Chapter 3

E-commerce Infrastructure

Course name: E-commerce

Chapter 3

E-commerce Infrastructure

Instructor: Nguyen The Dai Nghia

Email: [email protected]
Phone/Zalo: 0936385487
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E-commerce Infrastructure

Learning Objectives
3.1 Discuss the origins of, and the key technology concepts
behind, the Internet.
3.2 Explain the current structure of the Internet.
3.3 Understand how the Web works.
3.4 Describe how Internet and web features and services
support e-commerce.
3.5 Understand the impact of mobile applications

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The Internet Survives the Covid-19 Pandemic:

Why It Didn’t Break
• Class Discussion
– How has your usage of the Internet changed as a result of the
pandemic?
– Why were fears that the Internet would break misguided?
– How has the pandemic highlighted the issues raised by the
“digital divide”?

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The Internet: Technology Background

• Internet
– Interconnected network of thousands of networks and millions of
computers
– Links businesses, educational institutions, government agencies,
and individuals
• World Wide Web (Web)
– One of the Internet’s most popular services
– Provides access to billions, possibly trillions, of web pages

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The Evolution of the Internet 1961–Present

• Innovation Phase, 1961–1974
– Creation of fundamental building blocks
• Institutionalization Phase, 1975–1995
– Large institutions provide funding and legitimization
• Commercialization Phase, 1995–present
– Private corporations take over, expand Internet backbone and
local service

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The Internet: Key Technology Concepts

• Internet defined as network that:
– Uses IP addressing
– Supports TCP/IP
– Provides services to users, in manner similar to telephone system
• Three important concepts:
– Packet switching
– TCP/IP communications protocol
– Client/server computing

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Packet Switching
• Slices digital messages into packets
• Sends packets along different communication paths as they become
available
• Reassembles packets once they arrive at destination
• Uses routers
• Less expensive, wasteful than circuit-switching

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Figure 3.3 Packet Switching

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TCP/IP Protocol Suite (1 of 2)

• Large family of protocols named after its most important
members: TCP and IP
• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
– Establishes connections among sending and receiving Web
computers; handles assembly of packets at point of
transmission, and reassembly at receiving end
• Internet Protocol (IP)
– Provides addressing scheme; responsible for delivery of
packets
• Uniform Data Protocol (UDP)
– Provides alternative to TCP when error-checking, correction
functionality not necessary
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TCP/IP Protocol Suite (2 of 2)

• Four TCP/IP layers
– Network interface layer:
 Places packets on and receives them from network
medium
– Internet layer
 Addresses, packages, and routes messages
– Transport layer
 Communication with other protocols in TCP/IP suite
 TCP, UDP, and QUIC
– Application layer
 Protocols used to provide user services or exchange
data
 BGP, HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc.
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Figure 3.4 The TCP/IP Architecture and Protocol Suite

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Internet (IP) Addresses

• IPv4
– 32-bit number
– Four sets of numbers marked off by periods: 201.61.186.227
– Class C address: Network identified by first three sets, computer
identified by last set
• IPv6
– 128-bit addresses, able to handle up to 1 quadrillion addresses (IPv4
can handle only 4 billion)

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Figure 3.5 Routing Internet Messages:

TCP/IP and Packet Switching

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Domain Names, DNS, and Uniform Resource

Locators
• Domain name
– IP address expressed in natural language
• Domain name system
– Allows numeric IP addresses to be expressed in
natural language
• Uniform resource locator (URL)
– Address used by web browser to identify location of
content on the Web
– Example: www.google.com

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E-commerce Infrastructure

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Client/Server Computing
• Model of computing in which client devices are connected in a
network together with one or more servers
• Clients: various types of devices that can request access to
services or resources
• Servers perform common functions for the clients
– Storing files
– Software applications
– Access to printers
– Internet access
• Internet is example of client/server computing on massive scale

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Client/Server Computing

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The Mobile Platform

• Primary Internet access is now through smartphones and tablets
• Smartphones
– Examples: Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy
– Around 260 million in U.S. access Internet with mobile phone
• Tablets
– Examples: Apple iPad, Microsoft Surface
– About 170 million in U.S. access Internet with tablets

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The Internet “Cloud Computing” Model
(1 of 2)

• Model of computing in which computing

processing, storage, software, and
other services are provided as a shared
pool of virtualized resources via the
Internet
• Three primary types of services
– Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)
– Software as a service (SaaS)
– Platform as a service (PaaS)
• Public, private, and hybrid clouds

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The Internet “Cloud Computing” Model
(2 of 3)

• Cloud services compared to Means of transport

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The Internet “Cloud Computing” Model

E-commerce Infrastructure

(3 of 3)

