B2C B2E Systems Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.
de/teaching > ECommerce
Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002
4. B2C,B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

4.1 Business-to-Consumer Systems Architectures and Components 4.1.1 Shop Functionalities, Architectures, Selected Components 4.1.2 Comparison: Shops vs. Malls Sample Systems 4.1.3 OpenShop Business 4.1.4 Intershop Enfinity 4.2 Business-to-Employee: Enterprise Information and Knowledge Management
Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)
4-1
ECommerce Reference Model

Applications for horizontal and vertical sectors Organizational issues Virtual Organizations Electronic Trading Systems (Shop Systems) Kinds of Cooperation Political and Legal Aspects of Forms of Payment Technical issues Base Technologies (Internet-, Communication-, Security-, DB-, Software-Technology) Security, Trust Transact. Control Agent Technlgy Mediation, Negotiation EDI EC
Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Tools
[MeTuLa99]
Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03) 4-2
Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures
ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce
Online Shops
Definition
An Online Shop System defines the buyer / seller interface using Internet technology. It supports mainly the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) business model.
Shop system vendors have established knowledge about online shops (e.g., Intershop exists since 1994). Shop vendors can be classified as o specialized shop providers (Intershop, OpenShop, ...) o standard software providers (Microsoft, Oracle, ...) which integrate shops into their software suites. An online shop is more complex than it seems to be at first glance. NOTE: Some concepts introduced or mentioned in chapter 4 will be refined in chapter 5, e.g., o Product information and catalog structure o Payment models and systems o Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), Recommendation Engines, o User profiling o Security and Trust
Online Shops: Core Functionality

o Product Catalog Management maintains a (flat, hierarchical, ) directory of Hard (tangible) goods (examples: books, cars, clothing) Soft (intangible) goods (example: software product, license, news) o Search Engine o Shopping Basket Management links customers & products o Customer Identification (example: visitor vs. buyer vs. preferred customer, ) o Billing & Payment Taxation Shipping fees
4-4
Online Shops: Desirable Functionality

o Banner Management o Statistics Report, Data Mining o Integration of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality Customer Profiling Customer Classification Call Center Integration Campaign Management o Bridge to Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Backend System Controlling Inventory management (are there sufficient hard goods on stock?) Accounts payable (German: Kreditoren) o Legal issues: Electronic Contracts Exchange for binding legal statements / electronic contracts between customer & merchant
Online-Shop: Reference Architecture

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System
Core Shop System
Shop Users
Banner Manager
Banner-Mgmt
P G
Internet
Unstruct. Catalog Content Structure
Product Inform.
TX Data
User Download Profiles Area
Banner Pool
Payment / Billing Provider
Data Exchange Interfaces
OLAP Tools
Recommendation Engine
PG = Payment Gateway
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-6
Selected Shop System Components: Editorial System

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System Editorial System Shop System Banner-Mgmt Internet PayPayment/ ment / Billing Billing ProProvider vider Shop Users Banner Manager
P G
Unstruct. Catalog Product Product Content Structure Inform. Inform.
TX Data
Banner Pool
OLAP Tools
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-7
Selected Shop System Components: Editorial System

An Editorial system is used to manage and administrate a shop: o Manage product information product catalog structure unstructured content (examples: logos, headline, footer, copyright notice) o Import product information from ERP systems NOTE: Sample online shop for starting is usually provided by shop system vendor
4-8
Selected Shop System Components: Product DB

The Product Information Database contains o Product classification information (categorization) and o Product information, e.g.: Product attributes (name, price in different currencies, ...) Image / 3D model Descriptions Discounts, Advertising intensity Links to related products Product information databases may support staging process (see later). Required: Adaptability and extensibility of o Categorizations o Product specifications (attributes)
Selected Shop System Components: Core Shop System

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System
Core Shop System Shop Software
Shop Users
Banner Manager
Banner-Mgmt
P G
Internet
Product Inform.
TX Data
Banner Pool
PayPayment/ ment / Billing Billing ProProvider vider
OLAP Tools
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-10
Selected Shop System Components: Core Shop System

A shop software presentation system is part of the core shop system. It controls the visualization aspects of an online shop. Two main objectives: o Aggregation of content to be displayed as a whole. A page contains, e.g., product information ads from banner pool news feed personalized content download links, ... o Rendering of content format resolution
request HTML template Pro duct
User
Ads
See chapter 3 for architecture and realization technologies.

