you will rarely find such a reference in Microsoft marketing materials. Its marketing approach tends to focus on the benefits and value of BackOffice as opposed to its technical underpinnings.
NOTE: Microsoft prefers to avoid technical terms, such as object-oriented technology and distributed computing, when describing BackOffice, even though these concepts form a basis for its product strategy.
The exception to this, of course, is the marketing leverage Microsoft attempts to gain by aggressively marketing its use of Internet technologies within BackOffice and in support of BackOffice implementations.
BackOffice means many things to many people. In order to be successful with BackOffice it is helpful to understand Microsoft's view on the roles it should, and can, play in your organization. According to Microsoft, BackOffice is intended for the following three primary purposes:
Table 2.1 provides an overview of how the individual BackOffice products covered in this book map to each of these roles. In the subsequent sections, each role of BackOffice covered in detail.
| BackOffice Product | Publishing and Communication | Groupware | Building Commercial Applications |
| Internet Information Server | x | x | x |
| Index Server | x | ||
| Content Replication Server | x | ||
| Active Platform | x | ||
| Exchange Server | x | x | x |
| SQL Server | x | x | x |
| SNA Server | x | x |
Notably missing from Table 2.1 are Windows NT and SMS. Windows NT simply serves as the foundation upon which all of the BackOffice applications operate. As such, it is necessary to support all of the aforementioned roles of BackOffice. Most importantly, Windows NT provides the security and service model by which all of these capabilities can be provided.
Regarding SMS, it is an optional BackOffice component and is not necessary in order for BackOffice to fulfill these purposes. If it is implemented it functions to build and maintain the computing environment within which the stated roles of BackOffice can be delivered.
In the immediately following sections a brief description of each BackOffice role is provided along with an examination of how the pertinent BackOffice products support that purpose.
Since the inception of information systems, computers and software have been created for the purpose of tracking information and making it available, in convenient ways, to interested parties. Also, recent developments and acceptance of the Internet have led to widespread information distribution using the World Wide Web (Web). These, among others, are the two primary manners in which information has been distributed to those interested in receiving it.
The capability to publish information by way of stored data and through Internet technologies is an important role BackOffice plays in modern-day information systems. BackOffice forms the foundation upon which systems can publish information, as well as provides the capability to do so. It is arguably the main reason Microsoft has bundled so many products into the BackOffice family.
In order for information to move into the appropriate places it is necessary for computers to communicate with one another. This capability for computers to communicate is another important role of BackOffice. It supports communication by acting as a network operating system, by accommodating remote access to local networks, by supporting wide area networking, and by enabling seamless connectivity to the Internet. These capabilities of BackOffice are built into Windows NT at the core of BackOffice.
The capability of BackOffice to manage and distribute useful information serves its purpose as a means for publishing and communication. Following is a brief description of the role some BackOffice applications serve in supporting its capability for publishing and communication. Reference to the appropriate section in this book is also provided to further explore each particular product.
Internet Information Server
The primary benefit of Internet Information Server (IIS) in information publishing is its capability to support the creation and operation of Web pages. This vehicle has proven to be a successful way to disseminate information to users across your network (intranet) or to users all over the world (Internet). Chapter 18, "Building a Web with Internet Information Server (IIS)," explains in detail how to use IIS for this purpose. Also notable is that such tools as Microsoft FrontPage 97 have significantly simplified the creation of Web pages.
See "Microsoft FrontPage," [Ch. 16]
Index Server
Index Server supports information publishing by providing a convenient means for organizing documents of unstructured data, such as Word files or Web pages. This enables users of the documents managed by Index Server to quickly search for desirable information and isolate it for viewing purposes. Index Server allows properties to be assigned to binary files and, as importantly, it understands how to use these properties to facilitate convenient access without having to interpret the entire document. See Chapter 21, "Implementing Index Server and the Content Replication System," for a thorough explanation of how to use Index Server for managing published information.
Content Replication Server
The information contained in Web pages is frequently created by more than one author. This often leads to a document management problem in that someone must be responsible for assimilating the information from each author and organizing it for Web page creation and distribution to the target audience. Content Replication Server is provided for this purpose. See Chapter 21, "Implementing Index Server and the Content Replication System," for more information about using Content Replication Server to manage published information.
SQL Server
SQL Server, as you have already seen, is the relational database management component of BackOffice. There are two important ways in which it supports information publishing. First, it is possible to build powerful reporting capabilities (sometimes referred to as data warehouses) with SQL Server managed data. Chapter 37, "Data Warehousing with SQL Server," explains how to use SQL Server to enables users access to structured data for reporting purposes or for ad hoc queries.
