Web Application and Database Integrations

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 15 of your textbook and the SQL Tutorial (Links to an external site.) and Basic SQL Statements (Links to an external site.) articles as well as the Connection URL Sample (Links to an external site.), The DBCP Component (Links to an external site.), and How to Create a Database Connection From an ASP Page in IIS (Links to an external site.) articles, and review any relevant information in this week’s lecture. It is also recommended that you review the Interfacing a Relational Database to the Web (Links to an external site.) and How to Setup a Debian Linux Database Server Using MySQL (Links to an external site.) resources for additional assistance with completing this discussion.

In Week Five, we discussed the use of JDBC and ODBC technologies to connect user applications to back-end databases. In this discussion, we will delve further into the technologies that connect Internet applications to back-end databases. There are different challenges and security risks faced when connecting a user application on an internal network versus connecting applications from an Internet web interface to a back-end database.

Several possible system architectures are available to connect a database to a web application. Review some the available system architectures and focus primarily on how they enable a database to respond to an HTTP request (Web request). For this discussion you will compare Apache web server and IIS (Internet Information Services).

In your initial post, explain the general role web servers have in connecting to back-end databases. Discuss the unique challenges inherent to each architecture when connecting to a back-end database. List at least two problems posed by each environment and how they can be solved. Consider the security features included within each web server technology and explain how these work to secure the data.

Your initial post should be a minimum of 300 words.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers. You are encouraged to post your required replies earlier in the week to promote more meaningful and interactive discourse in this discussion.

Carefully review the unique challenges presented by your classmate as they relate to both Apache and IIS. Identify at least one additional problem inherent to each environment. Explain how this problem affects the environment and why it should be included in your peer’s assessment. Support your statements with evidence from your sources. Discuss how your classmate’s comparison and assessment of these web technologies differs from your own.

Your response must be a minimum of 250 words.