CS 437/637 Database-Backed Web Sites and Web Services
FAQ's
Fall 2009

1. What software tools are used for the class programming assignments?
2. How to get my account at the fantasyland server?

1. What software tools are used for the class programming assignments?

   You have two options.

   Option 1: Using fantasyland.cs.umb.edu. Here is the Guide to using fantasyland.

   Option 2: If you have your own PC, and it is sufficiently capable, you may install the necessary software on it. Otherwise you will want to use the fantasyland server and the PCs in the department. Our department is a member of the MSDN Academic Alliance, from which students and faculty may obtain Microsoft software freely for educational purposes. By virtue of your being registered for this course, this semester, you may log on to the ELMS MSDNAA site. You should have received (or soon will receive, once you have a login and email address at cs.umb.edu) email from this program, including your login @cs.umb.edu and password. There are three ways to get this software.

   1. You may buy the disks directly from ELMS using a credit card for a nominal fee (for the media and service); they will mail it to you in the Post.
   2. You may borrow CD's for some of the items from the department. You go to Dr. Bill Campbell's office (S-3-183) to borrow the media; you may make one copy of any disks you borrow--just be sure to follow the agreement.
   3. You may directly download some of the items from our site (via ELMS) to your computer for installation. The software images are wrapped for security and so can be downloaded only by way of your account on the ELMS site.
   Not all items are available for download or for borrowing, but the items required for this course are.

   You can continue to use this software for educational purposes only just be sure to follow the lisencing agreement.

   For this course, you will want to install on your own computer:

   • The Windows XP operating system or Vista.
   • Visual Studio 2008. See the installation instructions.
   • SQL Server Developer's Edition.
2. How to get my account at the fantasyland server?

   There are two steps. A student should finish Step 1 before the system administrator do Step 2. Step 1 must be done in the first week of the class.

   1. Students need to apply for a course account. Go to the Unix/PC lab (S-3-158), at a Sun workstation, and use a "console session" to avoid Xwindows, login as user apply with password apply. Then, follow the instructions on the screen to register yourself to CS437 or CS637.
   2. After students finish Step 1, the system administrator will generate students account (same account name and password) for the fantasyland server.

© Wei Ding, 2009, all rights reserved. This document is made available for use by the students of CS 437/637 at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Copying, distribution or other use of this document without express permission of the author is forbidden. You may create links to pages in this web site, but may not copy all or part of the text without permission of the author.