Installation

Installation: Installing Websphere Commerce Server involves below steps:

Downloading Websphere Commerce: Go to Passport Advantage site http://www.ibm.com/software/howtobuy/passportadvantage/

Ø  Websphere Commerce eAssemblies: Websphere Commerce product consists of multiple offerings such as Professional, Express and Enterprise. Each offering logically divided into subpackages which are called electronic Assemblies or eAssemblies. It’s a group of software devoted to a particular platform or environment.


For e.g.



Ø  Checksum verification for e-Assemblies.
Ø  Verify the download package verifying md5 sum
Ø  Burning backup copies of Websphere Commerce : DVDs. 
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Planning

Planning
Creating a custom implementation of a WebSphere Commerce store requires a significant amount of planning. For e.g. gathering client needs, deploy live solution,
Significant stages:
o   Concept Stage
o   Starting HTML starter stores
o   Use case documentation
o   Design Stage
o   Starting HTML starter stores
o   Use case documentation
o   CSS Style Guide
o   Wireframes
o   Implementation Stage:
o   Customization tutorials
o   Build and deploy tool
o   Loading data
o   Testing Stage
o   Functional test plan and test case document
o   Storefront test Automation Engine
o   Launch Stage
o   Maintenance Stage

Concept Stage:
Need to demonstrate the need of Websphere Commerce capabilities to internal/external stakeholders. WCS provides the resources which one can use to demonstrate, describe and evaluate Websphere Commerce features and capabilities.

Static HTML starter stores:

It provides a set of static, navigable HTML pages that demonstrate starter store functionality and design. It does showcase all store features & supported flows under different conditions.

For e.g. you can see what an empty shopping cart page looks like, and a shopping cart page with more than 20 items and pagination.

We don’t need development environment running on WCS to view these pages; these can be viewed directly in our web browser. It masks off each JSP Pages  and shows the name in upper left corner of the area.

Ø  We can use Static HTML starter store to demonstrate store features & look & feel to clients, executives and technical professional of the organization.
Ø  It does accelerate the web plugin
Ø  Cost of building UI within the JSP file is reduced.
Ø  Changes can be easily incorporated to corresponding JSPs by developer at more convenient time.

Using case documentation:

WCS includes a set of modifiable use case documents that describe the functionality provided with starter stores. It does describe the starter store functionality. Each use case corresponds to the task that a shopper can accomplish using a store. It list main, alternate and exception flows for each use case and also include flow diagrams for each section.
When to use:
Ø  It’s used to gain an understanding of the default store functionality, and to identify any potential gaps in functionality that you may need to customize.
Ø  Each use case document uses case template that we can copy and paste for consistency.

Design Stage
During this phase, we review the default starter store functionality and design to understand the starter store capabilities and to identify areas to customize the implementation. Websphere Commerce provides resources that we can use to describe, edit and extend our project.
Components of Design Phase:
Ø  CSS Style Guide
Ø  Wireframes
Ø  HTML Starter Stores
Ø  Use case documentation
CSS Style Guide:
Defines the formatting and style rules for HTML and CSS. It helps developers and web designers to speed up the customization and CSS styling of the store. It covers every key component, breakdown of its structure, class names, & image paths that are used throughout the site.
CSS Classes allows for quick search in main CSS file to locate the necessary code to make changes.
Ø  Search the main CSS file to locate the necessary code to make changes or updates.
Ø  Use the image paths to locate the images one want to edit/replace.
Ø  To see parent and child structure.
Ø  Which text style is used throughout the site.

Wireframes:
It represents the skeletal framework. It includes interface elements, navigational menus, a range of functions that are available, and page layouts. Can be used by informational architects, interaction designers, user exp designers, graphic designers, programmers, product managers, & prospective clients.

It helps to understand the site features, navigation flows, & to gather feedback with stakeholders when we review and confirm requirements.
Ø  Use the wireframe assets with stakeholders to review the behaviour, features, and priority of information throughout the site.
Ø  Use the wireframes to gain a quick view of all the key pages and content available in the starter store.
Ø  Use the wireframes to confirm requirements and any new features in the early stages of a project to reduce costly changes later on in the project cycle.
Ø  The wireframe asset includes a number of wireframe files that you can modify when you work with clients.

HTML starter store & Use Case Documentation is same which was defined under Concept stage.

Implementation Stage:
During this phase we use our design to customize the project in order to meet our specialized needs. It also provide resources that we can use to learn in order to customize the design of our project & how to automate and facilitate the implementation
Ø  Customization tools: Customization is very important aspect as each customer has a unique requirement.
o   Schema changes
o   Controller command and task command
o   Configuration files
o   OpenLaszlo objects
o   Logical Schema
o   JSP
o   Java code etc…
Ø  Websphere Commerce Build and Deployment tool: It addresses the error-prone and time-consuming nature of customized asset deployment. It supports below 3 main processes:
o   Builds
o   Server deployment
o   Toolkit deployment
Ø  Data load: Every site needs to load data in DB. It’s a command line utility. There are 2 types of data load:
o   Initial: loaded before one launches commerce site
o   Delta Data Load: Updated daily, weekly, monthly to add new products, edit the product prices, add new promotions, and more.  

