Chapter 8

Server Software


CONTENTS

To create a fully functioning intranet, you must determine what kind of server software packages to install on your main platform. Besides choosing a Web server package, you should consider other server software, such as software that will provide your intranet with e-mail and possibly audio. This chapter discusses the types of server software available and the features of each package. You don't have to incorporate all the features covered here; just as not every person needs a graphics program or a telecommunications package on their personal computer, not every organization needs every available server feature.

The most important software running on your intranet is the Web server software. A Web server answers requests for Web documents. For example, if you want to access a requested document on IntraActive's server at http://www.intraactive.com, the server answers your request-assuming it is in the right directory and the permissions are configured. In other words, you define what documents you want to make available by the commands you give. In UNIX, a Web server runs in the background, along with the other server processes like FTP and mail.

All Web servers do the same thing: They listen to requests and process them. Like any piece of technology-CD players, portable cassette players, VCRs, cellular telephones-the manu-facturer's reputation and the available features will drive your purchase choice. All Web servers will send out the requested documents, but the difference in Web servers is noted in their features: How easy is it to install and configure? How fast can it send out pages? Is it secure, and when it sends back requests, can it do so in a secure manner?

Keep the following features in mind when choosing your Web server on the basis of the functionality you want to have with your intranet:

Commercial Web Servers

The capability of Web server software to make fast and efficient transactions should be your main concern when shopping for software. Each time one of your users requests a page, the server will have to respond to that request-the faster the better. Each transaction could consist of many different server actions. For instance, if a Web page has several images or an embedded CGI script, the server would have to perform a separate function for each of those elements each time a user requested that page. In essence, your Web server is acting as a fulfillment center for your intranet. Every time you click an icon or type in a URL, the Web server is assembling all the pieces of that page and sending them to the user. For basic HTML, this can be done quickly and easily by almost any Web server. However, if the Web server needs to query a database or perform other dynamic functions, it must be more powerful. For example, if the Web server has to query an authentication table and hunt through hundreds of usernames and passwords for every page it returns, it must be more powerful in order to serve your pages quickly and efficiently.

It also is important to consider how well the package works with other packages, as you want to avoid conflicts and downtime at all costs. Remember that your intranet's functions will depend on the server software's reliability. When choosing software, keep in mind the method by which you will install the server software: It should be simple and quick. While getting your server up and running, you'll want as few headaches as possible so that you can focus on selecting the other types of software needed for your intranet.

Your Web publishing needs should be another criteria for selecting a Web server package. As the main hub of your intranet, the Web server should be easy to administer, well-supported, highly effective, and flexible enough to grow with your intranet. There are Web server packages with all kinds of administration tools. Some of the most basic Web server packages are administered by configuration files only, meaning the administrator must be technically knowledgeable and be able to troubleshoot configuration problems.

Other packages come with configuration tools. For example, many Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT Web server packages have a separate Windows application that allows administrators to set up and make changes to the Web server options. Some of these are very easy to use; however, it must be considered that with these types of servers, the administrator must have the tool on the machine from which he or she would administer. This makes it difficult for administrators to make updates or changes to the Web server from a remote location, such as home or on the Web. Yet another, and possibly the most popular administration interface, is as a Web page itself. Most new servers' configuration scripts are written so that users from any location can use a simple Web browser to update and modify the Web server configuration. However, this particular method can sometimes be less than reliable. Along the analogy of a doctor healing him or herself, if your Web server is having problems, it might be difficult to use the Web server itself to troubleshoot and reconfigure. The Web server package should be supplemented with comprehensive printed documentation and contact phone numbers. For an excellent online reference of Web server software, visit WebCompare's Server Features Comparison page at http://www.webcompare.com/server-main.html.

Although the process of installing Web server software is more technical than installing a word processing or drawing program, you don't have to be a computer whiz to do it. Keep the manual that came with your package close by. (Each Web server software package has its own installation method, so I haven't included step-by-step instructions.) The following sections review the advantages and potential disadvantages of some popular server software packages.