Secondly, SQL Server now interfaces seamlessly with IIS using a variety of techniques. This enables Web page developers to create dynamic Web pages that are driven by the data in a SQL Server database. To see how SQL Server interfaces with IIS, see Chapter 24, "Dynamic Content with IIS Using dbWeb and IDC." Combined with the data warehousing capabilities of SQL Server, the capability to create dynamic Web pages is a powerful manner in which to distribute information to private users on your intranet or to the public via the Internet.
Exchange Server
The most widely known role of Exchange Server in BackOffice is as the messaging component. Exchange Server also contains a comprehensive document management capability. This capability is delivered through, among other things, Exchange shared folders. These shared folders can be either public or private, and they can contain any type of electronic document desirable. In this manner, Exchange is a powerful publishing tool.
See "Document Library," [ See Ch. 30 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
SNA Server
There exists to this day in the evolution of information technology a tremendous amount of data on IBM mainframe computers. BackOffice provides the capability to communicate with IBM host computers with SNA Server. This product serves to connect local area networks to the mainframes enabling users and applications to access host data. As such, it provides communication services to computers outside of a traditional BackOffice environment.
See "Understanding SNA Server," [ See Ch. 39 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Sharing information among many people is a basic capability that we expect from information technology today. The complexities associated with sharing a wide variety of data types have led to the naming of a concept known as groupware. Many interpretations exist, but the most popular definition of groupware is software for managing shared documents and for managing electronic discussion groups.
BackOffice, and in particular Exchange Server, is built with this purpose in mind. Following is a brief description of how the role some BackOffice applications serve in supporting its capability for groupware. Reference to the appropriate section in this book is also provided to further explore each particular product.
Internet Information Server
IIS supports group activities in numerous ways. Among the most popular is its capability to enable electronic conversations by multiple, simultaneous users on your network or over the Internet. This capability is provided through the use of its bulletin board services.
A related way in which IIS supports group activities is through its capability to enable access to discussion databases via browsers. These and several other techniques are explored in detail in Chapter 16, "The BackOffice I-Net Toolbox."
Exchange Server
At the heart of BackOffice groupware capabilities is Exchange Server. The first and most obvious manner in which Exchange Server supports group activities its capability to manage folders of all types of information to users across the entire local area network or wide area network.
See "Setting Up the Public Folder Application," [ See Ch. 30 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
In addition to its capability to organize published data, it provides the capability to store and route messages. Routing documents throughout a group of people is one of the most important features Exchange Server provides in support of groupware. This includes store and forward document routing and document compilation with security.
See "Using Document Routing to Streamline Work Flow," [ See Ch. 30 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
SQL Server
Although SQL Server does not contribute volumes to the groupware role of BackOffice, it does support some important functions in this regard. Most notably is the capability of SQL Server to protect data with its full transaction processing capability. In addition to data protection services, SQL Server provides transaction audit information. This supports group-type data management activities that are necessary in a groupware environment. Microsoft has also recently added to SQL Server the capability to manage unstructured data, such as Word documents.
See "Integrating Exchange Server and SQL Server," [ See Ch. 30 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
BackOffice has become one of the predominant platforms upon which full-scale, mission-critical commercial applications are developed and operated. As Windows NT has gained market acceptance as a server operating system many companies have converted UNIX-based systems to Windows NT and much of new application development is based on Windows NT. This trend is a direct result of the benefits of BackOffice as an application development and deployment platform. Chapter 47, "Building BackOffice Applications," explores in detail the issues facing developers of BackOffice applications.
The benefits of BackOffice for building commercial applications apply equally to those creating applications for internal use and for those developing applications for sale to other organizations. There are several important reasons why BackOffice is a viable platform for building commercial applications, including the following:
See "Understanding the Server's Role," [Ch. 4]
See "Understanding Process Models," [Ch. 1]
See "Programmatic Interfaces," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Following is a brief description of the role some BackOffice applications serve in supporting its capability for building commercial applications. Reference to the appropriate section in this book is also provided to further explore each particular product.
Internet Information Server
IIS provides the foundation upon which all types of I-net services can be operated. As with Windows NT server applications, these I-net services can be purchased or built for internal purposes. Content Replication Server and Index Server are good examples of IIS-based server applications available from Microsoft. You can expect Microsoft to continue to develop and sell additional IIS-based server applications.
