Website Migration – Tony’s Chips

Website Migration – Tony’s Chips
With Tony's Chips being purchased by the Acme Company, they would like a new change the way the website is used for the business. The old method was an externally hosted site with no online ordering options. The new website plan is for it to be redesigned to allow for online ordering, onsite web hosting, and site redundancy to allow for maximum uptime. What they are asking for is called the system development life cycle (SDLC). Systems development life cycle is defined as "activities and functions that systems developers typically perform, regardless of how those activities and services fit a particular methodology” (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2011). The systems development life cycle contains the following steps in the model: required analysis, testing, implementation, documentation, deployment, and maintenance.
Discuss what it will take to build a Web architecture, move an existing Website with minimal downtime, and provide a disaster recovery solution to ensure the site is always available.
The new web architecture is a complete change from the previous implementation of the site causing an entirely new template and architecture. Previous setup used manual ordering, so they would have to call in or physically come in to order the chips. The new architecture will allow for online ordering that will free up more user time in answering phones taking orders. I am assuming the previous network architecture is up to date and running properly. With this assumption, few technology upgrades will be fully required.
Improving the technology infrastructure would require an upgraded internet connection to help offset the new traffic that will be occurring with the web site being hosted locally. A new physical server to become a web server, using one of the current servers and repurposing it to become the new database server. Also, a more advanced router/firewall would be recommended to help keep security measures high with the new traffic that will be coming to the network infrastructure.
Moving a website from an external source to an internal source can be easy if all of the account information is current. With an external party hosting the site, there are security measures in place to make sure it isn't changed without authorization. Once all of the account information has been verified the external source will need to know a date to move the DNS entries for the website name (http://www.tonyschips.com) to the business IP address that will be assigned to the site. The website certificate will have to be purchased from a company (example GoDaddy and BlueHost) for you to host on your network. Multiple IP addresses will need to be purchased for your business location, so the website is on another IP address than the main business internet traffic.
For the backup and disaster recovery plan there are many options that could support and accomplish what is asked. The primary choice for maximum uptime is a hot site. "Hot sites provide the ultimate disaster recovery experience, with instantaneous or near real-time recovery of operations when the primary site fails” (Chappelle, 2012). A hot site is a location where it is setup the same as the primary installation. Servers are up and running with the software loaded and up to date. Hot sites allow for real-time backup from the primary location to be sent to the hot site and copied over for a minimal loss of time down and data. Real-time is relative as the system will have to be copied and sent through the internet to the hot site location using software (example SnapMirror). With an upgraded internet connection or a dedicated line to the hot site, it should not affect business functions. Why a hot site is ideal is that if a fire burned the main building down the hot site could pick up the website traffic and data transactions without the users noticing a difference, allowing for time to rebuild the previous server infrastructure.
The Web architecture should describe and justify operating system choices (i.e., Linux, Apache, MYSQL, PHP, Windows, IIS, SQL, etc.).
As my expertise with project and system management is with Windows systems the new architecture will be based off of Windows Server 2012 R2 for server OS, IIS for the website hosting, and SQL for the database with Visual Studio for the site design. If this software is not available for the current system licensing will need to be purchased. When getting the members together who will be developing, implementing, and deploying a website they will have to have Visual Studio and SQL backgrounds to make a seamless transition in use and cooperation.
Windows Server 2012 R2 is the most up to date version of Windows server operating systems, with this operating system you can make a single server "play" multiple roles. It can be a file server, print server, domain controller, web server, or database server. In our instance, there will be at least two dedicated servers, one for the web hosting and the other for the database. Windows Server 2012 R2 "can use the Web Server (IIS) role to set up and manage multiple websites, web applications, and FTP sites” all from a single application (TechNet, 2012). SQL databases are an industry standard; it is a database program that allows for multiple connections to it. SQL can support having the inventory database, customer information database, and order history database all stored on the same SQL server. Visual Studio is not the top end of website design like C++, where C++ components perform faster but it does allow for the "ability to be created quickly and easily by a wide group of developers” as it is easier to use (Homer, 1999).
Evaluate alternatives to the company self-hosting the site.
