Case Study #4  Website

 

This industrial Air Cooled Heat Exchange Manufacturing company wanted to design and build a replacement for their company website in an ASP.NET architecture. This would include migrating the existing website from an external vendor to internal hosting and setting up a Web Environment including IIS 6.0 and .NET configuration and associated Domain (DNS) and Internet Email (MX Record) changes. We were also asked to create a SSL Forms Authentication Secured web based application for external Sales Representatives to login to secure section of website to update their order quote information.

 

Our consultants developed an ASP.NET 2003 website with server side component for generating client-side JavaScript menu. We documented USE cases of interaction with the website. We also defined navigation structure, graphical look and feel, and associated server include templates for .NET and HTML wrapper components for each content page. Stylesheet was utilized and the server-side included files for a consistent look and feel across entire application while providing maximum flexibility for displaying content and developing applications. The site was implemented onto Internet Information Server (IIS)6.0 including a staging and production website along with Source Safe version control for controlled migration of application changes. XML datastore with XLST transformation was utilized to display data for contact information. Macromedia Dream Weaver and Fireworks MX was used to develop graphical parts of website and Visual Studio .NET 2003 was used to develop application components.

 

Our team was also responsible for:

  • Defining business use cases for website interface between GEA employees, Sales Representatives and End Customers. Designing and developing website navigation layout and user interface standards matching corporate logo and color requirements.
  • Defining, prototyping, and implementing robust flexible ASP.NET application for both static content and dynamic application development. Implementing as Server Side includes from common directory for maximum flexibility and ease of implementing new content.
  • Defining server side component requirement for generating client side JavaScript based drop down navigation menu including researching alternatives, implementing open source alternative, and debugging and resolving embedded SSL problem in Open Source software.
  • Designed and developed SSL secure form authentication and cookie based database driven login/role security across SSL connection. Defined and created database and web based interface for updating quote information over website. Introduced employees to best practices for data modeling, database creation, and data migration for SQL Server 2000 including documenting standards and best practices for them to use moving forward. Created viewable and updateable data grids with multiple levels of security access to appropriately share application between internal and external users.
  • Implemented website into production including migration of domain to internal hosting solution. Configured IIS 6 and .NET on production server for a staging and production environment. Procured and implemented SSL certificates and managed/debugged migration of Internet Email (MX) record.