See "Internet Information Server," [Ch. 16]
This capability to extend the use of Internet technologies yields great benefits when the I-net process model is employed in application development. IIS provides a programming interface known as Internet Server API (ISAPI), which enables application developers to take advantage of this powerful capability to create customized I-net services.
See "ISAPI," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Active Platform
Another form of the extension of Internet technologies in BackOffice is the Active Platform. The Active Platform built into BackOffice provides the capability to build dynamic Web pages. This is an important aspect of developing commercial applications based on the I-net process model. Specifically, the Active Platform consists of the following three primary components, all of which sit atop IIS:
A complete discussion of the Active Platform can be found in Chapter 23, "Using Active Platform to Enhance Your Web Site."
Exchange Server
The messaging component of BackOffice is Exchange Server. Although Exchange Server provides other valuable services in the BackOffice environment, the important one pertinent to building commercial applications is its capability to send and route messages with associated data. The programmatic interface delivered with Exchange Server, Messaging API (MAPI), enables developers to build directly into their applications the capability to send messages when certain conditions arise as automatically detected by the state of the data or based on user action. In both cases, MAPI can be used by the application developer to create a message that contains data from the application and see to it the data is routed to the appropriate recipients.
See "MAPI," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
SQL Server
Relational database management within BackOffice is provided by SQL Server. It provides the capability to store, retrieve and manipulate data in a convenient manner for users and application developers. The most important role SQL Server plays in building commercial applications is that of the relational database management system (RDBMS).
See "What Is a Relational Database Management System?" [ See Ch. 32 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Another important aspect of SQL Server is the capability to access it programmatically. SQL Server enables programmatic access through a number of interfaces, including Structured Query Language (SQL); traditional development tools, such as Visual C++; and through specialized interfaces, such as Open Database Connectivity (ODBC).
See "Data Definition and Manipulation," [ See Ch. 32 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]See "ODBC," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
SNA Server
At times, it makes sense to automate the capability for an application built upon BackOffice to access data on a mainframe computer. In order to do this the application must have access to the host computer and be able to interpret the data to which it has access. SNA Server provides this capability through a programming interface called System Network Architecture API (SNAPI). SNAPI enables developers to code directly into the application the capability to retrieve data from the host by accessing the databases directly or through screen interfaces similar to those viewed by users.
See "SNAPI," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Now that you understand why BackOffice exists, it is helpful to understand its inner-workings. The starting point for how BackOffice works is its design goals. Many design goals of BackOffice are based on the need to create value for the product. The BackOffice design goals are shown together in Figure 2.1.
FIG. 2.1
The design goals of BackOffice are important to understand.
It is important to understand the technical aspects underlying each of these design goals. The following sections describe the important design goals of BackOffice and the technical significance of each.
The Windows NT operating system is designed to be portable, which implies Windows NT will operate on a variety of hardware platforms. The operating system itself is written primarily in C and C++ to ensure portability of the base source code. The small amount of the operating system written in Assembler also is designed to be portable to other platforms.
This approach makes it possible to port Windows NT to a number of processors relatively easily; consequently, users of Windows NT have choices when acquiring hardware. Windows NT is available for computer systems using the following processors:
MIPS, Digital Alpha AXP, and PowerPC are examples of reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, which Windows NT supports.
As shown in Figure 2.2, Windows NT is written without exploiting any features specific to a particular processor family. It uses only characteristics available on any processor, such as support for virtual memory and 32-bit memory addressing.
One of the design goals of BackOffice is to support portable applications across multiple-processor platforms.
The design of Windows NT and the development tools provided by Microsoft, make it possible to write a 32-bit Windows application with source code that is largely the same for all the different processor platforms supported by Windows NT. The application source modules need to be recompiled for the different target platforms, but significant customization for each platform is not required.
In spite of this fact, Microsoft does not offer every BackOffice server application for each processor platform supported by Windows NT. Table 2.2 summarizes the availability of various BackOffice components on each of the supported processors.
| Server Application | Intel | MIPS | Digital Alpha AXP | PowerPC | |
| Windows NT | x | x | x | x | |
| Internet Information Server |
x | ||||
| Exchange Server | x | ||||
| SQL Server | x | x | x | ||
| SNA Server | x | ||||
| SMS | x |
Microsoft claims BackOffice products will be supported on additional platforms as market demand dictates.