With alternatives for self-hosting the site, the main choice is an externally hosted site. Now that can come in different flavors of externally hosted solutions. The options include free web hosting which is a basic service where the provider allows ads and other means to generate revenue, colocation which provides your business a dedicated server and internet connection, or e-commerce web hosting that provides SSL (secure socket layer) connections for safety with purchasing items.
For Tony's Chips website, the best solution would be the e-commerce choice as a new site requires online ordering. This version can be set as we own the hardware and pay for physical space in their data center and support time or where the hosting company owns the equipment, support team time and backup responsibilities. I would recommend the option where the hosting site owns the hardware as this ensures up to date software and hardware, no depreciating hardware or licensing to have to worry about, or increased bandwidth purchasing. This option can also be setup where the entire building of the site and maintenance of the data be handled by them thus reducing the employee time or physical workers needed at the central office.
Build a Gantt chart using Microsoft Project or equivalent software, showing all tasks associated with implementing the Website. The chart should include a minimum of five (5) tasks, each with three (3) sub-tasks.

This Gantt chart shows the time it would take to go from developing a project idea to the full implementation if the job were a time sensitive project. I am assuming it as the purchasing of Tony's Chips by Acme Company means a change in management. Developing the idea and getting approval would take around three business days. Specifying project responsibilities and getting a general template together would take seven working days, this allows for changes and data manipulation ideas to be hashed out before infrastructure is fully built. Infrastructure building and deployment is a process that would take three business days. Testing is the next step, and it would require six days including weekends for a complete testing experience. Implementation and deployment is the final step and would require two days for moving to a production server and training of the users.
The last piece is maintenance of the system. It is built into this chart, but it is a continual process. Maintenance includes system updates, upgrades, bug fixes, security fixes, and other items found that require support. Maintenance of this kind should be shared among multiple employees in the IT department so that there is not one person responsible for the whole system and allows for better support. The more staff familiar with the system means quicker and better user support.
Explain and justify the system architecture you have selected.
The new architecture is based on systems development life cycle (SDLC) which “includes the following steps: Systems planning, Systems analysis, Systems design, Systems implementation, Systems support and security” (Shelly & Rosenblatt, 2011). These steps are a guideline for how to make a significant systems change for the business. The change from externally hosted site with no online ordering capabilities to an internally hosted site with online ordering options marks an important system change.
The planning step is about how to design a new site with the new features, how to move the old website to our control, and how to implement the best and safest website internally. Working with management to figure out what they want the site to look like as well as the other departments helps build a template or idea of what is going to be the final system look. Moving the old website to our control so users will be directed to the proper site is a crucial step, if missed users could be pointed to the old site or no site at all. Working with all required departments allows for the greatest communication and can reduce changes or issues with the site before it becomes a major problem. This step requires management, programmers, and systems administrators to work together as expectations and actual possibilities of what the site and project can do come into play.
The analysis step is about budgeting for the proper infrastructure, checking with services and other businesses on internet requirements, and bringing all information to the project team for review and approval. With the new site coming in house there will need to be a new network infrastructure such as a new servers and an improved router/firewall for security. Speaking with internet service providers (ISPs) can help alleviate the issue of slow site response or business usage with heavy traffic. If the proper bandwidth is purchased ahead of time, it will alleviate those concerns. Getting together to discuss the bandwidth options, server options, and other network infrastructure items help get everyone on the same page and make some changes if necessary. With this step the finance department, systems administrators, and management would be required to review the cost of the changes proposed.
System design stage is where the ideas of what the site will look like and how it will operate. The blueprint for the whole system is figured out in this step. Design process covers how the site will look, what type of internet connection, and what kind of server and back-end support it will have. The information gathered during the planning phase is the guideline for what is conceptualized during this stage.
System implementation brings the ideas to fruition. The different parts of the project team will begin work on their parts like building a generic website for testing, building a server with web capabilities, and creating the structure of the database. Once the pieces have been constructed they will begin the process of putting them together until it is a seamless system. That leads to a better understanding of how things will work and allows for changes to be made before it is in production. Once everything is tested, and it is running smoothly it is put into production. Implementation step requires that the programmers, database administrators, and systems administrators all collaborate to fulfill this.
