What Is Website Migration - Report Example

Paper Website migration is a process that involves the transfer of a website’s component from one webhost to another. In such a situation, the shifting is from an external host to an internal host, where suitable conditions have to create within the company’s niche to accommodate the transfer, and also maintain a similar workflow even after the migration. To make the migration successful, a work plan or a step to step procedure should be followed. This involves:- Identifying the project scope At this position, there is the need to identify the main purpose for migration and justify the reasons. The arguments and favor of the move are clearly outlined and finally the problem is defined. The main issue will be how to create a new hosting environment and the requirements that will come along with it. Other factors that should be considered for the migration are the functionality of the website, security concerns that may arise since all the data will be in-house, the cost of the requirements and scalability of the website. In the earlier stages of the migration, there will be a need to create a schedule and notify all stakeholders about the move so as not to cause any inconvenience. It will be extremely convenient to set out off dates to clearly notify the affected individuals (Shelly, 2012). Requirement specification A server environment will have to be created where the new hosting is scheduled to take over. It should be clean, cool and dry. Apart from that, a network should be clearly defined by the topology of workstations and to dedicate one workstation as the host server. This, however, depends on the website size as well as the workforce required in maintaining the traffic and working of the different sections of the website. Note that one should incorporate check in and checkout log options in the host environment to keep records of anyone who accesses the website files (Kirchmer, 1999). Hardware specification is a key issue in this area. Enough CPUs should be provided to secure the number of workstations that will have to be set up. When it comes to the server workstation, the CPU in question should possess high speed redundant SCSI disks, special error checking ECC RAM and enough PCI buses. This is because it will have special tasks, unlike the other workstations and will have to be fast with adequate memory. With the other workstations, a CPU with specifications of one gigahertz and a memory of one gigabyte RAM will work. A constant internet supply should be provided. The company should subscribe to an Internet Server Provider and also subscribe to a static IP address. Wireless technology will be convenient since it will span a large area. The company should subscribe to a reliable Internet Service provider to avoid inconvenience and to always keep the website running (Shelly, 2012). A network will have to be established within the workstation to enable resource sharing and communication. Since several cables will be running across the work area, there will be a need to color code cables to avoid confusion, and also assist in troubleshooting. For example, a certain color can be used for straight cables and another one for rollover cables. Software specifications will require choosing the appropriate software to run the server environment. Linux server package will be appropriate in this case as it provides a virus free condition, which is incredibly advantageous and the reality that it is an open source software, makes it cost friendly. Since the software comes in different makes preference, it is towards the Fedora Linux option which is known to be suitable for in-house networking. A web application server will have to be installed on the workstation for easy maintenance of the website files. The LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP) server in this case, is chosen to do the job. It is a recommended option since it brings together components from many different open source projects to create a suitable and efficient server environment (Gerner et al, 2005). The workings are as below:- 1. Apache It handles communication between the client web browsers. It also has an interface that handles the specific parts of the client requests. It works in conjunction with the PHP scripting language to handle the processing of requests. 2. MySQL This is an open source database management system, which handles storage and access of data while also managing the client-server data communication. It creates a back end interface for the server to access and manipulate data collected from the client-side and also output data or response to the client side. The data is organized in the form of tables, queries and records. It is highly preferred due to its stability, speed of access and features that promote efficiency (Gerner et al, 2005). 3. PHP This is a programming language that handles client-server side requests. It is embedded in the HTML documents thus makes it easier to manage the web content and scripts within one file. All the mechanisms will have to be installed so as to start running the web application. Other servers that will be dynamically involved in the administration of the website are the mail, print and file servers. To enhance security on the server environment, a firewall will have to be developed. A firewall is software positioned between the company’s private network and the internet to manage the website’s traffic and observe the packets moving in and out of the network. The Linux distribution offers features such as the iptables that specifically act as a firewall. The iptables deal with the Internet Protocol (IP) packets, which enters the computer. With this feature, it is easy to monitor where the requests come from and block requests from any location that might seem to be harmful (Matthews, 2005). Site management software such as Dreamweaver, should also be installed in all the workstations so as to manage the web content in files thus making it easier to manage the data during maintenance. The shopping cart application, which enables the client to order online, will have to be created aside the host environment then implemented into the website. A workstation can be set aside for this task, which will as well be used in managing it. For this particular project, a