Scaleable operating systems and applications are essential in today's computing world. It is not unusual for application scope to increase suddenly and significantly in a short period of time. Applications must be designed and created such that these spikes can be addressed by straightforward adjustments to the computing hardware. This is more desirable, and typically more affordable, than re-creating an entire business application to accommodate more data.
An operating system is said to be scaleable if it automatically takes advantage of additional processors. In other words, an application designed to take advantage of the operating system should receive performance gains, or be able to process additional data without performance degradation, with only a change to the number of processors, and no change to its source code or configuration. Windows NT is a scaleable operating system on computers with multiple, identical processors.
There are two ways to "add" processors in the world of BackOffice and Windows NT. Processors can be added in either of the following ways:
One common way to increase computing power is to purchase hardware that supports additional processors. Depending on the version of Windows NT you have purchased and installed, and the computer upon which you are running Windows NT, improving performance can be as simple as installing more processors. Before exploring the alternative to plugging in more processors, it is useful to understand exactly how, when, and where Windows NT supports multiple processors (see Figure 2.3).
With the Windows NT Server automatic support for multiple processors, it is possible for an application to access a much larger databaseóalbeit with a sub-linear gain in performanceósimply by adding more processors.
Windows NT will run on computers that have more than one processor. The retail version of Windows NT Workstation uses up to two processors, and Windows NT Server uses up to four. These are the retail versions you will receive if you purchase either product off the shelf.
Some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) offer versions of Windows NT that support as many as 32 processors.
The capability to execute the operating system and applications on multiple processors at the same time is known as symmetric multiprocessing (SMP). The SMP capability of Windows NT is designed into its foundation; it is built directly into the operating system kernel to ensure optimal SMP is achieved on each platform Windows NT supports.
In a computer with multiple processors, Windows NT is responsible for distributing processes to be executed on all the available processors (see Figure 2.4). This includes operating system processes, such as service request managers and memory management functions. Microsoft has constructed the operating system such that process overhead is held to the bare minimum to reserve as much processor time as possible for applications.
Windows NT operates under a symmetrical multiprocessing scheme on multiprocessor computers.
Applications designed to operate on Windows NT or in a BackOffice environment should follow the design recommendations of Microsoft closely. Well-designed applications enjoy the benefits of SMP without undergoing significant overhauls each time processing loads increase.
NOTE: All BackOffice products are designed and developed as 32-bit Windows applications that automatically take advantage of the SMP capability of Windows NT.
Among the most important of these recommendations is designing applications into separate executable components, known as threads. Applications written for 32-bit versions of Windows and Windows NT can break down processes into threads and, therefore, become known as multithreaded applications. When Windows NT detects a multithreaded application is executing and detects the presence of multiple processors, it distributes the application threads among all available processors. Again, operating system threads are also distributed because Windows NT is SMP-based.
NOTE: The products included in BackOffice are implemented as multithreaded services that exploit additional processors on a server for performance gains.
Currently, Windows NT scales well in the neighborhood of four to eight processors. It has been tested successfully on multiprocessor computers with up to 16 processors. The theoretical limit is 32 processors. Said another way, Windows NT has the capability to work on 32 processors, has been tested on 16 processors, but retains a practical limitation somewhere in the neighborhood of six processors. Figure 2.5 depicts Windows NT processor effectiveness.
One way to characterize Windows NT multiprocessor capabilities is by describing its behavior at various numbers of processors.
NOTE: To say an operating system or application "scales up to n processors" implies that after the nth processor is added, the operating system or application receives no additional performance improvements.
When additional processors are added to a computer system, there is not necessarily be a proportionate gain in performance. In fact, at some point you experience no additional performance improvements. This is due to factors other than processor utilization. For example, on Intel-based personal computers (PCs), the speed with which data is transferred from the processor to memory is fully tapped at four processors. This is why the retail versions of Windows NT only support up to four processors. OEMs design special computers to overcome this problem and offer OEM-specific versions of Windows NT as the base platform.
TIP: To enable Windows NT to take advantage of additional processors, you need to set it up to use its multiprocessor kernel.
NOTE: Performance results are not necessarily proportionate to the number of processors.
The other way additional processors enable Windows NT to realize performance gains is by providing a means for process execution to be distributed across the network. In other words, processors throughout the networkónot just on the local computeróare utilized for process execution (see Figure 2.6). Windows NT and BackOffice rely heavily on a concept known as remote procedure calls (RPC) to make this possible.