response HTML
Selected Shop System Components: Payment Gateway

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System Shop Software Banner-Mgmt PayPayment Inter- ment / / net Billing Billing ProProvider vider Shop Users Banner Manager
P G
Product Inform.
TX Data
Banner Pool
OLAP Tools
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-12
Selected Shop System Components: Payment Gateway

A Payment gateway is the interface from the shop system to a banks clearing server. o Not developed by shop system providers, but by electronic payment system vendor. o Separately bought as plug-in / cartridge o Usually integrated as a shell script or component Payment Gateway vendors usually provide credit-card payment clearing service only. Examples for credit-card payment gateway vendors: o PSiGate o Merchant Commerce & Payment Services (MCPS) o eWAY See chapter 5 for more information on payment models, payment systems, and standards.
Selected Shop System Components: Admin

The Administration Component (not shown in diagram) is used to administrate the entire shop system (components and their interconnections), e.g., editorial system, core shop system, banner management, databases, interfaces to ERP systems, etc. This components is usually realized as a separate management console. Administration over the web also possible (see security aspects). Administrative tasks: o Conduct staging process (updating the published shop appearance) o Define shop entrance point (URL of start page) o Configure Payment Gateway o Define database schemata of product information database, user profiles, transaction data
4-14
Comparison: Shop and Mall

Definition
An Online mall is a system that integrates multiple online shops.
Benefits / Liabilities for the client: o Mall may provide meta catalog (catalog of all products of all shops) o Wider product range as compared to a single shop o Mall can be looked and felt and walked through for the shop provider: o Outsourcing of shop development, payment clearing, and client solvency checks o Does not control the integration into mall (mall provides integration of shop pages) for the mall provider: o Integration of shops by quantity or quality o Increase of overall visits

4-16
OpenShop Business Architecture (1)

Common properties of OpenShop Business version 1 and 2 (www.openshop.com) Lean Architecture (core shop functionality) o No catalog server (DB) o No integrated database (is provided externally) o Staging of system not supported Idea: o Integrating OS-specific instructions (tags) into html sources which are preprocessed into binary format. HTML pages are generated by a page generator. The OpenShop scripting language specializes on online shop functionalities o Compact set of script commands o Ease of understanding and use
OpenShop Business Architecture (2)

Reduced functionality: o The OpenShop functionality is based primarily on the concept of a shopping cart. Plus: o FlowEditor: Simple one-way process editor (only for early prototyping) (one-way = no reverse engineering of customized shops) o Statistics support o Payment gateway support via macro-based program invocation o Automatic email notification of sales person after order completion o Automatic order log written after order completion
4-18
Reference Architecture vs. OpenShop Business

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System Shop Software Banner-Mgmt
Shop Users
Internet
Product Inform.
TX Data
User Profiles
Download Area
Banner Pool
OLAP Tools
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-19
OS Business Architecture in Detail

Shop Editor Internet
invoke
Shop Users
File Database
Flow Editor edit

HTML Templates Customized Macros
Page Generator
Binary Templates
Preprocessor
Binary Macros
Internet
Payment/ Billing Provider
Product Inform.
Catalog Structure
TX Data
User Profiles
4-20
Payment Gateway
10
OpenShop Business FlowEditor

Sample online shop: Online Pizza Shop
A process definition is denoted as steps (= Web pages) connected by transitions (= Web links). A red F represents form input (= HTML form), a red arrow form data processing A green arrow illustrates a product added to the shopping cart.
OpenShop Business Concepts (1)

Database o Data maintenance on database (via DB tools...). o No staging: Changes are reflected instantly in the shop. o Extensible OpenShop standard schemes. o Short DB transactions. No session-spanning transactions, no TP-Monitor interface. Web Server o No Load Balancing o Web session data is not made persistent
4-22
11

User Roles o Client and administrator. o Administrator can change shop remotely: Altered files are transferred via FTP. Online access to Preprocessor. Session Management Clients: Session ID (URL rewriting), cookies are not supported o For each session history scripts (variable values, etc.) are created. These are deleted after session timeout. o Session IDs can be transferred to external services which can then resume / continue the session. Administrator: Login and Internet Protocol (IP)-based authentication NOTE: External services cannot prolong session timeout Can cause unexpected session timeouts.

