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The WebPoint system is written in Delphi targetting the Windows operating system, and has been tested and proved rubust up to Windows XP (SPII) and Windows Server 2003. It runs as an extension to Microsoft?s Internet information Server (IIS).
The WebPoint system uses a ?local? database to store ?session? information. Each browser?s interaction with the system creates a session which is used to store their current status and progress through their transaction.
Data for completed transactions, including such things as customer name and address, contact details and payment information, is stored in a ?remote? database. This is ?remote? in the sense that it is not stored on the same computer as that running the WebPoint system, for security reasons. This does not mean that the database is necessarily physically remote.
The Payment Processing Gateway that WebPoint uses is the Intouch Mercury system. The WebPoint server connects to the server running MercuryHub, which in turn passes the financial transaction request to the selected Payment Processor, typically PaymentTech First USA (in the USA market). The full details of these financial transactions are stored in the Mercury database, which is not connected directly to the Internet, for security reasons.
WebPoint Implementation Details
WebPoint has been implemented using Borland?s Delphi and various third party software tools and technologies. These include;
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Due to the nature of the development environment used, a Windows operating system is required. This can be either NT, 2000 or Server 2003.
Microsoft Internet Information Server
Along with Windows Server 2003 as the usual platform, Microsoft?s IIS software is the usual Web Server. The system utilises a ?runner? ISAPI dll loaded on-demand by IIS, which in turn connects to the WebPoint Server program which runs continuously.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
SSL is used between the Browser and IIS. The public and private keys for the encryption system are provided by a certificate authority (CA) such as Verisign.
SQL Database
A multi-user SQL open source database capable of running under multiple operating systems, the most common being Windows (of any variety) and Linux is used by the system. It is a low-impact database that is easy to install and requires very little ongoing maintenance. It has been used by Intouch for all database systems since the mid 1990's. The database was originally Borland Interbase and is now available in three versions; A commercial release from Borland, with a per-seat licensing scheme; A free; release from Borland with no license fees and no support; And an Open Source version, called Firebird, being developed by an active group of developers world-wide.
IPWorks TCP/IP toolkit
IPWorks is a set of components that are addons to Delphi and provide high speed and reliable TCP/IP services to Delphi programs.
ASTA Thin Client
ASTA is a thin-client, database independent technology that assists in creating n-tier solutions in Delphi. It provides two-way messaging between client and server programs, and has been designed to provide high-impact low maintenance programs that make efficient use of low and medium bandwidth connections.
SPIS Compression
SPIS, from New Zealand, provide a proprietary, high speed encryption and compression addon for Delphi. It is not as secure as a full PKI encryption system, however it does not require the overhead of connection to a CA for it?s operation. A Blowfish or similar algorithm could be implemented if higher security was required.
Mercury
Mercury is Intouch?s Payment Processing system. It has been implemented to provide point-of-sale credit card processing, in-house charge card processing and on-line credit card processing. It is not tied to a single ?back-end? processor, the most common implementation is to Paymentech's card processing system.
Intouch Data Bridge
Intouch?s Data Bridge software provides the connection between the database server, typically connected behind a company?s firewall, and the web server, typically connected to the Internet. In order to not require a reverse connection through the firewall, the Data Bridge makes a connection ?from? the database server ?to? the web server, analogous to a web browser connecting to the web server. It requires a ?port? other than the http port (80) to be available for connection from the database server to the web server. The Data Bridge maintains multiple, independent TCP/IP connections between the two servers, which are used by the web server to access and store data on the database server.
Smart Plug In
A plugin system is used by a number of Intouch?s programs to allow for incremental addition of functionality, as well as the ability for a program to be 'upgraded' automatically and without requiring it to be stopped and restarted. They are analogous to the dll files used by Windows.
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