NOTE: Not surprisingly, each BackOffice product uses RPC to interact with client workstations on the network.
Windows NT uses remote procedure calls to distribute process execution to other computers on the network as another means for achieving multiprocessing capabilities.
RPC supports the message-based aspect of the client-server and I-net process models. Because RPC enables processes to be executed anywhere on the network, you can optimize overall processor utilization. Consequently, you can take advantage of every available processor on the network. This can be achieved without sacrificing the advantage of multiple processors in any single computer on the network. Moreover, the advantage of RPC does not diminish in a well-designed application as more processors are added to the network.
Applications must be designed specifically to utilize RPC to gain any advantage from the distribution of process execution across the network. Distributed process execution is another way in which Windows NT is scaleable.
There is an ongoing and healthy debate about what constitutes an open operating system. Microsoft and Windows NT enthusiasts claim Windows NT is an open operating system. Proponents of rival operating systems frequently disagree. It is accurate to say, however, Microsoft has supported industry standards. Admittedly, some of these standards were defined by Microsoft. It also offers developer tools, documentation, publications, and conferences aimed at helping information systems professionals develop applications for the BackOffice environment. Whether this constitutes being open is perhaps moot.
NOTE: BackOffice integrates with other server applications that may run on the network, including applications competitive with BackOffice products.
Microsoft claims each BackOffice product complies with every major open computing standard. Again, some of these standards are established by Microsoft, whereas others are influenced by Microsoft's involvement in the standard-setting organizations. The following describes the most significant interfaces supported by BackOffice:
In addition to supporting these open interfaces, Windows NT Server supports many of the most popular network protocols, including the following:
UNIX interoperability is available through support of the open interfaces and protocols mentioned earlier. X Window system products can execute on Windows NT. Additionally, numerous third-party vendors offer products that bring BackOffice and UNIX closer together. Some of these products are based on the open interfaces, whereas others are based on licensing agreements between Microsoft and the third-party companies. One such example is Microsoft's Windows Interface Source Environment (WISE), which is licensed to a few third parties in the UNIX market. WISE permits Windows-based applications to be supported in UNIX environments while preserving interoperability with BackOffice. See Chapter 14, "Windows Integration with NetWare and UNIX," for a complete discussion on this topic.
In this brave, new world of computing in which data, processes, and information objects are distributed across local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs), security concerns abound. This is especially true considering the connection many organizations now, or soon will, have to the outside world via the Internet. These physical connections increase the opportunity for security violations.
See "Understanding BackOffice Security," [Ch. 4]
As an information systems professional, you must be serious about securing the information processed by your systems. Secure transmission, controlled access, and assigned authorizations are important aspects of a secure computing environment (see Figure 2.7). Organizations should also construct well-conceived security models and measure their effectiveness through frequent auditing.
BackOffice provides support for addressing the three major aspects of security: access, transmission, and authorization.
BackOffice facilitates the implementation of a comprehensive security plan. It addresses the need to control access and usage of services, as well as resources. Securing services and resources protects your processes, computers, peripheral devices, software, and information. Although BackOffice provides the tools for an effective security plan, full security cannot be achieved without the intelligent application of these tools, disciplined management, and the appropriate controls.
The BackOffice security model is fully integrated. This implies users have a single security entry point into the information network with only one user name and password to remember. Service and resource access and authorizations are assigned by administrators to each user. Users have the convenience of easy entry with the comfort of knowing their information is safe.
Is BackOffice suitable for mission-critical application deployment? The answer to this question lies in its robustness. Software is said to be robust if it does the following:
Most software products have difficulty laying claim to robustness in their first release. Stability remains elusive regardless of the volume of testing prior to release. However, over a period of time the software developer improves the product based on how it behaves for customers.
Microsoft is no exception to this principle. Many information systems managers await the second release of a software product prior to implementing it in their organization. They receive some additional comfort from the fact that the initial problems with the software have been repaired.
As each new version of the software is released it gets closer to the goal of true robustness. BackOffice is now in its fourth release. As such, it possesses a level of robustness suitable for mission-critical applications.
An obvious design goal of BackOffice is the desire for consistency. On the surface, this design goal is observed first as you view the user interfaces for each product and the associated services and administrative tools. A consistent, graphical user interface has been achieved among all BackOffice products. This look and feel is also consistent with other Microsoft operating systems and the Microsoft Office family of desktop products.
