Download Database integration with Web Pages - Overview

Database integration with Web Pages Overview
Introduction
Increasingly, web pages are being used to access information held in
databases. The main reasons for doing this are a) to provide up-to-date
information without editing and re-publishing individual web pages
whenever some information changes and b) to enable selection of
information through searches with parameters selected on a web page.
Although information can be extracted from databases to provide 'static'
pages created at intervals when the data changes, increasingly web pages
are served that provide data that is obtained from a database at the time
the web page is served.
IT Services at The University of Reading provide the facility to connect to
both MS Access and MS SQL Server databases. We support, through
training and advice, the methods used to make this possible. We support
MS Active Server Pages (ASP) and their connectivity to MS Access (for low
volume and low security applications and when using Frontpage to create
the site) and MS SQL Server. MS Access can be used to connect to the
data on the MS SQL server - more details below.
We now also offer MySQL and PHP, although we are unable to provide the
support and training available for ASP, MS Access and MS SQL Server.
Register a Web Information Provider Username
If you do not already have a Web Information Provider (WIP) account
registerd for use on the MS IIS web server (a WIP account is recognised
from the fact that it starts with a 'w') you should either
Register for a new Web Information Provider username for use in the MS
IIS web server
- do this using the online form Request for a Web Site name or Web
Information Provider
or
Register your existing Web Information Provider username for use on the
MS IIS web server.
- do this using the online form Application for a MS SQL Server Database.
MS Access or MS SQL Server?
Please use the following diagram to help you choose whether you should
use MS Access or MS SQL Server:
A: Use MS SQL Server:
i.
ii.
iii.
Apply for a MS SQL Server database (Application for a MS SQL Server
Database). This form should be filled in separately for every database
that you wish to have. You should give the username of your Web
Information Provider account in response to the questions "If Web
pages already exist for your group, what is the Information Provider
username?"
Create the database using SQL Server database administration using
Web Data Administrator and/or SQL Server database administration
using Access Project. We would normally expect database owners to
use Web Data Administrator for setting up users and controlling access
to their databases. However users will probably find it easier to
manipulate tables etc. using MS Access Project.
Create your web pages which will connect to the database
B: Use MS Access and a database within the web directory structure:
First the database needs to be created (see Application for a MS SQL
Server Database,. The web pages then need to be created to interact with
the database
Administering your database
SQL Server database
Staff and Postgraduates can administer their database by using the Web to
connect to the MS SQL Server Web Database Administrator. .
Undergraduate students should use Access Project to administer their MS
SQL database. If students need to change the access settings for their
database this must be done via a request to ITS Help.
At the connection page for Web Database Administrator you need to select
the Login to SQL Server Web Data Administrator link and then click on
the link so you can login. There is a comprehensive Help system for the
Web Data Administrator which can be accessed by selecting the ? in the
top right-hand corner of the Web Data Administrator screen.
MS Access
Both MS Access and MS Access Project databases are administered from
the Access interface. Note that access permissions cannot be set using
this interface.
Converting a MS Access database to use on SQL Server
the method of converting an MS Access database to a SQL server
database is fully described in Moving a database from MS Access to MS
SQL server.
Writing Web Pages to extract data from your database
The document Displaying Database Information on the WWW using ASP
describes how to use ASP to display information within a database on a
web page.
Controlling access to your database and web pages.
Database
You can control access to your database from Web Data Administrator.
However you can only limit access to those on the drop-down list which
consists of all users who have been given login permissions to the SQL
server. If you require anyone who is not listed to have access then you will
have to complete an Application to register additional users for MS SQL
Server Databases form. Once you have created a user for your database
you will be given a list of permissions that you can allocate to your newly
created user.
Note: you must add the local IUSR_VI2KWS1 user if you want your
database to be read with anonymous access: other users can be added as
needed. Groups can also be added, for example RDGStaff and
RDGPGrads.
Web Pages
If you are publishing your web pages using MS FrontPage and FrontPage
extensions (i.e. connecting to or publishing the web using the http protocol)
you can set who can see the pages from Tools, Server, Permissions. You
can set Unique permissions for the web and determine whether anonymous
access is on or off. If you set it off, you can then set which users or groups
can access the web. This is true no matter where your database is held.
Creating a new SQL Server database
It is not possible for users to create their own databases. Users must
complete an Application for a MS SQL Server Database form for each
database required.
Extending your MS SQL Server database
If you need a MS SQL Server database larger than the default size (10MB)
or current size, you can use the Application for Extending a MS SQL Server
Database form.
Registering additional users for MS SQL Server databases
If you would like to limit who can access your SQL Server database, you
can do this via Web Data Administrator. Access permissions can also be
set on the web pages using FrontPage. On web pages set up to use MS
Access, permissions can be set on the web pages to limit the access to the
database. However Access databases on the web server, particularly if
they are within the web directory structure, are less secure than SQL server
databases held on a separate machine.
MySQL Databases
We provide MySQL, interfaced with PHP, as an alternative to MS Access
and SQL Server. You can complete an Application for a MySQL Database,
but you must first use the Request for Web Site name or Web Information
Provider form to apply for a Web Information Provider username. PHP is
available with the web space allocated to your Information Provider
account; you will not need to make a special application to use PHP.
Administering your MySQL database
The document MySQL Database administration using phpMyAdmin
explains how to administer your MySQL database.
Additional users of your MySQL database
To have additional users of your MySQL database you should register
subsidiary users of your Information Provider account using the Request for
Web Site name or Web Information Provider form.
TM
Trademark owned by Microsoft Corporation .
© Screen shot(s) reprinted by permission from Microsoft Corporation.