Main Developers Only White Papers

Windows NT Intranet Solutions - San Francisco, CA - August 11-12

Internet Technology Fundamentals

While many people are now using the Web both inside and outside their organizations, very few of them are aware of how the Internet and related technologies really work. This day-long class will cover everything you need to know to design and manage applications and systems using these technologies.

We will begin with the lowest layer: how machines are identified and how they communicate using TCP/IP. Building on this, higher-level protocols will be shown that provide file, electronic mail, news, and text services.

In some situations, these protocols provide all the necessary functionality. Increasingly, however, organizations are turning to one particular mechanism (transmitting HTML over HTTP) to provide Web capabilities via their own systems. We will cover using Web technologies -- typically with an Internet browser -- to provide client-side solutions.

Security is a necessary component of any distributed system and you will learn how to uniquely identify users and machines, build secure network connections, and guarantee data and program validity and integrity.

Finally, you will learn what happens on the other end of the wire: the Internet server. While Microsoft´s Internet Information Server (IIS) is highlighted, the topics in this area apply to all Internet servers running under Windows NT.

Developing Client/Server Applications for the Web

Is traditional client/server dead? Does it make sense in an Internet-crazy world? This class will show developers how to build and deploy Web-based applications using a familiar multi-tier client/server architecture. You´ll also learn how to migrate your existing applications to this new networking model.

On the client, you will first learn how to use VBScript to provide control integration, data validation, and additional capabilities. Next you will learn how to use Visual Basic to build ActiveX controls that both encapsulate existing controls and provide new -- and highly customizable -- capabilities. You will then learn how to develop ActiveX document applications and how to migrate existing forms-based applications to this new format. Internet component download is Microsoft´s strategy for deploying ActiveX components including ActiveX controls and documents. Topics to be covered in this area include obtaining a digital signature, signing components, and building and modifying CAB files for downloading and installation.

In traditional multi-tier applications, most of the code (or business rules) is handled by intermediate components that normally live on the server for performance and scalability reasons. We will cover the design of server components, their logical and physical distribution, and scaling and performance issues.

There are a wide variety of mechanisms for accessing server data in Web-based applications. This class will teach you how these alternatives work; what the tradeoffs are in terms of flexibility, development effort and performance; and how to put them to work in your applications.

Diplomacy - the art of letting someone have your way.