Student Comments
The IS 431 class is centered on the hands-on experience of student
teams building and operating a realistic website, built from the
ground up, using Linux and Apache software. How did the students feel
about this? I asked them on the Fall 2000 final exam. Here is the
question and here are their replies (all of them).
Original wording is preserved. Spelling is corrected. Editorial
insertions are bracketed [like this]. Identity of the students has
been deleted.
Question
What did you learn by actually running a real server? Was doing it
worth the extra work as compared to just talking about it?
Answer
After having taken a course on network administration with the use of
a server I had assumed that was all servers did: relay info to other
computers on the network. As Information Systems majors it is assumed
we would know what makes up an E-commerce site or at least what other
potentials servers have.
With little knowledge of web creation after taking a course on Web
Development using Frontpage I hadn't the slightest idea what
E-commerce was really about. Although I worked as the Web
Developer/Designer [for the IS 431 course] I learned how CGI scripts
worked and how to install Linux, something I never did before, and how
data with scripts and other programs interacted.
The extra work that was put forth into doing the whole project was
worth while. I think you learn along the way instead of actually
talking about the whole process of how this and that works. Having
hands-on experiences enables you to learn minor mistakes that are
usually not explained during lectures and also prepares for future
jobs. By knowing such things such future projects could and would be
easily solved leaving more time to solving difficult and larger
tasks.
Before this class I had no idea of CGI scripts, installing Linux, and
anything that went on behind closed doors for those e-commerce sites
on the Internet. After taking this course I would and should
recommend this to ALL IS majors. It was fun!!
Answer
I learned a lot by running a real server! I would have also liked to
learn how to set up a site from the outside connection; may it be a
T1, to the firewall, router, switches, to the servers, etc. Although
it may be too much for the class it would be invaluable to learn, as
this is what I am actually going to do in a few weeks.
On doing the extra work, it is definitely worth it. It is actually
essential to running a smooth business and server. Also a secure
server. By doing the extra work better features and a better web site
is the result. Also by running a real server I got to see more of
Linux and its usage of assigning user's rights and group rights and
things of that nature.
Answer
I learned how CGI programs work. I enhanced my Perl skills. Also, I
learned some mySQL and data base that how they work and interact with
the server. I have learned how to install Linux on an empty machine.
I improved my web designing skills both in HTML and Dreamweaver.
Dreamweaver is easy to learn, yet it is powerful web tool. Also I
have learned Apache server and Secure Sockets Layer. In brief, I have
learned a lot about e-commerce business and how I can start such a
business and what I need to know about the business in action.
Answer
I leaned many things by actually running a real server. Now I know
how to install Red Hat Linux 6.2, and gained knowledge of command
keys, partitions, TCP/IP, CGI, Apache, SQL, and so on. After running
the server it became very clear about whole structure of ecommerce.
I think that it is a big difference between actually running the
server and just reading book or talk about it. It took time but it
was very worth spending time to learn about it. Because if I get out
of school and start working, there will be no time to study or learn
as I can do now.
Answer
I learned many things by actually running a real server. That was
actually a large part of the challenge that our group faced in
completing this project. Running a web server was something that we
knew nothing about. We spent a lot of our time in the beginning of
this class working on, reinstalling, configuring, and reconfiguring
our web server.
I feel it was worth doing the extra work to a certain degree. I think
we would have had more time to finish our project if we would have had
to spend less time trying to learn our way around Linux and the Apache
web server. Although I feel that spending that extra time learning
Linux and how to configure the web server helped us in the end as we
debugged the programming and database problems behind our website. I
would say that it was helpful, but also very time consuming.
Answer
Running a real server is different from just talking about it in
several ways.
First, you have a hands-on experience. There too many different files
to talk about it. I learned how to start up SSH, mySQL daemons at
boot time. I changed file mode and owner, created symbolic link to
init, rc directories, I also learned to create accounts, set
permissions, and move files to directories where a group can share.
Second, I learned how to write Perl DBI for the mySQL server. I found
out that I had to obtain, install, and configure additional modules to
be able to write scripts: Data Dumper, mySQL plug-in, and DBI.
Last, I made my server so that it can be accessed from remote
locations. To do that, I installed SSH. SSH1 client can connect to
SSH2 server, but it doesn't work the other way around.
Answer
I really like this hands-on experience rather than just talking about
it. When you actually build it, you recognized that it is not a easy
task. Moreover, this hands-on experience helped me see what's
effective and ineffective to the web sites, what a programmer can do
and what they can't do.
When I learned about install Linux, I had someone to ask when facing
difficulty. If I did not learn by myself, I might not know what
difficulties I would have to face and to resolve them.
Although it takes a lot of time from us, it totally worth the extra
work.