Templates o Separation of Business Logic (macros) and Layout (HTML Templates with variables and calls to macros). o Special-purpose control structures based on the notion of a "current item" embedded as HTML-Comments into HTML pages. o Template processing works on any HTML, XML, WML, ECML documents augmented by HTML / XML comments. o For extended functionality a SDK can be purchased allows extended access to the server Macros o Purpose: Connecting to databases and to external modules (executables) o Must be defined in a specific macro file (macro.mac). o Invoked from within templates via the OS-Tag OS-MACRO: 
12
OpenShop: Sample Product List Page

Screenshot: List of products matching Pizza search expression.
4-25
OpenShop: Sample Product Database

Product and Catalog Database Tables Relationship
Product Database Table
4-26
13
OpenShop Template: Product List (1)

<BODY> <H2>Product List:</H2> This is what we found for you. For more information click on one of the items.<P> Variable initialized (used by macro)   <UL>  Loop through output of macro <LI> <A HREF="proddata.tpl?curritem={curritem}">{product}</A> <BR>  Current item Variable set </UL> variable by macro <P>
Macro invocation
OpenShop Template: Product List (2)

Next block: executed only if next block of items exists  There are even more items. <A HREF="prodlist.tpl?currblock={nextblock}">next</A><BR>  Previous block: executed only if previous block of items exists  <A HREF="prodlist.tpl?currblock={prevblock}">previous</A>  Empty block: executed only if no products were found  Sorry, we didn't find anything matching your search. <A HREF="search.tpl?">Try again!</A>   </BODY>
14
OpenShop Macro: prodlist (Fetch Product List) :macro prodlist Macro name
Database macro odbc SQL statement Database, Account & Passwd select ProdNo, Name, Description, Price, Tax, Image_File from Items where {condition_prodlist} source=ec-demo account=ec passwd=db :data art_number Query results are product bound to these OpenShop variables description price vat img_file
ProdNo Implied mapping of SQL results to OS variables Name Description Price Tax Image_File
4-29

HTML-Page generation: The page generator (PG) o transforms binary code (generated by preprocessor) to HTML-Pages at runtime. o evaluates and substitutes variables o executes macros (DB access, process execution) o finally generates the page. Statistics: o User behavior can be tracked using statistics tools. o Statistics tools analyze log files.
4-30
15
OpenShop Business: Process

Time Offline Development Runtime Online Statistics
o Process Definition (FlowEditor) o Macro Definition for Program invocation (Payment gateway as .exe file) DB Access (via ODBC) o Manual HTML Source Adaptation o Preprocessing
o Page request o Page generator o Macro invocation ERP Access (SAP, ...) Payment Gateway Access
o Page impressions (number of pages requested from the server, see chapter 5)
DB Access (Oracle, ...) o Customers statistics
partly by [PrismaOpenGate]
4-31

4-32
16
Intershop Enfinity (1)

Intershop Enfinity is a full-fledged shop software for large businesses (Example: Intel, Otto Versand), (www.intershop.de). Architecture: o Enfinity (version 5): First Intershop version that is based on J2EE Architecture and uses Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB). Note: The Intershop EJB Server does not use the standardized Java Remote Method Invocation protocol (RMI) for performance reasons > not fully compatible. o Former versions were based on Perl scripts.
Components: o Catalog Server (eCS) Live eCS and Staging eCS Manages product catalogs, product information o Transaction Server (eTS): Manages Manages product orders and HTML Page templates o Database (Oracle DB included in distribution)
Intershop Enfinity (2)

Staging supported o A separate server can be configured as Offline server, where product catalog and product data changes are prepared. o Staging: Transfer: Offline Server Staging eCS Switching: Staging eCS Live eCS Extensibility o Intershop Enfinity can be extended by Third-Party Cartridges. o API defined for cartridge integration (eCAPI). Connectivity o Intershop offers Cartridges for ERP Integration (SAP) o Cartridges for Payment Service Integration
17
Enfinity vs. Online-Shop Architecture

Shop Editor Internet Editorial System Shop Software Banner-Mgmt
Shop Users
Internet
Product Inform.
TX Data
User Profiles
Download Area
Banner Pool
OLAP Tools
ERP
Data Warehouse
[Merz99]
4-35
Enfinity Management Console: Product DB: (1)
Hierarchical product catalog structure