System support and security step is a crucial step in the whole process. If there is no support or security the system could crash and there would be no one to bring it back up, or on a smaller scale if there is a wrong name entered for a bag of chips it could affect sales. Providing timely and appropriate support for the new system means there is a maintenance plan in place. Updates, bug fixes, security patches, testing of any changes before implementation, and monitoring are all essential to making sure the system is running at its best. The piece of this that is forgotten is licensing for software or hardware, if the license runs out the software could stop working which could be catastrophic.
Illustrate the system architecture using Visio or equivalent software.
The diagram above shows the architecture and how it will work: * Website visited by user * Primary web server answering the request * Primary database server pulling up the required data * Real-time backups running to hot site location * If primary web server is unresponsive, the traffic will be directed to the backup web server at the hot site * Data differences between primary and backup site depend on change size and internet speeds * Allowing for seamless use for the end user
Create a use case that documents the event of a customer ordering a bag of chips from the new Website. The use case should include a graphical representation using Visio or equivalent software and a text description of the events.
Brief Description: This use case will describe how a customer will order a bag of chips through the website.
Actors: Customer
Preconditions: The customer has a working laptop with an active internet connection. The website is up and functional.
Basic flow of events: Customer navigates to http://www.tonyschips.com and searched the inventory. To accomplish this the web server points to the database server with the up to date stock. The customer finds the type of chips they want to purchase. They select an amount of bags and click purchase. The web server checks with the database server to make sure the quantity is available and then moves forward with the sale. The customer is presented with the cost and enters a valid payment option. The web server communicates with the payment options bank to make sure the funds are available. Once verified there are adequate funds the purchase is approved, and the inventory is removed from the database it is set to be withdrawn from the warehouse for shipment. The customer receives payment verification and waits for the chips. The warehouse pulls the inventory ordered and set it to be shipped to the customer. The chips are then sent to the customer. Once a shipment is marked as delivered the sale is closed and marked as successful. Discuss the support operations that the internally hosted Website will require after implementation.
Support for an internally hosted website will need work and support from different sections of the IT department. The systems administrator will have to make sure that the hardware is up and running properly. That encompasses servers, routers, firewalls, and internet connections. Programmers will be required to fix code issues, bugs, or database changes that are requested. Support technicians will be tasked with supporting the end users in the company and issues reported from customers who need help.
Maintenance will be required for the systems themselves with updates and upgrades but if there is a change than the support technicians will need to be informed and possibly trained on any changes. When the upgrade is made, it is imperative that all support groups are aware and have a functional idea of what the changes entail. If the company is large enough there could call/support centers after regular business hours to support customers and log work tickets for issues experienced.
Explain how you will evaluate the performance of the new site and the success of your project.
The project would be considered a success when the website is up and running with orders being received and processed correctly. To put a timeframe for the project to be considered a success would be a fiscal year, this is long enough for proper reporting and data collection and have it presented. Within a financial year, there will have also been updates done and maintenance showing that the procedures in place are working.
The evaluation of the project would be determined by the ease in which the site is running and how many changes the support staff has had to make to get it fully working. One evaluation step I would like conducted before anything could be considered a success would be a set outage at the primary site and testing the backup and hot site procedures. If the internet is disconnected at the main site does the hot site come up within the allotted time? If so than that part of the project is a success. As always if the customer is satisfied with the site and orders and leave compliments that make management happy.
References
Chappelle, M. (2012, June). Which Disaster Recovery Site Strategy Is Right for You? Retrieved from Biztech: http://www.biztechmagazine.com/article/2012/06/which-disaster-recovery-site-strategy-right-you
Homer, A. (1999, September). Components and Web Application Architecture. Retrieved from Microsoft Developer Network: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727121.aspx
Shelly, G., & Rosenblatt, H. (2011). Systems Analysis and Design. Cengage Learning.
TechNet. (2012, February 29). Web Server (IIS) Overview. Retrieved from Microsoft TechNet: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh831725.aspx