Netscape Enterprise Server for UNIX and Windows NT

If securing the information on your intranet is of primary importance to you, you'll want a server software package that offers top-notch security features. The Netscape Enterprise Web server software for UNIX and Windows NT won't let you down. It is advantageous to intranet builders because it allows for encrypted transmissions both internally and externally. The encryption key is especially useful if you have secure information on the corporate local area network (LAN). This software also supports the Java environment. To read specific Netscape Enterprise product description information, visit this site:

http://home.netscape.com/comprod/server_central/product/enterprise/index.html

When installing the Netscape Enterprise Server, configure and administer your machine using the Netscape Navigator browser. You might find that this method is an advantage for you, as you're likely to be familiar with the Netscape Navigator browser. The Web-based interface includes remote maintenance features and real-time performance measurement tools; it also allows you to set up an automatic directory tree, which means that you can choose a recursive document route anywhere on your machine. The user interface is forms-based and very simple to use.

The Netscape Enterprise Server, shown in Figure 8.1, is rich with features. It allows users to serve several different Web sites using the same server on the same machine. It uses the standard NCSA log format. It can measure performance, tell you what kind of browser was used and where the user came from, and track individual users as they maneuver through the site. It has built-in image maps (NCSA) and supports the Windows CGI interface.

Figure 8.1: When installing the Netscape Enterprise Server, you are greeted with this window.

The Enterprise Server also has relatively secure authentication. You can prohibit entire realms of the Internet from accessing the site, or you can prohibit specific individuals. You can require a password on the individual level and even show different individuals different parts of static Web pages. You can configure groups of users so that you can provide different levels of access to a whole group instead of an individual. The server supports SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), versions 2 and 3, but does not support S-HTTP.

The server also comes with a search engine and has a direct link to some database protocols. However, Netscape will not provide the source code for the server, so you are limited by the level to which it allows you to customize. This commercial server is one of the most expensive available today.

Oracle

The Oracle server is much like the Netscape server in that it is relatively easy to install and has a browser interface, which means that after you install it, you can configure your server using a Web browser. Instead of relying on arcane configurations, Oracle's configuration site already is set up. However, I've found that this built-in configuration site isn't always stable; it's actually more stable and safe to configure the server myself by editing the configuration files with a text editor. When I set this server up, it erased my configuration file. This has happened to me three or four times, although it has not been reported as a known problem. Another drawback is that the pre-established configuration does not do a backup, something I always do as part of configuration.

The Oracle server is secure, however. It supports a secure socket layer key, so when data is transferred between the server and browser, it can be encrypted. The Oracle Web Server 2.0 currently supports SSL version 2, but not version 3. It does not support S-HTTP. For authentication the Oracle Web Server not only can have individual and group-based password authentication but can match a username and password with a specific IP address or subnet. In this manner, a user attempting to gain access to the site not only must have the correct username and password but must be accessing the site from a specific computer or group of computers. This feature unique to the Oracle Web server provides an additional layer of security. Users also can be authenticated via the Oracle7 database.

Oracle allows the user to natively talk to a database so Web server requests can be queried by the database. This allows Oracle to take advantage of the power and flexibility of a database, whereas most servers just "serve" HTML pages, images, and applications.

For example, if I want to serve a book on a Web, I can take each page and turn it into a Web page. I can do this using any Web server. However, assume I want to create a site using some data that remains constant and some that is changing, such as keeping an inventory online. The spec sheets and product information would stay static, but the number of products I had on hand would change; in other words, the number of products on hand would relate to the information about that product. To serve this information on the Web, I would want to use a relational database. Because it is relational, there is no redundancy with the Oracle database.

Currently no other server programs can draw information from a database in this way. Netscape's LiveWire is the next closest software and may develop into a more dynamic application, but currently it is not up to snuff. Certainly, users can always write their own gateways, but Oracle is really the strongest commercially available product. Oracle runs on Solaris and Windows NT but not on Windows 95, and it supports the native Java environment.

