The Web (World Wide Web) is known in the information technology field as a subset of the internet with pages that are accessed by web browsers (Techopedia, 2022). This is not the same as what is defined as the Internet. The Internet is defined as the global network of servers that make it possible for users to share information over the Web. The Web is a large part of the Internet, but it is not the same thing. The question now would be where is the data stored that is accessed by users to share over the Web? This would be where the web-based database management system would come into play.
An essential part of a database management system that is used to store data for web applications is called a web-based database management system (W3Schools, n.d.). A web-based DBMS handles databases that have e-commerce, blogs, email, and other online applications data.
In this post, Web-DBMS integration will be focused on as well as functions and definitions of the Web. Advantages and disadvantages of Web-DBMS integration as well as the best approach for DBMS and Web integration for any given company will be outlined.
Web-based DBMS Integration
A web database can be accessed from local networks, or from the internet, instead of a database that has data stored on attached storage or on a desktop and can be used for personal or business use (Zenkit, 2018). Web databases are SaaS (Software as a Service) products which means that a web browser provides access. Common ways organizations use web databases are for things such as website polls, inventory lists, and feedback forms. There are several advantages and disadvantages of web databases. Most organizations need a more general way that prevents them from being tied into a single technology. After all, web data integration is managing data that is from different websites and aggregating it into a homogeneous workflow. There are certain requirements that organizations need to implement a web database and to integrate it into their DBMS.
Requirements
The first step of integrating a web-based DBMS is for an organization to decide what type of database is required for its business, how much data needs to be stored, and the daily volume of data needed. It is necessary for the organization to make a list of necessary requirements for database integration applications for the Web. That list should consist of the following (W3Schools, n.d.):
- An open-architectural structure which will allow interoperability for a variety of systems.
- An efficient connectivity solution allowing for full DBMS feature benefits.
- A way to allow development and scalability in a cost-reduced way.
- It should offer administration overhead that is minimal.
- It should give support for multiple HTTP request transactions.
Although there are other requirements, the list above provides some of the most popular and important requirements. Along with understanding the requirements of web-based DBMS, an organization should understand how it works in their network. They should understand that when a user browses the Web, a web browser is used to request resources from the web server which responds with the requested resources. These requests could be done by clicking on links, typing in URLs in the browser, or submitting filled out forms. A web-based application can be built on a two-tier or a three-tier architecture. The two-tier architecture is defined as when a web browser makes a request to the web server, and it responds. The three-tier architecture is defined as when the web browser will request a resource and the database will generate a response.
Advantages and Disadvantages
As stated earlier in this document, a web-based database is made to be accessed from anywhere in the world through the internet. These types of databases have advantages to organizations and users, but there are also some disadvantages of having this type of database. It provides users with information that they would find faster than going to a book or library. The web-based database can be accessed from anywhere in the world, and it is easy to access due to the GUI provided. The web-based database is scalable to allow greater volumes of data.
Although the advantages are immense, some of the disadvantages could really cause organizational issues. The web-based database could be costly, and can mean searching can be a little limited, but an organization can adjust to these. However, one of the disadvantages could prove fatal. This is data security. If an organization gets breached, and data has been stolen, it could bring the whole business down. There are legal costs, recovery costs, and damage to the organization’s reputation that will keep it from getting future customers. This could completely break a business.
Best Approach to Web and DBMS Integration in an E-commerce Business
The assignment for this unit calls for an example of the best approach for Web and DBMS integration. One of the best examples of this is the e-commerce business. E-commerce (Electronic Commerce) businesses are defined as services and goods being traded over the internet (Amazon, n.d.). There are several types of e-commerce businesses, but the most common three are businesses that sell to consumers, businesses that sell to other businesses, and consumers that sell to other consumers. Depending on the type of services and products a business decides to sell and how big the business is they would need to choose the best web-based architecture.
E-commerce Architecture
There are two types of e-commerce architectures. Below are the two types with their definitions (Big Commerce, n.d.):
- Two-tier architecture – this refers to two components of the e-commerce business that work on two sides of the architecture. The client side (user interface) and the server side (database).
- Three-tier architecture- unlike the two-tier architecture, the three-tier architecture refers to three components of the e-commerce business. This is the client side (user interface), the business side (applications), and the server side (database).
As data security is a big consideration in all businesses, it is advised by cyber and information security professionals for big e-commerce businesses to implement the three-tier architecture in their network. Each layer has a function. The presentation layer is the layer that is shown to the customer by user interface and allows them to interact with the website. The logic, or business, layer is where the business rules process information through applications. The data layer is where the database is located that stores data. The business layer can add or change data in the data layer. As the three-tier architecture does not allow the customer to directly communicate with the database it is considered the most secure architecture. Therefore, security professionals highly recommend the three-tier architecture for web-based databases.
E-commerce Web-based DBMS Best Practices
The best e-commerce database would need to be high performance so users can easily interact with the website to access data and information for services and products and enjoy a great shopping experience (Lim, 2020). Database tables should be designed securely but simply and need to allow users to easily search. The e-commerce database should always be available for users and should be easily scalable to handle large data volumes.
Before an e-commerce business begins their online business, they should begin by considering three key parts of a good database design. They should first start with the database scope. This includes things such as the indexes and table structure and the functionality of the whole database. Next the business should decide the type of database they will need by considering the type and volume of the data they expect to store. The last consideration would be to consider the database infrastructure such as if the database will be managed or unmanaged. A managed database if the business wants to have their own database service. An unmanaged database allows a third-party to manage and maintain it. While considering the database infrastructure, the business should consider how it would be implemented using the three-tier architecture as mentioned earlier in this document.
In conclusion, a web-based DBMS is an integral part of an online business or website. A database needs to be able to be accessed by users on the Internet through the Web. A web-based database needs to be easily accessible to allow users to get information quickly on products and services. The web-based database should be available to users every minute of the day. The is important for a business to be successful. A business can choose if they wish to use a two-tier or a three-tier architecture, but security professionals state it is best to use a three-tier architecture. Implementing good DBMS practices is key to having a successful business as customers will have a better shopping experience and businesses will have a secure and protected database.
References
Ahirlabs. (2018, July 4). What is web database ? Ahirlabs: https://www.ahirlabs.com/2018/04/07/what-is-web-database/
Amazon. (n.d.). What is e-commerce? Amazon: https://sell.amazon.com/learn/what-is-ecommerce#:~:text=Ecommerce%20or%20electronic%20commerce%20is,ones%20on%20the%20internet%20superhighway.
Big Commerce. (n.d.). Guide to e-commerce architecture. Big Commerce: https://www.bigcommerce.com/articles/ecommerce-website-development/ecommerce-architecture/
Das , S. (2019, February 13). Online database - key advantages and disadvantages. Ezine Articles: https://ezinearticles.com/?Online-Database---Key-Advantages-And-Disadvantages&id=6877621
Lim, D. (2020, November 19). What’s an example of good ecommerce database design? Fabric Inc: https://fabric.inc/blog/ecommerce-database-design-example/
Techopedia. (2022, September 2). Web. Retrieved from Techopedia: https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5613/web
W3Schools. (n.d.). Web-based database management system. W3Schools: https://www.w3schools.in/dbms/web-based-database-management-system
Zenkit. (2018, January 30). Everything you need to know about web databases. Zenkit: https://zenkit.com/en/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-web-databases/#:~:text=a%20web%20database%3F-,Web%20Database%20Definition,desktop%20or%20its%20attached%20storage.