• Drawbacks
– Shifts responsibility for storage and control to
providers
– Security risks
– Can introduce latency (delays in processing and
transmitting of data
• Implications for e-commerce
• Radically reduces costs of:
 Building and operating websites
 Infrastructure, IT support
 Hardware, software
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Other Internet Protocols

• HTTP
– HTTP/2; HTTP/3
• Email
– SMTP
– POP3
– IMAP
• FTP
– Superseded by FTPS, SFTP
• SSL/TLS

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Internet Infrastructure
• Internet has been able to grow exponentially without
disruption because of:
– Client/server computing model
– Architecture built in layers that can be changed
independently
– Hourglass layers
 Network Technology Substrate
 Transport Services and Representation Standards
 Middleware Services
 Applications

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Figure 3.9 The Hourglass Model of the Internet

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Figure 3.10 Internet Network Architecture

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The Internet Backbone

• Comprised of fiber-optic cable: hundreds of glass strands that use light to
transmit data
– Faster speeds and greater bandwidth
– Thinner, lighter cables
– Less interference
– Better data security
• Tier 1 Internet Service Providers (Tier 1 ISPs) or transit ISPs
• Numerous private networks physically connected to each other
• Undersea fiber optics, satellite links

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Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)

• Regional hubs where Tier 1 ISPs physically connect with one another
and with regional Tier 2 ISPs.
• Tier 2 ISPs provide Tier 3 ISPs with Internet access.
• Originally called Network Access Points (NAPs) or Metropolitan Area
Exchanges (MAEs).

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Tier 3 Internet Service Providers

• Retail providers
– Lease Internet access to homeowners, small businesses
– Large providers: Comcast, Charter Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon, Altice
(Optimum)
– Smaller local providers
• Services
– Narrowband
– Broadband
– Digital subscriber line (DSL)
– Cable Internet
– Satellite Internet: GEO and LEO

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Mobile Internet Access

• Emergence of mobile Internet access one of the most significant
developments for Internet and Web
• Concerned with the last mile of Internet access to user’s home, office, car,
smartphone or tablet computer
• 280 million mobile Internet users in U.S. (83% of population
• Two basic types:
– Telephone-based (mobile phones, smartphones)
– Computer network-based (wireless local area network-based)

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Telephone-based Wireless Internet Access

• Connects user to global telephone system (land, satellite, and

microwave)
• 4G: true broadband access, speeds up to 100 Mbps
• 5G: very high-bandwidth broadband; speeds reaching 10 Gbps or
more
– Uses new part of wireless spectrum and tens of thousands of
small-cell and distributed antenna systems
– Expected to enable many innovative products and services

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Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) -Based Internet

Access
• Wi-Fi: various 802.11 standards, also known as Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5,
and Wi-Fi 6
– High-speed, fixed broadband wireless LAN (WLAN)
– Wireless access points (“hot spots”)
– Limited range but inexpensive
• WiMax: 802.16 standard; used for medium-range, broadband
wireless metropolitan area networks
• Bluetooth: technology standard for short-range wireless
communication within a 30-foot distance

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Figure 3.12 Wi-Fi Networks

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The Internet of Things (IOT)

• Objects connected via sensors/RFID to the Internet
• Being enabled by:
– Availability of low-cost sensors
– Drop in price of data storage
– Development of big data analytics software
– Implementation of IPv6
• Powering development of “smart” connected things:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjYTzvAVozo
• Interoperability issues and standards
• Security and privacy concerns
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Who Governs the Internet?

• Organizations that influence the Internet and monitor its operations include:
– Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)
– Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)
– Internet Research Task Force (IRTF)
– Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG)
– Internet Architecture Board (IAB)
– Internet Society (ISOC)
– Internet Governance Forum (IGF)
– World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
– Internet Network Operators Groups (NOGs)

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Insight on Society: Government Regulation and

Surveillance of the Internet
• Class discussion:
– How is it possible for any government to “control” or censor the
Web?
– Does the Chinese government, or the U.S. government, have the
right to censor online content?
– How should U.S. companies deal with governments that want to
censor content?
– What would happen to e-commerce if the existing Web split into a
different Web for each country?

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The Web
• 1989–1991: Web invented
– Tim Berners-Lee at CERN (National Center for Supercomputing
Applications)
– HTML, HTTP, web server, web browser
• 1993: Mosaic web browser w/GUI
– Andreessen and others at NCSA (The European Organization for
Nuclear Research)
– Runs on Windows, Macintosh, or Unix
• 1994: Netscape Navigator, first commercial web browser
• 1995: Microsoft Internet Explorer