The Oracle Web Server, shown in Figure 8.2, currently runs on UNIX or Windows NT. It can serve several sites with the same Web server and the same machine, but each distinct site will leave a larger footprint on your machine than will additional sites with other servers. Oracle logs files using the NCSA common format, but log files cannot be automatically archived. In general, the logging for the Oracle Web Server is not as good as with other Web servers; you can't tell what kind of Web browser is accessing the site, you cannot track individual users, it does not report referrer logs, and there are no performance measurement logs at all. However, using PL/SQL, pages that are dynamically generated from the database can be logged with a great deal of detail. Time, date, user ID, and reference page can all be captured and logged into the database, where very sophisticated statistical information can be generated. This will take some fairly advanced programming, but if you're willing to spend the time, you can actually get much better and more concise logs using the Oracle database.

Figure 8.2: The Oracle server configuration is Web-based.

This is also a very expensive commercial server and is not quite as far along for more traditional Web service than are some others. However, the database support is phenomenal. The database itself is also very expensive. However, organizations that are already running an Oracle database and want to serve that information to their intranet, or build a gateway to that database for their users will find that Oracle Web Server is an ideal solution.

You can find an online brochure about the Oracle7 Workgroup Server at http://www.ksi.co.za/prodinfo/wgs.html.

Microsoft Internet Information Server for Windows NT

The Internet Information Server (IIS), Microsoft's version of a Web server, is hard to ignore. It can't handle a large amount of traffic because it runs on Windows NT, but it's a stable choice for a small intranet. Organizations that already use Windows NT solutions will find that setting up and running IIS is a relatively easy and functional Web server. The most recent version of IIS-version 2.0 at this writing-only runs on Windows NT Server 4.0, so if you're using an older version of Windows NT, you'll have to use version 1.0 of the Web server.

Currently, the server supports SSL version 2, but not version 3 or S-HTTP. Also, prohibiting users is not as effective or easy as with other Web servers. You can use user and password authentication, and you can set up user groups for security. A security advantage of the IIS is that it allows the administrator to control password length, uniqueness, and how often a password must be changed. This Web server can even disable a password if it is typed incorrectly a specified number of times. This is the only Web server I know of with this feature.

This server does not use an NCSA common log format, which means that programs that have been written specifically to create statistics from log files, such as WWWStat, cannot be used. IIS cannot generate referrer logs, tell what kind of browser the client is using, or track additional users as they maneuver about the site.

The server comes with an administration tool that is now, unfortunately, only available for Windows NT, which means that any administration must be done on an NT machine. Microsoft is currently writing a version for Windows 95.

A home page for users of the Microsoft Internet Information Server is at http://www.microsoft.com/infoserv.

O'Reilly WebSite Server

O'Reilly has strategically designed its Web server package for intranets to be run on Windows NT or 95. The package, called WebSite, has access control features that can be implemented with passwords. WebSite allows you to use a CGI program to run programs like Excel and Visual Basic from within a browser. A feature called WebView provides a tree-like palette in which you can map out documents, links, statistics, and icons. WebSite will work with Windows NT or Windows 95 running TCP/IP. Although it probably is the least expensive Web server on the market, it's not secure and not as fast as many Web servers. The new version, due out soon, will be SSL compliant.

WebSite does allow for user authentication and user groups, and can easily prohibit users from any domain name or subnet. However, this is the extent of its security features. It does come with a Windows 95 administration tool that can be used from any Windows 95 machine. It comes with a built-in search engine and image map handling.

WebSite uses standard NCSA log formats and can generate referrer logs as well as report the user's browser. It cannot track individual users.

An excellent home page to get more information on O'Reilly's WebSite is at the following address:

http://www.ora.com/gnn/bus/ora/ads/ws1-cat.html

Mac HTTP from Quarterdeck

The Mac HTTP is relatively comparable to O'Reilly's. The fastest machine the Mac HTTP can run on is a PowerMac, which is certainly as fast as a Pentium-but it's not a DEC Alpha. This server is ideal for a small office that uses a Macintosh server, especially if it's an all-Macintosh house. Like O'Reilly's WebSite, it cannot talk to a database.

This low-level server does not create common log formats and cannot generate any information about referrers, browsers, or individual users. In addition, the server can serve only one site at a time.

Mac HTTP does provide authentication by username and password and can prohibit by domain name and subnet. However, you cannot create user groups or hierarchical permissions for directories of documents.

This server has no graphical interface and is relatively difficult to configure. For more information on Mac HTTP, visit www.starnine.com.

