Part 1. The IBM Software Servers

Chapter 1. Introducing IBM's Software Servers

Congratulations on choosing the IBM Internet Connection Secure Server for OS/2 Warp. This is one of the most significant enhancements you can make to your network this year! You are now on the easy path to using versatile client-server networks.

This new server and client software is part of a family of IBM and Lotus products. It will help you to quickly install and make use of multi-functional, compatible servers. These servers cover a broad range of needs: from an entry-level database server to a server for comprehensive systems management of sophisticated networks. Other technology at your fingertips enables you to quickly begin to use your server on the Internet, doing guaranteed transaction processing, workgroup functions with Lotus Notes, and many other functions.

The IBM Software Server family of products has been designed to satisfy your needs for:

• Software servers that were designed to work together, thus adding value to existing environments

• A reliable environment on which to build business-critical solutions with the performance and availability you require

• Compatibility with all of the popular clients (such as Windows**, Windows 95, Windows NT, Macintosh**, OS/2, and UNIX**) and servers (such as Windows NT, OS/2, Netware**, OS/400, AIX and other UNIX systems, and OS/390)

• Built-in system services to enable mobile and remote users to securely access and update your business data, regardless of where they are or when they do it

• Easy growth from the smallest departmental servers to the largest systems of a modern enterprise

• Comprehensive systems management that is easy to use and powerful enough to look after workgroups and interconnected networks

When you combine the IBM Internet Connection Secure Server with other software in this family from IBM and Lotus, you get an integrated software environment that will support your applications today and lay the foundation for your applications in the future. Other software suppliers have built integrated solutions using members of this IBM software family. The information CD-ROM available with this product tells you more about the integrated environments that are possible.

This book describes the Internet Connection Secure Server. With these servers, you can host and manage Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) home pages and other documents to:

• Distribute a wealth of information to the world, or around your company, using text, high-quality graphics, audio, and video

• Publish presales or postsales product information that you can revise easily and as often as you like

• Create information that your audience can interact with by electronic forms or e-mail

• Dynamically track how your customers, suppliers, and personnel use the information you publish--so you can tell how well you're reaching the audience you want

In addition, the IBM Internet Connection Secure Server offers the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol to make your business transactions secure.

Your server can be installed with currently supported releases of OS/2. OS/2 Warp Server is the preferred network operating system base, providing simplified installation and the most complete application server environment where personal computer technology is deployed. To learn how to install your server, refer to Chapter 4. "Installing your server".