As important, BackOffice appears consistent to administrators and developers. Administrators are presented with a consistent set of administration tools. Some tools deal with the administration of multiple services at the same time. Ease of administration is a key advantage given the diversity and flexibility of BackOffice services.
NOTE: In the future, this consistency will be more obvious as Microsoft releases its Microsoft Management Console. This will become the single interface through which all BackOffice products are administered.
The programming interface available to developers is also constructed in a consistent manner. The Windows NT application programming interface (API) is known as Win32. Win32 is the basis upon which all BackOffice products are developed. Moreover, it is available to you for development of applications or services. Because Win32 is a part of Windows NT, it is available to developers of client applications and server processes. This provides all BackOffice developers the advantage of a consistent programming interface.
Another important way in which Microsoft has achieved consistency is the manner in which Windows NT ports to various processors. It has taken care to use only processor features available on all the processors supported by Windows NT. It is conceivable that Microsoft will never exploit processor-specific features. In this manner, Microsoft will avoid the version fragmentation that has plagued UNIX over the years.
You have already seen how the BackOffice security model delivers, in part, the design goal of integration. This is but one of the many ways in which integration is accomplished. BackOffice products are designed also to integrate well with the following:
Integration with Windows NT
Windows NT serves as the basis for a complete network operating system. You learn more about BackOffice as a network operating system in the section "A Network Operating System" later in this chapter. With Windows NT as a foundation, BackOffice provides a full set of integrated network services.
BackOffice products also tend to integrate well with each other. An example of this is the dependency SMS has on SQL Server. SQL Server also has built-in integration with Internet Information Server. Curiously though, Exchange Server does not use SQL Server as its database. Instead, it uses an internal Microsoft database engine.
Integration with Other Networks
In addition to the network services provided, BackOffice integrates well with many other popular networks. Connectivity is provided from your computing desktop to Novell NetWare, UNIX, LAN Manager, AppleTalk, DEC PATHWORKS, IBM LAN Server, Network File System (NFS), and Banyan VINES. This level of support for other network operating systems ensures that BackOffice integrates into heterogeneous computing environments. For more information on how BackOffice acts as a network operating system, see "A Network Operating System" later in this chapter.
Integration with the Internet
Perhaps the hottest topic in technology circles today is the Internet. BackOffice comes complete with an Internet Server component, as well as several Internet Server products, such as Proxy Server. This service enables your network and organization to integrate with the world via the Internet. BackOffice also facilitates the delivery of Internet connectivity to the desktops on your network.
See "Microsoft Internet Architecture," [Ch. 16]
Integration with Desktop PCs and NCs
Finally, BackOffice is designed to tightly couple with desktop computersóPCs or Network Computers (NCs). This, after all, is the sole reason for the existence of BackOffice. Its primary job is to deliver data to the computing desktops in the form of meaningful information. Microsoft has designed BackOffice consistent with desktop design goals to ensure seamless integration of all computers on the network and the Internet, as shown in Figure 2.8.
BackOffice products integrate well with each other, and together they integrate well with other networks, such as Novell and the Internet.
The basic architecture of BackOffice ensures that new services can be added and existing services can be enhanced. The capability to add new services and enhance existing services is known as extensibility.
Microsoft continues to invest in the development of new products and services in the BackOffice family. Its many Internet server products, such as Merchant Server and Personalization Server, are a good examples of a recent additions to the product suite. Additionally, Microsoft continues to provide enhanced versions of the core BackOffice products. Exchange Server is a good example of a recent product upgrade.
NOTE: Building your own services is a convenient way to customize BackOffice for your organization.
In addition to the products and services available from Microsoft, a market exists for third-party BackOffice products. Microsoft has released a sufficient amount of technical information about the way in which BackOffice services are built and executed to enable developers to create their own services. Consequently, companies have entered into the business of developing and selling BackOffice add-on services. These services can be managed by the same administrative tools used to manage services from Microsoft.
NOTE: Microsoft and third parties will continue to build and enhance services.
You can also build your own services or modify existing services. This is the essence of client-server computing and is at the heart of the Internet. A combination of purchased services and home-grown services is typical in today's computing environments. Armed with a consistent set of APIs and an appropriate set of development tools, developers can influence the behavior of existing services. Administrators also possess flexibility in setting the behavioral characteristics of services.
BackOffice is used in a networked computing environment. This typically includes desktop PCs and desktop NCs, or clients, and larger computers, called servers. The servers are shared resources in a network just as other peripheral devices and mainframe computers.