Freeware Web Servers

One factor undoubtedly on your mind as you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of various Web server software is cost. You might be surprised to find that many Web server software packages are free. That's right, free; all you have to do is download. You're probably asking, "What's the catch?" In many cases, there is no catch. The reason that many server software packages are free is because the whole business of developing and distributing them is a very new one. The companies that are developing server software are still establishing a competition with each other. Therefore, many of them have decided (especially the ones who already are making lots of money from other products) that it's best not to charge right now. However, things won't be free forever. Server software developers intend to charge for their products in the future, and about 30 percent of the developers already do.

You'll usually find that there's very little technical support available for freeware packages and that some are not very user-friendly. Free packages are frequently written by development teams or university departments (another reason why they're free), who assume that the packages' users will be technically savvy. If you trust your intuition, or that of whoever administers your intranet's Web server, you might find a freeware package adequate for your needs, not to mention cost-effective. If you're hesitant about the quality of a freeware server, testing it first always is an option.

If you plan to take advantage of the free-for-all server software packages, here are two to consider.

HTTPd

HTTPd, offered by NCSA, is a popular freeware package designed by the software development group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is fast and offers the basics. HTTPd, shown in Figure 8.3, is available only for UNIX-based operating systems. It can serve multiple sites from one server using one machine with very little footprint on your system. Of course, it uses the NCSA common log format and can generate referrer and browser logs.

Figure 8.3: The HTTPd configuration file.

You can authenticate by user ID and password, and users can be grouped. Specific domain names and IP addresses can be barred from the site. The server is not SSL or S-HTTP com-pliant.

One of the best features of this Web server is that the source code comes with it. You can make customizations or modifications as you deem necessary and if you possess the skills.

An HTTPd home page is at http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu.

Apache

Apache is based on NCSA's HTTPd but claims to have fewer bugs. In fact, the name Apache comes from the fact that it is a series of patches incorporated onto the NCSA server-hence, "a patchy server." This is also the only server available for the OS/2 operating system. Apache offers multiple methods from which to customize error messages and the capability to customize other key needs, such as text responses and local and external URL redirection. Like HTTPd, it requires that you understand how to configure it with your operating system. Apache will soon introduce a commercial version, which should have SSLs.

Apache supports standard NCSA log formats, can create referrer and browser logs, and can track users. It allows for authentication based on user ID and password, and can prohibit access from specific domain names and IP addresses. It is one of the fastest servers available but must be set up and maintained by editing the configuration files. There is no graphical in-terface.

For more information Apache, visit http://www.apache.org.

Freeware Web server packages often provide all you need to develop a smoothly functioning hub for your intranet; so consider these when making your choice. Also, look at what packages other intranets have selected, and query their administrators about their experience. Table 8.1 offers information about the Web server packages of selected companies.

Table 8.1. A comparison of what various Web servers offer users.

 ApacheMac HTTP Microsoft IISNCSANetscape Enterprise Netscape FastTrackWebSite
Operating system(s)Most UNIX, OS/2 MacOSWindows NT (Intel, MIPS) UNIX Windows NT, SolarisUNIX, UNIX, Windows NT, SolarisWindows NT (Intel)
Can serve multiple domains
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
CERN/NCSA common log
*
 
 
*
*
*
*
Can generate referrer logs
*
 
 
*
*
*
*
Built-in image map handling
*
 
*
*
*
*
*
Supports authentication
*
 
*
*
*
*
*
Prohibits by domain name
*
*
 
*
*
*
*
Supports SSL
 
 
*
 
*
*
 
Web-based setup
 
 
*
*
*
*
*
Web-based maintenance
 
 
*
 
*
*
*
Remote maintenance
*
 
*
 
*
*
*
Includes full source code
*
 
 
*
 
 
 
Search engine
 
Apple search
 
Internal NCSA and WAIS support
 
 
Built in, with indexer

MCKEON & JEFFRIES
For M&J, the Web server choice was an obvious one. The firm needed limited security and limited authentication, it wasn't worried about user logs, and it could only work with a Windows NT solution. For the cost, O'Reilly's WebSite was the perfect answer. It allowed quick and easy setup, and it came with a Windows 95 administration tool that allowed the system administrator to maintain the site from any location. Setting up the Web server took a matter of minutes, and maintaining it just a few minutes a week.

