Capt. Horatio T.P. Webb
MIS 4372 Transaction Processing II
Parks -- Fall 2009
Version 3 -- Last Updated 3:00 PM 10/30/2009
NOTICES:
  • This time for sure. Some problems arose on permissions relating to web pages access have been addressed -- fixed Fri afternoon Oct 30 3PM.
  • The new server is up and running. Please be sure you have updated your pages (i.e., make sure you have your most recent copies loaded on the server. We are still in "hold your breathe mode" and we think everything works. Email me if you find anything odd, not working as advertised, formerly worked and now doesn't, etc.

    Your id's, directories, server name, etc. have NOT changed value.

  • We are moving to a new server today (Oct 27)
    Please don't make changes on your account until you get a message saying we are done
  • Server going up and down
    We are resonably sure that the server has a problem. Our evidence is its apparent random refusal to execute asp or php progarams. Our diagnostics have yet to yield a cultprit -- or even a suspect. But we are monitoring our sick server looking for some evidence of the problem. Rebooting helps --- but only for a short while. So it will be up and down till we find the cause. Email me if you get evidence of this behavior (i.e., you can see it serve up web pages, but an asp program will fail to terminate -- it will provide NO error message; you get a continuing progress bar but nothing happens. Right now there are no log errors anywhere indicating who or what is causing the problem. If it persists we will have to work out an alternative solution (i.e. shoot the server and put it out of its misery and find another alternative).
  • The disc-nt server will be down Friday afternoon for maintenance for a few hours (3PM Oct 9)
  • Visual Web Developer (here). Visual Web Developer 2008 is a free download from Microsoft.
  • Get WS_FTP at http://www.wsftp.com/ (then click the "DOWNLOAD" tab for an evaluation copy)
  • Your Resume needs top be posted on the new Bauer Career Gateway. Go to the Bauer Career Center web site (here). We hope to use this system as the Bauer College's primary resume depository.  If you plan to graduate spring, summer or fall, be sure you are registered with the University Career Center. Most of the firms use the University Career Center (here) to setup interviews for both internships and full time employment.  So, get registered at BOTH of the locations ASAP.
  • We will be using MS Visual Studio for program develoment. How to obtain your own student version will be discussed in class.
  • Assignments 1, 2 and 3 will only be evaluated on the final exam (these will not be graded separately).
  • Server accounts will be assigned after the 12th class day
  • COURSE SUMMARY: This course is the second part of a two course sequence on transaction processing in the clent-server environment. This second course concentrates on server-side processes involving submission and processing transaction information across the Internet. The primary technologies employed are: HTML, XML, XSL, WSH, Microsoft's Visual Studio and ASP.NET 3.5 (VB.NET and C#), Microsoft SQL Server emphasizing XML. We will also examine the LINUX and PHP alternatives.

    The course will discuss two major technologies. In the first half the course will present server side scripting options and the second half will discuss Microsoft's server-side ASP.NET 3.5 and Visual Studio technologies.

    TEXTS: We will not start using this textbook until FEB 23.
    Beginning ASP.NET 3.5: In C# and VB by Imar Spaanjaars
    Wrox (Wiley)
    ISBN: 978-0-470-18759-3
    March 2008
    OFFICE HOURS: MW 1-2:30 MW 280E Melcher Hall
    or
    by appointment 713-743-4729
    GRADING: There is one in-class exam (MON MAR 30). There will also be a take-home exam 2 that will be distributed in class on MON MAY 4 and be due MON MAY 8 at 5:30 PM. All grading issues are handled in-person during office hours. Do not send e-mail to the instructor regarding any grading issue. Grades assigned for drops after MON FEB 2 (last day to drop without receiving a grade) will be based on your current class grade. If you have a failing grade at the time of the drop, you will receive an F otherwise a W.
    Exam 1 35%
    Exam 2 40%
    Programming Assignment #1 5%
    Programming Assignment #2 10%
    Programming Assignment #3 10%
    DATE
    TOPIC
    Assignment
    ASP.NET 3.5 Textbook Chapter
    MON AUG 24 Introduction to the Transaction Processing in the Client/Server Environment
    WED AUG 26 Traditional ASP and SQL -- Part I
    MON AUG 31 Traditional ASP and SQL -- Part II
    WED SEP 2 Server Processes: How your NT Server accounts and SQLServer DSNs are created (word doc)
    Request Variables servar.asp (see asp code servvar.htm)
    MON SEP 7
    LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
    TUE SEP 8 Last Day to Drop without receiving a grade
    WED SEP 9 Object Models Overview (reference)
    Traditional asp template example ( source code)
    SQL Server and ADO Fundamentals ( reference)
    Traditional ASP Examples -- Column #1 only
    Connections and Recordsets for ASP here
    MON SEP 14 Command Parameters (source) and Error Collection (source)
    Audit Controls
    WED SEP 16 Text File Processing
    Dave Whalen's Cookie FAQ
    Client-Side Cookie examples (write,read,kill in both VBScript and Javascript)
    Sample assignments
    MON SEP 21 XML in traditional ASP:
    The XML DTD
    Receiving and Displaying XML on the Client
    Creating XML on the Client (this is AJAX see here)
     . IE Example AJAX for GL Account Query
     . Cross Browser Example AJAX for GL Account Query
    Receiving and Creating XML on the Server
    Sending XML from the Server to the Client
    Boatwright & Higdon's Complete XML example
    Walking the XML tree
    Computerworld 10/30/2000 XML--tree vs. relational tables
    Example AJAX for GL Account Query
    RSS Examples
    Family Cookbook (AJAX based)
    WED SEP 23 .NET 2 Framework
    Visual Studio Introduction
    Simple ASPX Examples (see the C# and VB.NET columns)
    Installing IIS on XP Professional (here)