The servers must run a network-capable operating system. Popular network operating systems include UNIX, Novell NetWare, and Windows NT. Client PCs and client NCs can run a wider variety of operating system software including DOS, Windows, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT Workstation, Windows 95, UNIX, OS/2, and Mac OS.
The various network operating systems offer different sets of network services. Some services are available on all network operating systems; others are not. Network services built in to BackOffice include the following:
Some common services are described in the following sections.
In a networked environment, it is possible to share resources (such as printers and files) containing important information. This has been the main reason for installing traditional LANs in corporate environments.
In addition to file and printer sharing, it is possible to share other resources on a network. It is common, for example, to share a pool of modems so that a group of people can take turns using them to establish a phone link to remote locations. Sharing peripheral devices, such as modems and printers, results in more efficient utilization of hardware. Consequently, computer equipment investments can be leveraged among several users.
In addition to sharing information and peripheral devices, such as printers, a logical next step in the evolution of LAN-based computing is to share processing power. This has been previously described as client-server computing. Network operating systems, such as Windows NT, provide the basis for the client-server process model. RPC is one of the many capabilities of Windows NT that enables client processes to communicate with server processes. These underpinnings permit the creation of server-based applications that are sharable simultaneously among many clients. The same capability of BackOffice as a network operating system supports usage of the I-net process model, as well.
See "Understanding Process Models," [Ch. 1]
A key design element of Windows NT is the concept of a service. A service, in a Windows NT networking environment, is a special type of server-based application. Service is an appropriate name for this type of application because its typical role is to offer services (the traditional meaning of the word) to users on the network.
BackOffice can be viewed as a set of services made available to computers attached to a network. Typically the consumers, or clients, of these services are desktop computers (either PCs or NCs) in an office environment. The following are some of the services provided by BackOffice:
This represents only a partial list of the available services, but it should give you a flavor of the capabilities of BackOffice. Each component of BackOffice is explored in detail in the chapters to follow. Services have the following characteristics:
NOTE: Pausing a service enables users who are actively using the service to continue, but no new users can connect to the service. For example, pausing the Server service on a Windows NT server prevents any new users from connecting to shared resources.
The service architecture supported by Windows NT is a powerful, extensible way to develop the server component of client-server applications. Windows NT services are somewhat similar to daemons in UNIX environments or NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) in a Novell NetWare environment. You learn the basics of controlling services in the next two sections.
In Part II, "Windows NT Server: Installation and Administration," you learn how to use the various administrative applications that enable you to configure and control Windows NT Server and BackOffice. For now, it is useful to understand that some standard administrative utilities come with Windows NT Server that enable you to control Windows NT itself. These utilities also enable you to control applications and services operating on a Windows NT server.
Windows NT Server Manager is shown in Figure 2.9, which is one of the administrative utilities. Server Manager can be used to control services on computers anywhere on the network as long as you have the necessary administrative rights. Server Manager was designed as a tool to let you manage remote servers without having to physically visit a computer and log on.
Use the Windows NT Server Manager to select any computer on the network to administer.
You can also use Server Manager to change the startup options for a service. Most often, services are set to automatically start when the computer is turned on and Windows NT is loaded. Alternatively, you can set the service startup option to Manual. To start the service, an administrator must follow the procedure for starting services (or an equivalent procedure). You can also completely disable a service if you do not want any of its components to be active, or allow it to be started accidentally.
TIP: Use Windows NT Server Manager to stop, start, and configure BackOffice services.
Windows NT and the BackOffice suite of server-based applications create a powerful platform upon which additional product development can take place. It is safe to assume that Microsoft will continue to develop and deliver BackOffice service-based applications. See Chapter 47, "Building BackOffice Applications," for more information.
Many software products have been created to run in a BackOffice environment, and more are being created every day. These products may be shrink-wrapped applications that appeal to a wide audience, or they may be highly customized applications designed to meet specific requirements at a single organization.
In addition to products available through vendors other than Microsoft, Microsoft also continues to develop and sell new BackOffice-based products. In particular, it is amassing a large suite of Internet server products and packaging them in various ways within and separate from BackOffice.
TIP: You are strongly encouraged to stay current with BackOffice developments by frequently visiting the BackOffice Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/backoffice/.
Additional techniques must be learned to create a service, register it with Windows NT security, and execute it in a network environment. It is beyond the scope of this book to discuss development of BackOffice services. However, it is important to know how the acquisition, development, and administration of these services affect you.