THE SPORTING GOODS AND APPAREL ASSOCIATION
The SGAA's choice was also obvious, but for different reasons. It needed a server that could talk fluidly and quickly with a powerful backend database. It also needed very complex security and authentication solutions. The plan was to give different users the ability to see different areas of the site, determined by their user ID. The Oracle Web server, though expensive, was the perfect option. Setup and configuration was a long, complicated process mostly performed by its consultants. However, maintenance of the site thereafter was done using Oracle's Web-based maintenance tool.

Mail Servers

In addition to Web server software, you'll also want mail server software. Your intranet would be severely limited without it, as electronic mail is such an integral part of the Internet and intranets. Before you choose a mail server, do your homework; you'll find notable differences in the installation processes and features of various mail server programs.

If you have a UNIX system, the mail server Sendmail probably was pre-installed on your machine. Sendmail, a popular, free (for UNIX users), and powerful software program is extremely complex: The configurations are endless. Sendmail uses SMTP (simple mail transfer protocol) and is considered one of the most difficult UNIX utilities to learn. However, many of the functions you'll need, such as mail forwarding, are already configured for you. If you want to customize Sendmail, get a good manual, because not only is it hard to configure, but there is a dearth of experts and consultants to advise users. The O'Reilly company offers one in its Nutshell series; to order the book, visit http://www.ora.com/www/item/sendmail.html.

If Sendmail is not your first choice, talk to your operating system vendor about other packages available for your platform. There may be less powerful but easier-to-configure mail server software packages available specifically for your machine. As far as UNIX is concerned, I've heard rumors that other mail server software is available, but I must confess I don't know anyone who uses anything other than Sendmail.

Before I look at some of the other mail server software programs available, I'll explore how a mail server communicates with its clients. When a user sends a message, a mail server accepts the message and requests to put the mail in someone's mailbox. If the user to whom the message is addressed does not have an account, the server will tell the machine sending mail to return the mail. This procedure is performed by one of two protocols: SMTP or POP (Post Office Protocol). The protocol used depends on the mail server package. Sendmail uses SMTP, but other packages, some of which I'll look at here, use POP. Because POP is basically the protocol that delivers mail on your system, whereas SMTP is what delivers the mail across the Web, users can utilize SMTP without POP, but they cannot use POP without SMTP. Think of SMTP as the central distribution point and POP as the local carrier. Sendmail basically delivers mail as far as the individual machine and POP delivers it to the individual user.

When looking at the various mail server packages, pay attention to the features that differentiate them. First, consider the ease with which you can install and configure a particular package. Mail servers are notorious for being cryptic and difficult to install. Second, check each mail package's capability to control the individual parameters of the users. If some of the users of your intranet are not too technical, you might want to have a preferences panel on the mail program that will allow them to configure their options. Central configuration files can help tailor an "average user's" configuration. Finally, as always, make sure that your mail server package comes with manuals and technical support contacts. A few mail server software programs and their main features follow.

Netscape MailServer 2.0

Netscape's mail server is easily configured through the Netscape browser interface but also can be used with several server programs, as it is completely distinct from any Web server. The package is designed to appeal to intranet administrators whose primary concern is security. The encryption tool, S/KEY, prevents network eavesdropping. Netscape's MailServer is a good choice for any organization transmitting a heavy flow of mail. For more information, see the following Web site:

http://home.netscape.com/comprod/server_central/product/mail/index.html

NTMAIL

NTMAIL is a package of programs and services designed specifically for Microsoft's Windows NT-both the server and the workstation. Both SMTP and POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3) are offered. NTMAIL is a stable mail server. It comes standard with the NT server as well as an interface tool. It seems to have excellent technical support. A home page is at http://www.mortimer.com/ntmail/index.htm.

SLmail

Like many mail servers, Seattle Lab's SLmail handles mail though the SMTP and POP3 protocols. For intranet e-mail, all that is needed is a functioning LAN that uses the TCP/IP network protocol. For Internet e-mail, you need an Internet connection. SLmail is a good choice for a small to medium mail user base. It has no security layer. For more information, visit http://www.seattlelab.com. Remember, servers generally all perform the same basic functions, so carefully consider their features and interface capabilities. Making a careful choice about mail server software will keep your mail systems running smoothly. To talk to people who have had experience with a particular mail server package, look for a Usenet newsgroup such as comp.mail misc and post a query.

