Utility programs
Helper software that supports e-commerce operations.
5-mark Exam Answer
Internet utility programs are helper tools that run on clients and servers to provide services such as checking connections and tracing message paths. Laudon and Traver describe two key utilities: Ping and Tracert.
- 1.Utility programs run on clients and servers
- 2.Ping checks connection and response time
- 3.Tracert traces message path
- 4.Based on universal protocols
- 5.Support e-commerce network operations
There are many Internet protocols and utility programs that provide services to users in the form of Internet applications that run on Internet clients and servers. These services are based on universally accepted protocols available to everyone who uses the Internet.
Packet InterNet Groper (Ping) is a utility program that allows you to check the connection between a client computer and a TCP/IP network. Ping will also tell you the time it takes for the server to respond, giving you some idea about the speed of the server and the Internet at that moment. You can run Ping from the command prompt by typing ping <domain name>.
Tracert is one of several route-tracing utilities that allow you to follow the path of a message you send from your client to a remote computer on the Internet. Route-tracing programs show the routers a message passes through, providing insight into how the Internet uses packet switching.
These utilities support e-commerce by helping administrators monitor network health, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and verify that servers are responding — keeping e-commerce sites available to customers. Note that Ping can also be misused: sending millions of ping requests can slow down or crash a domain server, an early form of denial-of-service attack.
Running `ping store.example.com` tells an administrator whether the store server is reachable and how fast it responds; `tracert store.example.com` shows every router the packets pass through on the way.
Utility programs like Ping and Tracert are essential diagnostic tools that keep e-commerce networks running by verifying connectivity and tracing message paths across the packet-switched Internet.
The exam interface follows the university paper pattern: Section A & B carry 5-mark questions; Section C carries objective questions.