The main reason for introducing this unit is to be able to offer students in the MIT (and, for those students with the necessary Java programming background, the MBS) a wider range of units. This unit is essentially the same content as GCO3823, but goes into greater depth. In particular, where GCO3823 only makes use of a single application server, students in FIT4026 will research the similarities and differences of at least one alternative server.

This unit has been updated as part of a 2009 review and comparison of data with current Handbook, Syllabus + and Callista data.

07/12/2017 - Unit disestablished at FEC 5/17 Item 7.3.

This unit replaces GCO4823 and includes concepts of Enterprise programming for OCL students.

At the completion of this unit students will -

• understand the various ways in which a database application may be scaled to the enterprise level, including: applications being split between clients and servers; servers being split between application servers and database servers; application servers being split into clusters of application servers;
• be able to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of single-tier, two-tier and multi-tier architectures;
• be aware of some of the pitfalls (and ways to avoid or minimise them) of distributed applications, including: performance problems due to network latency and bandwidth; security problems when transmitting data over an untrusted network; transactional problems when transactions must be distributed over multiple servers.
• be able to evaluate when it is appropriate to use enterprise programming techniques, and when simpler solutions will suffice;
• be able to configure an enterprise application and application server to take advantage of advanced capabilities such as: hot deployment, clean shutdown, clustering, farming, load balancing, automatic fail-over;
• be able to design and implement an enterprise application that makes appropriate use of the following: DBMSs, distributed components, messaging services, security (authentication, authorisation and encryption), transactions, fat clients, thin (web) clients;
• be familiar with a selection of software tools (both GUI and command-line) to speed enterprise application development;
• be able to deploy applications in at least two different enterprise application servers;
• accept the importance of client and server operating system platforms other than Windows, and therefore the need for technologies that support multiple platforms;
• appreciate the value that an application server adds to an application with remarkably little additional coding effort;
• develop an interest in the various compatible yet competing enterprise application servers, and an appreciation of their relative strengths and weaknesses.

020103

Distributed database systems: clients, servers, application servers, database servers, clusters of servers. Distributed database architectures: single-tier, two-tier, multi-tier. Implementation issues: performance, security, transactions. Enterprise application server capabilities: hot deployment, clean shutdown, clustering, farming, load balancing, automatic fail-over. Enterprise application coding: DBMS access, distributed components, messaging services, authentication, authorization, encryption, transactions. Enterprise application software development tools. Access to the University's computer systems through an Internet service provider is compulsory for off-campus students.

On-campus and Off-Campus Learning(OCL)

Examination (3 hours): 60%; In-semester assessment: 40%

FIT

GCO9808 or FIT9013 or equivalent