Help:COAP-3180/week2
Week 2 - COAP 3180
Topics Covered
We will explorer (concurrently) the following topics:
Web application architecture overview
- Overview of web hosting alternatives
- Application architectures / frameworks overview
- WAMP/LAMP software bundles and applications, various options
- Use of a portable WAMP architecture (Mowes)
- The three tier model
Short overview of databases
- What is a Database and how is it used in Internet applications ?
- Relational data base management systems (RDBMS) and ownership of databases
- MySQL (databases, tables and users): First contact with this RDBMS
Portalware (Content management systems / light-weight web application frameworks)
- Short overview of typical LAMP-based systems systems (and similar)
- An overview of typical installation and configuration work.
Classroom activities
(1) Mix, download and install a Mowes combo'
(a) Download the Modular Webserver System (Mowes) server
- http://www.chsoftware.net/en/mowes/mowesportable/mowes.htm (Mix and download a server).
You will need at least the following modules
- Server software
- Apache 2_SE
- MySQL 5_SE
- PHP5
- Mission critical application software
- PHPMyAdmin
- Application software
- Drupal
- Joomla
- MediaWiki
- Wordpress
(b) Dezip the downloaded archive to drive c:\temp2
- Ask a lab assistant or the instructor if you need help with 7zip
(c) Click on Mowes.exe
- This will install the Mowes server in the directory plus install all the downloaded application software. Be patient. This may take some time.
(d) You can add other portals by downloading a new module from MOWES. Drop the file to the top-level directory and restart the mowes application.
Getting your own copy
- You may copy the whole directory to a memory stick (may take a full hour to copy). Applications will continue to work. Mowes doesn't write anything to a system directory or the registry and will adapt to a new directory structure.
- Alternatively, you can re-enact the process at home on your personal computer...
- Donwlaod again from http://www.chsoftware.net/en/mowes/mowesportable/mowes.htm
(2) A tour of the Mowes WAMP system
- The instructor will show some features of the system and relate it to an introductory talk about web applications
(3) Playing with portalware
- Use http://php.opensourcecms.com/ according to instructions
- For homework, you also should consult the portalware article
(4) Configuration of portalware (Mowes)
- Mowes packages all include the same admin login and password.
Login = admin and password = password
- You may need to figure the admin URL for each application.
Homework 2
Task
Details TBA (available on Wednesday). Provisional synopsis:
Task: Create a resource about a portalware that you select with respect to a website project for a given targent audience and try to install it. Tasks will include:
- Define objectives and target population
- Create a shortlist of three CMS/CMF systems that run under PHP/MySQL
- Select the most promising one and add the following links:
- Download page
- A link to two respectable websites that provide comments and evaluations of this system
- Installation manual
- External help
- Add other useful information
- Install the system with MOWES. If the installation fails, try to explain why.
You can create the resource in three ways:
- Create a webpage and submit the web page
- Create a netvibes pagecast and submit the URL
- User your own personal web site and submit the URL
This homework is a preparation for the term project.
Submission Dates
- This homework is due on wednesday week 3 (before lesson start)
- Students must provide an URL or a file in the world classroom
- Each homework counts 10% in your global evaluation. The four best homeworks will be taken into account.
Evaluation
TBA
Tips for the homework
- The easiest solution is to select a system available that is available as Mowes package.
Links and teaching materials
Software
- http://www.chsoftware.net/en/mowes/mowesportable/mowes.htm (Mix and download a server).
- See the portalware article for pointers regarding CMS/CMF systems
Teaching materials
- Slides: http://tecfa.unige.ch/guides/te/files/webdatabases-intro.pdf (PDF)
- See the next item for various links you may consult depending on your needs
Reading
I suggest that you have a look at the following articles. Reading is not mandatory, but may help you understand some concepts and issues.
- About Web hosting
- Web Hosting Service (Wikipedia)
- Shared web hosting service
- About the LAMP/WAMP bundles
- LAMP (software bundle) (Wikipedia) - WAMP/LAMP (this wiki)
- Wikipedia has extensive documentation on databases, e.g. about SQL or about the MySQL RDMS.
- About Web applications, content management frameworks and systems
- (short) Edutechwiki articles: web application, Portalware, content management system, Web application framework