18
Enfinity Management Console: Individual Product
Product information (id, descriptions)

Enfinity Management Console: Pricing / Taxing
Product prices and tax class

19
Enfinity Management Console: Process Management
Process Definition includes error and exception handling

Enfinity Deployment: Single Server Option

Shop Users Firewall
Web Server + Adapter = Dispatcher HTTP Management Web Server Transaction Server share <<uses>> Web Server Catalog Server
Shop Admin
Console
NOTE: share folder: Page templates reside in this folder

immediate manipulation
RDBMS (Oracle 8i)

4-40
20
Single Server Option: Benefits & Liabilities

Benefits o Single server administration. Liabilities o Failure implies complete system failure o Immediate DB manipulation requires server shutdown when changing catalogs, database.
4-41
Enfinity Deployment: Staging System Option

Running System: o The Web Adapter forwards incoming HTTP requests to the Live Catalog Server and Transaction Server. Staging: o Files: The shared files directory share of the offline server is copied to a subdirectory (named share/~share) on the Transactions server. o Database: An image (dump) of the offline server database is created and restored at the Transaction Server (using a different user name). Switching: o Web Adapter: The Web Adapter is switched: It now forwards incoming requests to the new Live Catalog Server. o Files: The subdirectory share/~share is renamed to share. The old share directory becomes share/~share. o Database: The database is accessed using the new database users account.
21
Enfinity Deployment: Staging System

Offline Testing
Disp. HTTP Web MgmtCons TX Server share HTTP Web Cat. Server Dispatcher HTTP Web Server Transaction Server share Web Server Catalog Server Web Server Catalog Server
Shop Users Firewall
Shop Admin
RDBMS
RDBMS
RDBMS
RDBMS
Offline Server Editor System

TS
CS live Productive System
CS staging
4-43
Enfinity Deployment: Staging Process

Offline Testing
Disp. HTTP Web MgmtCons TX Server share HTTP Web Cat. Server Dispatcher HTTP Web Server Transaction Server share Web Server Catalog Server Web Server Catalog Server
Shop Users Firewall
Shop Admin
file transfer
RDBMS RDBMS RDBMS RDBMS
image transfer
Offline Server
TS
CS live
CS staging
4-44
22
Enfinity Deployment: Switching Process

Offline Testing
Disp. HTTP Web MgmtCntr TX Server share HTTP Web Cat. Server Dispatcher HTTP Web Server Transaction Server share Web Server Catalog Server Web Server Catalog Server
Shop Users Firewall
switching
System Admin
RDBMS
RDBMS
RDBMS
RDBMS
Offline Server
TS
CS staging
CS live
4-45
Staging System Option: Benefits and Liabilities

Benefits o No time down o Switch on failure: Hot staging server & Cold offline Server Liabilities o Four or five servers administration-intensive o Only Catalog Server can be staged (Transaction Server: announced) Transaction Server does not scale (yet)
4-46
23

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ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.

de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

4. B2C,B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)

ECommerce Reference Model

Business Process Reengineering (BPR) Tools

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Online Shops: Core Functionality

Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Online Shops: Desirable Functionality

Online-Shop: Reference Architecture

Unstruct. Catalog Content Structure

User Download Profiles Area

Payment / Billing Provider

Data Exchange Interfaces

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Selected Shop System Components: Editorial System

Unstruct. Catalog Product Product Content Structure Inform. Inform.

User Download Profiles Area

Data Exchange Interfaces

Selected Shop System Components: Editorial System

Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Selected Shop System Components: Product DB

Selected Shop System Components: Core Shop System

Unstruct. Catalog Content Structure

User Download Profiles Area

PayPayment/ ment / Billing Billing ProProvider vider

Data Exchange Interfaces

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Selected Shop System Components: Core Shop System

See chapter 3 for architecture and realization technologies.

Selected Shop System Components: Payment Gateway

Unstruct. Catalog Content Structure

User Download Profiles Area

Data Exchange Interfaces

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Selected Shop System Components: Payment Gateway

Selected Shop System Components: Admin

Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002

Comparison: Shop and Mall

An Online mall is a system that integrates multiple online shops.

4. B2C,B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

Electronic Commerce (WS-02/03)

Chapter 4 - B2C, B2E Systems: Concepts and Architectures

ECommerce Concepts and Technologies WS 02/03 http://www.sts.tu-harburg.de/teaching > ECommerce

Hupe, Matthes, Schmidt 2002