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The Web

Screenshot of original NCSA Mosaic™ Version 1.0 web browser home page
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Hypertext
• Text formatted with embedded links
– Links connect documents to one another, and to other
objects such as sound, video, or animation files
• Uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and URLs to
locate resources on the Web
– Example URL: http://megacorp.com/content/features/082602.html
 http = the protocol used to display Web pages
 www.megacorp.com = domain name
 content/features = the directory path that identifies where
on the domain Web server the page is stored
 082602.html = the document name and its format (an
HTML page)
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Markup Languages (1 of 2)
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
– Fixed set of pre-defined markup “tags” used to format text
– Controls look and feel of web pages
– Used in conjunction with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). CSS
describes how HTML elements are to be displayed on screen or in
other media
– HTML5 the newest version

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Markup Languages (2 of 2)
• eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
– Designed to describe data and information
– Tags used are defined by user

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Web Servers and Web Clients

• Web server software
• Enables a computer to deliver HTML web pages to clients on a network that request
this service by sending an HTTP request
• Basic capabilities: HTTP, security services (TLS), file transfer, search engine, data
capture, e-mail, site management tools
• Web server
• May refer to either web server software or physical server
• Specialized server software: Database server, ad server, mail server, media server
• Web client
• Any computing device attached to the Internet capable of making HTTP requests
and displaying HTML pages

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Web Browsers
• Primary purpose is to display web page, but may include added features
– Google’s Chrome: about 60% of desktop market; about 40% of mobile
market
 Open source
– Apple’s Safari: about 18% share of desktop market; 55% share of mobile
market
– Microsoft Edge: about 12% share of desktop market (has replaced Internet
Explorer)
– Mozilla Firefox: about 7% desktop
 Open source

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The Internet and Web: Features and Services

• Features and services on which the foundations of e-commerce are built:
• Communication tools
• Search engines
• Downloadable and streaming media
• Web 2.0 applications and services
• Web3
• Virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse
• Intelligent digital assistants

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Communication Tools
• E-mail
– Most used application of the Internet
• Messaging Applications
– Instant messaging
• Online message boards
• Internet telephony
– VOIP
• Videoconferencing, video chatting, telepresence

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Insight on Business: Zoom Continues to Zoom

• Class Discussion
– What has your experience using Zoom and other videoconferencing
services been like?
– What challenges does Zoom face?
– How has Zoom responded to those challenges?

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Search Engines
• Identify web pages that match queries and then provide a list of best matc
(search results)
• Top two providers: Google and Microsoft’s Bing
– Google dominates mobile search
• Use web crawlers and algorithms
• Also serve as:
– Shopping tools
– Advertising vehicles (search engine marketing)
– Tool within e-commerce sites

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Figure 3.16 How Chapter 3
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Google Works

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Figure 3.16 How Chapter 3
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Google Works

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Downloadable and Streaming Media

• Downloads:
– Growth in broadband connections enables large media file
downloads
• Streaming technologies
– Enables music, video, and other large files to be sent to users in
chunks so that the file can play uninterrupted
• Podcasting
• Explosion in online video viewing

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Web 2.0 Features and Services

• Online social networks
• Services that support communication among networks of friends, acquaintance
people with similar interests
• Blogs
• Personal web page of chronological entries
• Enables web page publishing with no knowledge of HTML
• Wikis
• Enables documents to be written collectively and collaboratively
• E.g., Wikipedia

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Web3
• Still at a conceptual stages; does not yet exist
• New kind of Internet service conceived as being built using blockchain
• Proponents envision it as being much more decentralized than the current
Web environment; controlled by creators and users rather than Big Tech
companies
• Critics
– Doubt that blockchain technology can handle the amount of data that
is processed on Web
– Argue that centralized services would be required, defeating the
central purpose of Web3

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Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and the

Metaverse (1 of 2)
• Virtual reality (VR)
– Immersing users within virtual world
– Typically uses head-mounted display (HMD)
– Oculus Rift, Vive, PlayStation VR
• Augmented reality (AR)
– Overlaying virtual objects over the real world, via mobile devices
or HMDs
– Pokémon GO
– Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7FzWUhgqck&t=4s
• Mixed reality (AR)
– Enhanced version of A R Copyright © 2024 Pearson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved
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Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and the

Metaverse (2 of 2)
• Metaverse
– Immersive, visual 3-D virtual reality in which users can connect,
socialize, and collaborate
– Facebook has rebranded as Meta
– Tremendous hype
– Currently being used for gaming and advertising
– Many companies are working on metaverse-related projects

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Intelligent Digital Assistants

• Computer search engine using:
– Natural language
– Conversational interface, verbal commands
– Situational awareness
• Can handle requests for appointments, flights, routes, event
scheduling, and more.
– Examples:
 Apple’s Siri
 Google Now/Google Assistant
 Amazon Alexa

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Mobile Apps
• Use of mobile apps has exploded
– Most popular entertainment media, over TV
– Always present shopping tool
– Almost all top 100 brands have an app
• Platforms
– iPhone/iPad (iOS), Android
• App marketplaces
– Google Play, Apple’s App Store, Amazon’s Appstore

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Copyright

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