News Servers

Usenet-the Internet news forum-is a completely distributed system that never dies. Just as a Web server serves up information and resources from the Web, Usenet distributes and provides an orderly format for message boards. The protocol used to transmit Usenet posts is Network News Transport Protocol (NNTP), and a news server spools newsgroups off the Internet. News servers talk to each other and distribute and update messages by replicating themselves across newsgroups; when one news server gets a new post to a group, every other news server with that group makes a copy of it. News servers are especially useful in filtering redundant messages so they aren't distributed more than once. For example, a team of technical support users may have a discussion of a particular problem, possibly finding a solution. Later, that discussion can be used by others who have encountered the same problem, thus saving them time.

If you want to provide your intranet's users with access to particular Usenet groups or create internal newsgroups, you should select and install a news server. Your own news server will give you more control over user access to newsgroups and a faster connection to the newsgroups to which you are subscribed. The news server controls newsgroups subscribers and delivers articles to other machines. A news reader, which is connected to the server, allows users to read and post news. Many browsers, such as Netscape Navigator, have news reading options. But if you have detailed configurations for your intranet's news access, you should look into installing a news reader as a supplement to a news server.

Newsgroups often are a worthwhile addition to your intranet, but you'll have to decide the way in which to provide them. If you decide to install your own news server, you can establish internal newsgroups for your intranet. Internal newsgroups are composed of postings only from members of your intranet and are accessible only to users of your intranet, whereas external newsgroups from Usenet are composed of Internet users from around the globe. Both internal and external newsgroups are great tools for instigating communication about key internal issues and for creating project workgroups, sales discussions, and online customer support. Another benefit of having your own news server is that you can set up intracorporate newsgroup discussion lists. Such an internal list can promote pertinent and relevant organization-related discussions among all employees who otherwise would not have such a forum.

There are few commercially available newsgroup products, and I don't expect this market to grow in the future. Most of the functions that newsgroups perform now are handled by the Web, in most cases making newsgroups unnecessary. However, if you want reliable messaging without writing your own custom software or purchasing expensive message board software, or if your users are used to the Usenet format, a news server might be the way to go. There are many freeware news servers floating around on the Internet, but the only one we found to be easy to configure and stable was the Netscape News Server.

Netscape News Server, shown in Figure 8.4, is designed especially for intranets, but it handles both Internet and internal newsgroups. It allows intracorporate newsgroups and an SSL technology, which can be used to encrypt newsgroup postings. Another feature provides the means to set user access to particular newsgroups with passwords. These password-protected newsgroups are then available only to subscribed members. For an FAQ about the Netscape News Server, visit the following Web site:

http://home.netscape.com/comprod/server_central/support/faq/news_faq.html

Figure 8.4: The Netscape News Server.

Other Software Options

Besides mail and news software, you'll find a variety of other software packages that might be useful to your intranet. In fact, one of the advantages of building an intranet is that you always have the option to implement new features as they become available. Let's look at some Web utilities, tools, and applications of both the past and present.

Perhaps you've heard about Gopher. Maybe you've noticed that some Web sites use a Gopher as a means for storing information. Do you want to put a Gopher on your intranet? Not anymore. Gopher is an older, text-based system that has been replaced by the Web. I don't know of anyone currently setting up Gopher sites; most people are translating Gopher sites into Web sites. Before the Web, the Gopher was a menu-driven, point-and-click, linear program that provided a means to thumb your way through information. With Gopher, if you had 1,000 documents that you wanted to make available and easily accessible to your readers, users had to click from page to page until they found the document they wanted. Unlike Gopher, the Web has documents connected, so users can jump around instead of tediously clicking from one document to the next. In addition, the Web includes formatting, sounds, pictures, and an expanding host of multimedia options. Gopher-based information is best read on a text Web browser called Lynx. Today, if you find a page that is operating a Gopher, it's likely that you'll also find that the information is in the process of being converted into HTML to be transferred to a Web server.