    Installing IIS on Vista (here)
    Chaps 1,2,3
    MON SEP 28 .NET Languages at MSDN
    VB.NET Language
    C# Language
    Chaps. 4 and 5
    WED SEP 30 ASP.NET Pages Chap. 6
    MON OCT 5 Server Controls Chaps. 7,8,9

    Assignment 1 should be finished
    WED OCT 7 Web Forms I Chap 10
    MON OCT 12 Web Forms II Chap 11
    WED OCT 14 Web Forms III Chap 12
    MON OCT 19 Your database restore page ( source code)
    WED OCT 21 ADO/XML in .NET
    Data Binding
    Updating SQL in .NET
    XML in .NET
    Web Applications
    Chaps 18 and 19
    MON OCT 26 Exam Review
    WED OCT 28
    Exam 1 in class (scripting)
    Sample midterm exams:
    Spring 2009 Midterm, Fall 2008 Midterm, Spring 2008 Midterm, Fall 2007 Midterm, Fall 2000 Midterm, Fall 2001 Midterm, Fall 2002 Midterm, Fall 1999 Midterm, Spring 2001 Midterm, Spring 2002 Midterm

    Assignment 2 should be complete
    MON NOV 2 Post-exam Review Chap 23
    WED NOV 4 Security
    SQL Injections -- Part I (here)
    Injections and other Nasties-- Part II (here)
    Regular Expressions
    A Simple Encrypt/Decrypt VBScript Security
    .NET Collections
    Server Controls
    Web Services
    WED NOV 4 Last Day to Drop or Withdraw
    MON NOV 9 XML with MS Server 2000 Introduction
    FOR XML RAW
    FOR XML AUTO ELEMENTS
    ADO/XML
    WED NOV 11 Portals, Frames, Ajax, Dashboards and Sharepoint
    MON NOV 16 ASP PHP Comparison (here)
    Email using CDONT (here)
    WED NOV 18 Web Crawling (here)
    MON NOV 23 OpenXML
    .net graphics
    WED NOV 25
    Thanksgiving Holiday
    MON NOV 30 COBIT (see MIS 4373)
    COSO/ERM and ITIL (see MIS 4373)
    WED DEC 2 FINAL EXAM -- distributed in class
    Due back to Room 280E MH 5:30 PM MON DEC 7

    Sample Exams:
    Spring 2009, Fall 2008, Spring 2008, Fall 2007, Spring 2007, Fall 2006, Spring 2006, Fall 2005 Final, Spring 2005, Fall 2004 Final -- Part 1, Fall 2004 Final -- Part 2, Fall 2003 Final -- Part 1, Fall 2003 Final -- Part 2, Spring 2003 Final -- Part 1, Fall 2002 Final -- Part 1, Fall 2002 Final -- Part 2, Spring 2002 Final -- Part 1, Spring 2002 Final -- Part 1 answer, Spring 2002 Final -- Part 2, Fall 2000 Final -- Part 1, Fall 2000 Final -- Part 2, Spring 1999 version 1, Spring 1999 version 2, Fall 1999 version 1, Fall 1999 version 2, Fall 1998, Spring 1998 version 1, Spring 1998 version 2, Spring 1998 version 3 Spring 1998 version 4

    3rd Assignment (All assignments should be complete and ready for take-home exam

    Take-home Exam due back to the instructor's office (280E MH) by 5:30 PM MON DEC 7

    IMPORTANT DATES
    MON SEP 7 Labor Day Holiday
    TUE SEP 8 Last Day to Drop without receiving a grade
    WED OCT 28 Midterm Exam (in class)
    WED NOV 4 Last Day to Drop or Withdraw
    WED NOV 25 - SAT NOV 28 Thanksgiving Holiday
    WED DEC 2 Take Home Final (handout in class, due 5:30 PM DEC 7)
    ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES
    • Course Evaluations
      The C.T. Bauer College of Business requires all its instructors to be evaluated by their students. The results of these evaluations are important to provide feedback to instructors on how their performance can be improved. We encourage students to provide feedback to instructors through the evaluation process.
    • Academic Honesty
      The University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy is strictly enforced by the C.T. Bauer College of Business. No violations of this policy will be tolerated in this course. A discussion of the policy is included in the University of Houston Student Handbook which can be downloaded here. Students are expected to be familiar with this policy. Specifically see pages 9-14. Pay particular attention to the list of behaviors that are considered academic dishonesty in Section 3.02 Academic Dishonesty Prohibited. Items (d) and (h) say:
      • (d) Representing as one’s own work the work of another without acknowledging the source (plagiarism). This would include submitting substantially identical laboratory reports or other materials in fulfillment of an assignment by two or more individuals, whether or not these used common data or other information, unless this has been specifically permitted by the instructor; [NOTE: I DO NOT PERMIT THIS]
      • (h) Using another’s laboratory results as one’s own, whether with or without the permission of the owner;
    • Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
      The C. T. Bauer College of Business would like to help students who have disabilities achieve their highest potential. To this end, in order to receive academic accommodations, students must register with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) (telephone 713-743-5400), and present approved accommodation documentation to their instructors in a timely manner.