Answer
In our group, the running of the server was solely in the hands of the
system administrator. Although I did work on the machine, I was not
really aware of what was going on in the background.
Answer
To be perfectly honest, I don't know if I learned all that much about
running a real server. If anything I think I was more confused on a
lot of the different concepts. I feel because I spent too much of the
time figuring out how to program our site, a lot of the other issues
like this one was not addressed even though I did feel a little
confused, I can say that I know more and are more aware of some of the
issues regarding servers and how to run one.
Like anything else doing extra work will always be of great worth than
just talking about it. If we were to just talk about it and not do
anything to back it up, I probably would have learned nothing. At
least I can say I am aware of a lot of these issues, and if they were
to arise in the future, I would be somewhat familiar.
Answer
Running a real server has been a great learning experience for me. My
knowledge of scripts, programs, operating systems, servers, daemons,
and other components needed to run a server has greatly increased.
Using Linux has been a eye opener. Simple tasks like inserting a disk
into the a: is not so simple, if you don't know about mounting. It is
critical for an administrator of a server to know the operating
system. I have also learned how scripts work with programs to
automate some processes that would normally be manual. For example,
when someone purchases checks on our site, scripts pass variable
information that is stored in our database to our credit card program
for processing. It was really worth actually running a server because
I have had a hands-on experience.
Answer
I did learn a lot. Before the general idea about server was that it
was a big physical device. But after running a real server I now know
that it is the software which differentiates a server from a
workstation.
Also the server itself, by installing one, I now know that there is
something such as the root. That when a person logs in as the root,
he could delete or erase any file. I also now have a better idea of
what partitioning is.
I have also able to make myself more familiar with the unix commands
in association to running a server. It was worth running a real
server.
Answer
I learned first of all how to run the install for Linux. It's free!
The software is growing popularity for being a robust internet
Operating System. Linux can save a company money by choosing its
platform over Windows NT Server. I learned the steps and necessary
components to set up a web server. It certainly is worth the extra
work because it gave us experience.
Answer
I learned quite a bit from running my own server. I learned that
upgrading server operating systems should be done carefully and only
after testing has been done. I also realized that servers are hard to
maintain (especially if you are just learning). It was worth doing
the extra work of running a real server than just talking about it
because it gave me practical knowledge and has helped me learn more
about Linux and how to build a website from scratch. Though there
were a few issues regarding maintenance of multiple user accounts,
hardware/software inoperability, and security, I have learned a lot
from the experience.
Answer
I learned how to install a server and run it. I learned how to
partition the server. It was worth doing the extra work other than
talking about it because "practice makes it better." We won't know
the real thing until we try it ourself. By installing the server I
learned actually how a server is installed and runned. It was not a
easy thing to install because if you make one wrong choice the server
won't work. And just by talking about it would not have helped me to
see the real thing. You need to do it in order to know how to deal
with it. Experience makes it better, and easy to understand. By
running a real server I was able to gain real experience and skills
about how it runs and how to operate it. I was able to learn how to
handle it.
Answer
Running a real server was like completing a program and it's more
exciting, because you know it works, you installed it yourself and
feel a sense of pride in the end result. It gave me a better
understand of how it actually worked and that it really does go down
when people in the computer lab says "the server's down!"
It also makes me want to protect it like my own baby, and make sure it
works properly.
It was worth doing the extra work rather than talking about it because
it was more real. It made the project more exciting. By doing the
extra work, I've gain experience on running a real server on a
simulated web site and made the site more realistic. Talking about it
is half the fun.
Answer
I learned how to properly (the optimum way) install a Linux server and
have it configured correctly. This included how should the partitions
be divided, how to mount an IDE device like zip drive, how to
configure the apache server so that it's CGI-enabled, how to install
other servers like sshd, mysqld, etc, how to add programs in the
startup script, how to properly shut down, restart, stop servers like
httpd, how to enable/disable inetd processes, how to listen on ports
that are open, so that I know who and how many times people try to
access them and how to maintain the server to ensure almost 100% of
uptime (with the help of UPS). It was worth the extra work.
Answer
From building a e-commerce site from scratch I discovered that it
takes a lot of time and patience and that team work is a must. I know
that our site would not have gotten completed had it not been for
everyone's input on the team. Running a real server is complicated
but actually doing it has given me more understanding than just being
given a lecture in class. I learn better when I actually apply the
things taught to me and discovering as I go along things I did wrong
and how to make them work. I discovered that by taking the MBTI
[Myers Briggs Type Indicator]. See, I did learn something in class.
But seriously I recommend teaching the course like this again.
Learning by actually making a server run and work is valuable
resource. Frustrating at times but definitely worth it in the end.