Microsoft Visual C++ .NET Professional Projects - Premier Press

THE .NET SERVER FAMILY Appendix B 951

To ensure the security and privacy of the data accessed by mobile users, Mobile Information 2001 Server implements end-to-end security of the information accessed and communications across mobile devices. Mobile Information 2001 Server prevents unauthenticated users from accessing data and communications. The server sends all notifications from enterprise applications to mobile devices securely through technologies such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), IP Security Protocol (IPSec), and VPN solutions. You can also use .NET Passport service, PKI, and smart cards to ensure the security and privacy of data and communications.

With a view to provide interoperability with mobile devices and integration with the existing applications and infrastructure, Mobile Information 2001 Server supports Web standards such as HTTP, HTTP-Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV), and SMTP. You can also create connectors and services that make the existing applications accessible to mobile users, while retaining their existing functionality and interface.

Mobile Information 2001 Server supports mobile devices with the WAP 1.1 browser. You can also send notifications to mobile devices capable of receiving SMS or SMTP-addressable devices, such as pagers, by using Mobile Information 2001 Server.

Mobile Information 2001 Server can also be used to ensure accessibility of applications through other .NET Enterprise Servers. In addition, you can use Mobile Information 2001 Server to make the content and information hosted by the intranet of an enterprise accessible to mobile users. The Mobile Information 2001 Server SDK allows you to use BizTalk 2000 Server orchestration processes for mobile devices. Mobile Information 2001 Server is capable of clustering and load balancing.

The beta version of Mobile Information Server 2002 has been released. Users can access mobile applications by using the latest mobile devices, such as mobile phones and Pocket PC 2002, by using Mobile Information Server 2002. For instance, users can use Pocket PC 2002 to access their Exchange inbox/mailbox.

The Enterprise Edition of Mobile Information Server 2002 includes certain new features. Some of these are the following:

Microsoft Server ActiveSync

Enhanced security

In the subsequent sections, I will discuss these features.

Microsoft Server ActiveSync

Mobile Information Server 2002 allows you to synchronize information, such as e-mail and a calendar, from Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server to a Pocket PC 2002-based device. To enable this, Mobile Information Server 2002 incorporates the Microsoft Server ActiveSync feature, which ensures secure synchronization of the required information over a wireless link.

Enhanced Security

The Enterprise Edition of Mobile Information Server 2002 allows you to secure the link between Mobile Information Server Enterprise Edition and Mobile Information Server Carrier Edition. You can use SSL or IPSec to secure the link. The Enterprise Edition allows all mobile phones that implement Microsoft Mobile Explorer 3.0 to connect to an enterprise network directly.

SharePoint Portal Server 2001

Generally, locating specific information in an organization is an arduous task. The task of searching can be simplified if information is pooled at a central location that can be readily accessed whenever required. You can achieve an information pool by using intranet portals. Organizations can use intranet portals to host all frequently accessed information or other such information that would be required by people in a well-structured manner. Additionally, the search feature of the site can be used to locate specific content from the pool of enterprise data.

Users can auto-categorize the searched content to restrict their search to a specific category of information. In addition, users can choose to receive notifications whenever the content on the site or the site as such is updated by subscribing to the portals. It is not a distant dream when all information will be located on intranet portals only.

Users can manage their documents effectively by using the document management features, such as document locking and versioning, of SharePoint Portal Server 2001. To maintain the latest version of a document, it is imperative to prevent simultaneous access to the document. Users can accomplish this by using the document locking and versioning features provided by SharePoint Portal Server 2001. These features allow users to control and track the document that passes through different phases in its life cycle before it finally is published. The approval routing feature allows users to track changes in a document throughout its life

THE .NET SERVER FAMILY Appendix B 953

cycle. SharePoint Portal Server 2001 supports the integration of these features with the applications that you use to create and manage documents, such as Microsoft Word. Users can prevent unauthorized access by only allowing users with the appropriate access to view the documents. SharePoint Portal Server 2001 also allows users to store documents and keep track of the metadata related with business documents in Document Profile forms. Some other features, such as Document Collaboration, Profiling, and Lifecycle Management, provided by SharePoint Portal Server 2001 facilitate working with documents.

SharePoint Portal Server 2001 supports all the Internet standards, such as XML and HTTP, ActiveX Data Objects (ADO), and OLE DB for data access. This ensures interoperability and integration of Active Server Pages (ASP) functionality into the Web portal. Built-in services included in SharePoint Portal Server 2001 allow you to create Web-based applications.

Users can customize the server and its features, such as its interface, according to their organizational needs. Web application functionalities such as ASP classic pages and ASP.NET Web Forms can be added to SharePoint Portal Server 2001.

A user interface needs to be created to use the features of SharePoint Portal Server. You use the Microsoft Digital Dashboard technology to create a user interface for SharePoint Portal Server. Digital dashboards are Web applications that run on Windows 2000 IIS and make extensive use of Web Parts technology. You can access digital dashboards by using Web browsers such as Internet Explorer.

Web Parts are the individual sections that comprise a digital dashboard. A Web Part can be customized and encapsulates a script fragment with a custom property schema that Microsoft defines.

SQL Server 2000

The storage and maintenance of information in a systematic manner holds a vital significance in every organization. SQL Server 2000 provides a boon to organizations by allowing users to store and maintain information in databases. Users can create databases and analyze and query the data in these databases by using SQL Server 2000.

