Lab 9.1: Integrating a Web Application into a Distributed Environment

After completing this lab, you’ll be able to

• Design an application topology that’s distributed across multiple layers
• Incorporate Exchange 2000 Server into your Web site

About This Lab

In this lab you’ll design a network topology that supports distributed applications. The applications will rely on ASP and COM+ components to access data from a SQL Server database. In addition, you’ll further refine your design to provide Web-based e-mail services to your Internet users. Each exercise in this lab addresses one facet of the topology design. You’ll first implement a simple Web site that supports static content. Next, you’ll add database support so you can support dynamic content on your site. Finally, you’ll add Web-based e-mail services to allow company employees to check e-mail when out in the field.

Before You Begin

Before you begin this lab, you must be able to

• Design a basic network topology that supports Web services
• Design NLB clusters and Cluster service clusters to support high availability in a Web environment

Scenario: Web Application and Messaging Services for Lucerne Publishing

Lucerne Publishing has operations throughout the world. The company has decided to implement a Web site that supports static content that will be used to provide general information about the company and its products. Lucerne Publishing also wants to provide specific information about the books it publishes. Because this information changes regularly, content for the site should be generated dynamically so it’s easy to maintain the site and customers can easily search for specific titles. The information should be available to anyone who’s interested. In addition to the customer-related services that the company wants to provide, Lucerne Publishing also wants employees working in the field to be able to access their e-mail accounts on a regular basis, regardless of where they’re traveling. As the network administrator for the company, you must design a network topology that fulfills these requirements.

Exercise 1: Designing an IIS Application Structure

Lucerne Publishing is anxious to get its Web site online as quickly as possible. Initially, the company would like you to implement the Web servers so general company information can be posted as soon as possible. You plan to use Application Center 2000 to create an NLB cluster that contains three servers. You also plan to implement two Active Directory service computers within the perimeter network to support various systems as they’re added to the network. Your design will include redundant component and paths to ensure high availability. In addition, you want the site to support the use of distributed applications as they’re implemented into your network. COM+ components will be stored on the Web cluster.

1. How should you design the initial portion of the perimeter network?
2. Which application layers will your design initially support?

   As you prepare your network design, you also want to take into consideration how the initial content will be deployed. The content consists only of static HTML pages and their supporting graphics. After the content has been developed, you’ll move it to a test environment. From there, it’ll be staged to the production environment.

3. How will you deploy this content?

Exercise 2: Integrating SQL Server into Your Application Structure

You’ve implemented the initial network design and deployed the content to the Web servers. You’re now ready to set up the environment so that you can provide dynamic content to your users. Your development team has developed ASP applications that use COM+ components to access data from a SQL Server database. The applications have been tested and are ready to be staged. You plan to implement a SQL Server cluster that contains two servers. You’ll use a single-instance configuration so that one server is active and the other is passive.

1. How should you modify your perimeter network’s design to support the new applications?
2. You want to deploy the COM+ applications, but you don’t want to take the Web services offline. How should you deploy the applications?
3. How should you set up permissions on the SQL Server computers?
4. What methods can you use to optimize connections to the database?

Exercise 3: Integrating Exchange 2000 Server into Your Web Site

Once you’ve integrated SQL Server into your design and deployed the COM+ applications, you’re ready to integrate Exchange into your site. You plan to use a multiserver configuration for Exchange and use Windows Clustering technologies to support high availability.

1. How should you modify your perimeter network’s design to support the Outlook Web Access service?
2. What benefits does a multiserver environment provide that a single-server environment can’t?
3. What authentication methods does Outlook Web Access support?
4. Which authentication method would you recommend?