java based application will be appropriate since it is flexible and easy to develop. One will have to set up the essential software, for example, Netbeans, to develop the application. System design and architecture In determining the structure of the company site, one should consider the number of files that the site contains and the memory that is available for storage. All the files are however, stored in a folder known as the site root folder, which is then stored in the server hard drive. Organization of the files within the site root folder involves dividing the folder into subfolders where files with related information are stored (Meystel & Albus, 2002). In the site root folder aside from the subfolders, the HTML file that acts as the home page is placed and named as default HTM, since the server automatically displays the website when the user accesses it by its domain name. System implementation This is where the main tasks involved in the website migration are carried out. Since the host environment has now been set up, the migration is geared up to take place. First step is to log into the initial external host’s control panel to access the files. An account username and password is required to make this possible. It is essential to backup up the files from the initial host as a disaster recovery strategy. An allocated disk space should be made available as a backup site for all the files. The files are then copied to the in-house company server (Meystel & Albus, 2002). The next step involves revising the DNS (Domain Name Server) records so that the website can easily be accessed. The Domain Name Server registers the IP addresses of the servers hosting the website and helps the client computer to resolve requests from the client by interpreting the website’s domain name including the IP address on the location of the website. At this point, one has to make sure that the new web hosting information is registered to the domain register account. This includes the FTP (File transfer protocol), the host name and IP address, the account username and account password. The domain name should also be counter checked for clarification (Matthews, 2005). The control panel information also has to be clearly defined. This acts as an operation manual for the host and is not automatically the same as the FTP log in. Testing and debugging After the migration has been accomplished, there is the need to test the new website and check whether it is accessible while also checking for any errors. The web forms containing the configuration PHP script should be revised to include the new database and host information so that it can be loaded. The forms should then be tested to check if the information has been refreshed and updated (Meystel & Albus, 2002). Site maintenance After the website is moved to its new hosting environment, it will necessitate developing of a systematic structure in which the site will be updated and maintained. Using site management tools such as Dreamweaver is highly essential at this point. The web content should be structured into files where web pages with related information are stored. Using the site management tool, any workstation can work on an assigned file. Depending on the size of the website, training should be done on the employees working on the workstations (McFarland, 2011). The shopping cart web application This is an additional application that will be implemented on the site to enable customers to order products online. The interface of this application can be in the form of a form where the customer will be required to enter his/her details, choose the item to purchase and pay for it via an online banking system. A list of the items available and there prices should also be provided where the customer picks from. A database has to be created for this application on the MySQL server where all customers’ information can be accessed. The database should also have a table where the list of items and the prices are defined. The payment end will be handled using the Java code that will be implemented into the web application. The company will be required to set up an online account where the payment for the goods is transferred. This is defined in the application’s structure. The application can be set up as a webpage of its own or implemented on another webpage. USE CASE DIAGRAM Website Alternatives to self-hosting Apart from self hosting the other options than can be recommended are internet service provider and commercial service provider hosting. In the commercial service provider hosting, other options included shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Internet service provider hosting is provided by the internet service providers as an additional service to the internet. It is mostly incorporated by individuals rather than companies. Commercial service provides offer services such as web server management and also includes application software such as databases, shopping carts and content management programs. The main services provided are hosing of the site are the hosting of the website, its maintenance and security of the data (Meystel & Albus, 2002). Shared hosting is where the server that hosts client’s site also hosts other sites. However, in the dedicated hosting the commercial service provider offer a specified server for the client. This provides better data security for the site though it is much more expensive than the shred hosting option. GANTT CHART Reference: Gerner, J., Naramore, E., & Owens, M. (2005). Professional LAMP: The Linux, Apache, MySQL and the PHP5. Web Development. The Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons. Kirchmer, M. (1999). Business process oriented implementation of standard software: How to achieve a competitive advantage efficiently and effectively. Berlin: Springer. Matthews, J. (2005). Computer networking: Internet protocols in actions. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. McFarland, D. S. (2011). Dreamweaver CS5.5. Sebastopol, CA: OReilly. Shelly, G. B., Vermaat, M., & Course Technology, Inc. (2012). Discovering computers: Your interactive guide to the digital world. Boston: Course Technology/Cengage Learning. Meystel, A. M., & Albus, J. S. (2002). Intelligent systems: Architecture, design, and control. New York: Wiley. Read More