Testing Stage:

During this phase we test the functionality of the implementation to ensure that all design meet the stakeholders need.
Ø   Functional test plan and test case document: following test store assets are provided:
o   Use case document
o   High level functional verification test plan
o   Functional verification test case document
o   How to document
o   Automation frameworks & test scripts.

Ø  Storefront Test Automation Engine: Its used to automate our testing techniques; reducing test time and increase reliability.
o   Runs faster than manual testing
o   Reduced resources used to run regression testing
o   Each test runs same each time which increases reliability.

Launch Stage: During this phase, we start our Websphere Commerce implementation, making it available online.

Maintenance Stage: During this phase, we make sure that implementation is performing smoothly and data is managed properly and efficiently. 

Product Overview

Product Overview:
Websphere commerce provides a powerful customer interaction platform for cross-channel commerce. It’s a single, unified platform that offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), directly with business (B2B), and indirectly through channel partners. It provides easy tools for business users to centrally manage a business. Business users can create and manage marketing campaigns, promotions, catalog and merchandising across all sales channels.

Portfolio:
o   Express Websphere Commerce:
§   Express is an easily installed and affordable customer interaction platform that is designed to jump-start your online presence.
o   Professional:
§  Professional provides a powerful customer interaction platform to help mid-size companies offer personalized, cross-channel shopping.
o   Enterprise:
§  Enterprise provides a sophisticated platform for high-volume B2C and B2B business models and multiple sites.

Feature and benefits of different portfolios:


Introduction

WebSphere Commerce Server 7.0

 Architecture:
Ø  What is WCS
Ø  Components of which WCS has been made up of.
Ø  How does it integrate with other products
Ø  Different system topologies and available IBM Websphere Commerce Editions
Ø  Describe IBM Websphere Commerce component architecture.
Installation, Configuration and Migration:
Ø  Describe hardware and software requirements for IBM Websphere Commerce 7.0
o   Before installation, we need to make sure that the pre-requisites are checked.
Ø  Install all Environments in both single and multi-tier Env.Installation is same but used for different functions.
o   Development Environment: when they develop the code, they will test it on their env but they want it to be tested on the server Env. So, what an admin will do, it will deploy their code on Dev Env and provide them access so that they can test and validate the changes.
o   Staging Environment: It’s used by business people. We have a Prod Env (its open on internet – clients will be directly accessing it). If we want to make some updates, then it will experience some downtime. Staging env reflects the prod Env. We will do the updates on Staging Environment.
Example: Company decided to make change a product price to 100$. I logged into site and saw the price to be 90$ but as soon as I add into cart it shows the price as 100$ which should not happen. So, we will make changes first to Staging Env and once everything looks good then we will push the changes to Prod.
for e.g. you are working with huge retailer (like ebay.amazon). so there will be changes every minute/seconds. So, for that we need to have multiple environments.

o   Authoring: It looks a bit like Staging but it’s much bigger.  
Ø  Create and configure IBM Websphere Commerce instances using IBM Websphere Commerce Manager and command line tools
o   Instance is similar to Websphere App Server profiles but in addition to that DB schema, Webserver and installs application to profile.
Ø  Perform migration to IBM Websphere Commerce v7.0 using migration tools.
Ø  Verify and troubleshoot installation, configuration and migration tasks.
o   Validate whether installation, config or migration is a success/not and how to troubleshoot the failures.

Ø  Demonstrate how WCS supports globalization.
o   For e.g. If a retailer is located globally, then WCS makes it enable to display the application in multiple languages depending on the preferred language of the user. It does support multiple languages and multiple currencies.