You've probably also heard about IRC (Internet Relay Chat). It's doubtful that any intranet seriously needs IRC, as it is primarily an entertainment forum in which Internet users worldwide gather for miscellaneous conversation. It's true that a chat environment (ideally) might be useful for meetings or brainstorming sessions, but usually the connection is too slow to allow for spontaneous conversation. As a result, the "chatters" often wind up discussing mechanics of the Internet or problems with their modems or computers rather than the topic around which the session was originally created.

To develop the structured, topic-oriented conversations you'll want for your intranet, consider installing a software package that will allow you to create and play streaming audio. With streaming audio, an audio file is compressed into a small amount of data that can be transferred in real time. The streaming file is about as small as a text file but is ordered so that you listen to it as it arrives at your site.

Streaming video is being developed, but because video contains more information than does audio, it requires more bandwidth. Until bandwidth availability increases, the quality of streaming video will be relatively poor, unless you are running it through a LAN.

Establishing your intranet with the capacity for streaming audio (and video) is a good idea. As the Web becomes more interactive, you'll want to install the tools needed to participate in audio- and video-conferences and to create online presentations. (See Chapter 25, "Audio Presentations," and Chapter 26, "Video Presentations.") One popular streaming audio package is Progressive Networks' RealAudio.

RealAudio is the company that first developed streaming audio. RealAudio is set up so that it sends the audio message to a RealAudio player and as the audio comes in, it gets uncompressed and is fed to the player. This allows the user to hear the audio even while it's still being downloaded. This may not sound that useful; however, imagine that someone has a microphone. As he or she speaks, the voice is being compressed, sent, and played to the recipient. It's possible with RealAudio for someone to deliver a speech online in real time. There are several radio stations that broadcast on the Internet using RealAudio. To visit the RealAudio home page, go to http://www.realaudio.com.

Other commercially available streaming audio packages include Xing Streamworks and Netscape CoolTalk; both work with Web servers.

Xing Streamworks was created by Xing Technologies and is distributed by Hewlett Packard. It provides live and on-demand audio and video services. Xing Streamworks is a newcomer to the market so it is not yet widely used, but with its backing from Hewlett Packard, it's worth looking into.

Netscape CoolTalk is distributed by Netscape and provides audio streaming with the streaming client integrated into the browser, but not video streaming. Unlike RealAudio, CoolTalk doesn't have to start a new application every time a user accesses a new Web page, because CoolTalk does it for you. This is an ideal program for those interested in a complete Netscape solution.

Along with streaming audio, your intranet might benefit from the potential of video-conferencing. As the quality progresses, streaming video technology will be used for electronic meetings (both internal and intracorporate), sales presentations, training, and documentation. Think of streaming video as something to work toward as you select the software servers to include on your intranet.

CU-SeeMe, shown in Figure 8.5, is a high-quality intranet video-conferencing package developed by Cornell University that streams video and audio and works with the Macintosh, Windows 3.1, Windows NT, and Windows 95. The freeware is impressive, but currently special hardware is needed to run it.

Figure 8.5: CU-SeeMe.

Whether to stock your intranet with the tools for real-time audio and video capacities is an issue worth some thought. If you currently don't have a need for real-time conferencing, you might want to wait until the technology develops further. It's highly likely that, as the Web develops into a media-rich environment, your intranet will require at least some plug-in players for real-time audio and video. Usually these players are free and can be downloaded from their developers, but to create your own multimedia presentations, it's likely you'll have to purchase a package.

Summary

Selecting server software for your intranet is not an easy task. Be sure to educate yourself on all the options. Remember that many packages are available only for specific systems (such as Sun, Windows NT, or SGI). It is important to choose your hardware on the basis of the software you use and the performance the software will give your application. Before purchasing any packages, list the goals you want to accomplish. For example, here are some questions to consider:

Do some research about the kinds of server software used by companies similar to yours, and query the administrators about their experience.

Software developers usually offer beta or demo versions. Download these samples from the Web, or call the company directly about getting a sales presentation. Above all, remember that many of the packages you'll find were designed for the Internet rather than an intranet. To find packages that meet your exact needs, use the Web as your research tool.