The following are some key features of SQL Server 2000:

Comprehensive data store

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Full text search

Enhanced analytical capabilities

Enhanced application development features

Indexed views

Support for Web-enabled database applications

Scalability

Comprehensive Data Store

Users can create a comprehensive store of data from multiple sources such as other RDBMSs, flat files, and XML files at a single location by using SQL Server 2000. It is also possible to create databases that can be accessed from the Internet and can supply content in XML format. Therefore, users can create client applications to access data from an SQL server across the Internet. SQL Server 2000 supports full integration with the Web. In addition, it is possible to access data from databases and query databases from the Web itself.

Full Text Search

The full text search feature of SQL Server 2000 allows users to query the data stored in SQL Server 2000 databases. This feature allows users to perform fulltext searches on the documents in the database and query the database in English.

Enhanced Analytical Capabilities

SQL Server 2000 includes functionalities that enhance the analytical features such as Analysis Services, data mining, and closed loop analysis. The Analysis Services feature uses data mining to locate information in online analytical processing (OLAP) cubes and relational databases. The enhanced analytical features help you to analyze and predict useful information by using the data from SQL Server 2000 databases.

SQL Server 2000 delivers an enhanced OLAP. Using OLAP, you can code for the dependency of subsequent steps in a business process based on the results of an analysis. In addition, you can analyze data by using the remote OLAP cubes that can be accessed from the Web.

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Enhanced Application Development Features

Users can ensure high availability of business applications by using the SQL Server 2000 features such as online backups, clustering, and log shipping. SQL Server 2000 also allows user-defined functions, cascading referential integrity, and an integrated T-SQL debugger, thereby simplifying application development. You can also use routines that can extract, transform, and load the data automatically to import data from heterogeneous systems such as flat files and legacy databases.

Another important feature provided by SQL Server 2000 is Meta Data Services. This feature allows you to store, view, and retrieve descriptions of objects in your applications and system.

Indexed Views

Indexed views allow you to create a unique clustered index on a view. This feature simplifies data access, resulting in enhanced application performance.

Support for Web-Enabled Database Applications

SQL Server 2000 supports data exchange in the XML format with client applications. The server application also allows data access through ADO, OLE DB, and open database connectivity (ODBC). In addition, SQL Server 2000 provides a flexible platform for OLTP and e-commerce applications. This allows you to create and maintain Web-enabled database applications.

Scalability

Scalability has been built in SQL Server 2000. You can add multiple processors and additional RAM to scale SQL Server 2000. In addition, you can create clusters of SQL Server 2000 and distribute the database and data across servers. It is also possible to interactively tune and debug queries, and quickly move and transform data to and from any source. You can also replicate data on multiple servers while synchronizing the content.

SQL Server 2000 also supports handheld devices such as Microsoft Windows CE handheld units. This allows users to access databases and applications on the move. You can integrate back-end systems and transfer data across firewalls by using the XML format. SQL Server 2000 also supports integration with other

.NET Enterprise Servers such as BizTalk Server.

To summarize, .NET Enterprise Servers allow you to create and deploy solutions to use the .NET Framework. Each of these servers has individual capabilities that facilitate the creation and deployment of solutions by using the .NET Framework.

This appendix is designed to provide you some additional information about namespaces and attributes.

The System Namespace

The .NET Framework class library comprises a hierarchical collection of classes. The System namespace is located at the top of the hierarchy and consists of all other classes. In addition, this namespace consists of classes that allow you to manage exceptions and define data types, events and event handlers, interfaces, and attributes.

The namespace comprises classes representing the base data types used by all applications. Most of these types are similar to the primitive data types used in programming languages.

Apart from the data types, the System namespace contains classes. These classes handle tasks ranging from handling exceptions to dealing with runtime concepts, such as application domains and the garbage collector.

Some of the tasks performed by the classes in the System namespace can be broadly classified as follows:

Converting data types

Manipulating parameters

Invoking local and remote programs

Managing the application environment

Supervising managed and unmanaged applications

In addition to the classes, the System namespace includes several other namespaces.

The namespaces under the System namespace are categorized based on the functionality that they support. Some of the categories available are the following:

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Data. Includes namespaces that deal with data source management and that provide support for XML. System.Data and System.Xml are two of the namespaces that belong to this category.

Net. Includes the System.Net namespace that handles all network-based operations.

Reflection. Includes the System.Reflection namespace that provides support for access to metadata and for dynamic handling of types.

NET Framework security. Includes namespaces that facilitate the implementation of the .NET security features. For instance, the System.Secu-

rity namespace provides access to the mechanics that are used to implement the core of the .NET Framework security system.

Web Services. Includes the namespaces System.Web and System.Web.Services. These form the backbone of the ASP.NET infrastructure and of other SOAP-based Web services.

Rich, client-side GUI. Includes the most vital namespaces that deal with all user interface-related activities. The System.Drawing and System.Windows.Forms namespaces belong to this category.

Common tasks. Includes namespaces that deal with the commonly per-

formed operations, such as I/O handling, thread handling, and so on. System.IO and System.Threading are some of the namespaces under this category.

An important namespace in the System namespace is the System.Windows.Forms namespace. I will discuss this namespace in the next section.

The System.Windows.Forms

Namespace

All the classes required to create Windows-based applications are available in the System.Windows.Forms namespace. The classes in this namespace can be grouped into these categories:

Form

Controls

Components

Common dialog boxes