So as of now, we have installed an instance
Set up and Administer IBM Websphere Commerce Stores
Ø  Compare and contrast the steps necessary to publish an online store using the Publish Wizard vs publish store utility
o   We have different business requirement like B2B, B2C that’s why its kept as separate
Ø  Apply the concepts of store archive (Archive of an online store) and describe which store models are available.
Ø  Publish a store to support a business model and verify as functionality
Ø  Manage organizational groups, users and roles
o   We have a role of Administrator
o   We have a role of Developers
o   We have a role of business users :
§  Product manager – Add product, change/ price
§  Marketing Manager – like offers during festive seasons etc
§  Make changes to price, We do need to have a close check on the users who are assigned to this role as these are the people who are the ones take and implement business decisions to make company a profitable organization
Ø  Configure email activity:
o   Email msgs which we need to send and how to configure.
o   WCS do have a communication with SMTP
§  For register: Welcome to our site etc
§  Tracking URL, shipping status, order submission etc
Ø  Create and configure msgs types and transport methods.
Ø  Configure scheduler jobs to support store features.
o   At times, we need some tasks to run w/o any manual intervention
o   We have to configure those schedulers
Ø  Build, package, deploy and verify customer assets:
o   In WCS, we don’t deploy EARs, it gets deployed as part of instance creation.
o   We update specific module to which changes are made.
o   We have an ANT module which makes jython and Python calls to do the needful.
o   We can do manual deployment by going to WAS Console. We have a tool inbuilt in WCS which does the same.
Ø  Websphere Commerce staging and data load utilities:        
o   How to configure staging
o   How to propagate changes to Production Env.
Ø  Demonstrate knowledge of workspace.
Ø  Data load utilities:
o   Add the product which we need to sell; in WCS it takes approx. 15 mins to do the same.
§  Product name
§  Brochure
§  Price
§  Promotions
§  Colour etc.
§  Short and Detailed description
§  Etc.
o   For e.g., we have 1000 products so following above step is itself a task.
o   To automate the above process, we have data load utilities functionality.
Ø  Enable and Configure Social Commerce. Mobile Commerce.
o   Friend likes a particular website; if you have a like onto a page, then your friends come and have a look at the website which in turn will increase business.
Ø  Configure payment plugins and payment rules.

WCS is mainly responsible for order capture tool. I can come and place an order on the website. But as soon as order is placed we have other responsibilities as well like:
Ø   Process
Ø  Payment is done/not and once payment is done, may sure the shipping takes place from the warehouse which is closest
Ø  Transport method
Ø  Inventory management
Ø  Order processing; we need to send tracking URL to the customer.

WCS talks to 3rd party tool for the above backend jobs to takes those. IBM has taken Sterling.


Smarter Commerce:
Ø  IBM goes and says we have end-to-end management. Sterling gives these supporting tools which include transport management, inventory management, payment management, Order management System. Warehouse management system, processing management etc.

Maintaining and Monitor IBM Websphere Commerce:
Ø  Install fixes, fix packs and feature packs
Ø  Describe the logging service and identify the logs available in Websphere Commerce.
Ø  Use of database Clean utility
o   Database keeps on growing, size becomes sluggish. Queries will takes longer to execute which in turns slower the site
o   We need to run DB Clean tool in WCS
Ø  Configure and monitoring scheduler jobs for site-level activities
Ø  Backup resources for DR.

Security and Auditing: I am using my credit card/debit card while payment on your website, so I need to make sure that your site is secure enough. We will be discussing WCS Security as well as WAS Security.
Ø  Describe Websphere Commerce security and authentication Model.
Ø  Demonstrate how to enable different levels of Websphere Application Server Security
Ø  Configure and manage access control
o   WCS is a very secure application. For e.g. login with my UID, and I have copied the URL and pasted on another browser then it doesn’t prompts for password and launches directly.
§  Who can open the page
§  Who can login to the page
§  When developer make the page they will be setting the policy of who can make the change then we will be incorporating that policies in order to enforce them
§  Etc.
Ø  Configure Websphere Commerce security using LDAP, SSL and SSO
Ø  Apply business auditing features
o   We have defined different roles like for Product Manager – who can edit the price add product etc; we need to have a functionality to check who has made the change and provide us a report
o   If instead of making price of a product as 100$ but mistakenly made 10$; we should have control of who made that change as it directly cost revenue loss to the company.
Ø  Configure Websphere Commerce implementation to address PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

Performance Standards:
Ø  Apply recommended JVM Settings for Websphere Commerce suites:
o   It doesn’t comes under Admin Level
o   We have performance specialists to perform the same.
o   But we will be discussing it as per troubleshooting level.
Ø  Configure dynamic caching and use Cache monitor to administer it.
o   Enabling dynamic cache is a must step to perform
Ø  Monitor performance using Websphere Commerce Performance Monitoring Infrastructure (PMI) module.
Ø  Illustrate database performance tuning options.
o   Not tuning the queries but it’s a Database performance tuning.
Ø  Apply Websphere Application Server optimization techniques.
Ø  Perform clustering for high availability and load-balancing.

Support and Troubleshooting:
Ø  Perform troubleshooting of Websphere Commerce and its software requirements.
Ø   Use logs and traces for problem determination
Ø  Use data in Websphere Commerce database tables for troubleshooting
Ø  Troubleshooting payment processing issues
Ø  Use of IBM self-help tooling for support and troubleshooting
Ø  Demonstrate understanding of IBM Software Support. 
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