Now that you are familiar with the roles of BackOffice, the design goals of BackOffice, its role as a network operating system, its flexible set of services, and its basis as a platform for future information processing, what does it all mean to you? This, of course, depends on your role in information systems. If you are an information systems manager, administrator, or developer, you will find that BackOffice offers you many benefits.
Information systems managers, as well as business executives, can realize many benefits from BackOffice. Clearly, the most advantage is gained when the entire BackOffice product suite is implemented. This is true in small, medium, and large organizations due to the economies of scale and product synergy realized as a result of the consistent and integrated foundation BackOffice provides. The benefits that BackOffice provides to managers include the following:
- Data warehousing
- Systems and network management
- Consistently distributed objects
- Decision support systems (DSS)
- Executive information systems (EIS)
See "Understanding Information Networks," [Ch. 1]
Overall, you can expect to have a more satisfied user community as a result of a successful BackOffice implementation. information network users have better information and higher levels of integration. This permits them to make better decisions and be more responsive to the pressures arising from increasingly shorter cycles in the business world (e.g., the product life of a Microsoft product version is now around 6ñ12 months, while just a year or so ago it was a full 18 months).
Information systems administration teams require tools to facilitate the delivery of information to the enterprise computing desktops. BackOffice, along with its add-ons and desktop solutions, represent a comprehensive set of tools that facilitate administration. The types of administrators needed and how the team works together are covered in Chapter 3, "Planning for BackOffice." The following explains the benefits that system, network, Internet/intranet, database, and other administrators will derive from BackOffice:
See "I-Net Process Model," [ See Ch. 47 in Special Edition Using Microsoft BackOffice, Volume 2 ]
Microsoft understands BackOffice products will only be as successful as the administrators managing the information network. For this reason, it has focused on easing the burden of administration by building a consistent set of graphical administration tools. The strength of the administration tool set will only improve as Microsoft and third-party developers continue to enhance the administrative capabilities of BackOffice.
See "Organizing Administration Teams," [Ch. 3]
Software development is currently undergoing a fundamental transition. The industry is headed toward component-based software derived from the principles of object-oriented technology. This momentum is fueled by the widespread acceptance of the Internet and its associated technologies as a commercial computing environment. Even though you will rarely hear object technology mentioned when discussing BackOffice with Microsoft, it is clearly based on object-oriented concepts. On the other hand, the Internet is typically associated with each new product development effort due to its market visibility.
Software development teams of the future will contain component builders and solution builders. Component builders will create the basic software objects that become the building blocks for applications. Solution builders will assemble these building blocks into software solutions.
NOTE: BackOffice does not diminish the need for developers to understand the principles of the underlying technologies.
Microsoft has stated its intention to move toward a component-based architecture for all of BackOffice. To the developer, this means BackOffice will appear to you as a large set of building blocks from which you can choose software components when assembling an application. In addition to the many advantages brought about by object technology, BackOffice provides many other benefits to developers, whether you are a component builder or a solution builder. Following is a list of advantages BackOffice offers to developers:
See "Active Platform Features," [Ch. 23]
See "Understanding Information Networks," [Ch. 1]
Even as software development tools have become incredibly powerful, the act of software development remains difficult. Software developers face innumerable complexities with each new application. BackOffice assists developers by simplifying many tasks associated with software developmentówithout sacrificing flexibility. Chapter 47, "Building BackOffice Applications," contains a thorough discussion on the issues facing developers of BackOffice applications.
In addition to being a manager, administrator, or developer, you are also a computer user on the network. What does BackOffice mean to you as a computer user? What does it mean to the users of your network, servers, or applications? Even though this book is not intended for users of BackOffice, it will be helpful for you to understand the many benefits to users, whether you are a manager, administrator, or developer. The advantages of BackOffice to users include the following:
The availability of more and better information supports the ultimate goal of any information systems group: to provide users with all the information required to seamlessly support their decision-making processes. Most organizations today are under constant pressure to make better and faster decisions. Facilitating the delivery of information to the decision makers promotes an effective decision-making environment.
To this end, this chapter gives you a first look at the roles BackOffice plays in information systems and the technical foundation upon which BackOffice is designed and built. This includes examining the role of Windows NT Server as a network operating system and gaining an understanding of servicesóthe most basic principle of BackOffice. To bring it all together, you learned what BackOffice means to you as an information systems manager, administrator, developer, or user. For information on related topics, see the following chapters:
To further explore the network implications of Windows NT Server, see Chapter 7, "Administering Windows NT Server."
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