#8unit 1introduction to e commerce

Utility programs

Helper software that supports e-commerce operations.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain what an Internet utility program is.
  • Describe the Ping utility and its purpose.
  • Describe the Tracert utility and its purpose.
  • Understand how utilities support e-commerce operations.

Explanation

In simple terms

Internet utility programs are helper tools that run on clients and servers to check connections, trace paths, and diagnose network problems. Examples include Ping and Tracert.

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 Internet services are based on universally accepted protocols—or standards—that are available to everyone who uses the Internet. They are not owned by any organization but have been developed over many years and made available to all Internet users.

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 on a personal computer with a Windows operating system by typing ping <domain name>. Ping can also be used maliciously to slow down or even crash a domain server by sending it millions of ping requests.

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 such as VisualRoute provide insight into how the Internet uses packet switching by showing the routers a message passes through on its journey to the destination.

Together, these utility programs support e-commerce by helping administrators monitor network health, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and verify that servers are responding — all of which keep e-commerce sites available to customers. Without such tools, diagnosing the packet-routed Internet would be very difficult.

Key Points & Important Terms

Key Points

  • •Internet utility programs provide services on clients and servers using universal protocols.
  • •Ping checks the connection between a client and a TCP/IP network.
  • •Ping reports the time it takes for a server to respond.
  • •Tracert traces the path of a message to a remote computer.
  • •Utilities help administrators keep e-commerce sites reachable.
  • •Ping can also be misused to slow down or crash a server (DoS).

Important Terms

Utility program
An Internet application that provides services to users on clients and servers, based on universal protocols.
Ping
Packet InterNet Groper — a utility that checks the connection between a client and a TCP/IP network and reports response time.
Tracert
A route-tracing utility that follows the path of a message from a client to a remote computer.
Universal protocol
A standard available to all Internet users, not owned by any organization.