WebSphere(R) Commerce glossary
- access bean
- A wrapper for an enterprise bean that is typically used by client programs.
An access bean hides the complexity associated with home and remote
interfaces.
- access
control policy
- A group of constraints and criteria, established by the
Site Administrator, restricting a
user's access only to those resources necessary for carrying out the
responsibilities relevant to their assigned role.
- access group
- A type of member group used to define
access control. Commands and views are associated with one or more access
groups, allowing members assigned to that role to have access to those views
and commands. IBM(R) WebSphere(R) Commerce predefines a set of access groups.
The Site Administrator uses the
WebSphere Commerce Administration Console to assign access to these groups, and
to add new groups, if necessary.
- accessory
- A type of merchandising association
where a suggested product is chosen as an addition to the currently displayed
or selected product. See also cross-sell and
up-sell.
Account Representative
- The Account Representative role is the primary role responsible
for creating contracts for accounts, changing orders for accounts, and
monitoring account activity. Account Representatives are part of the
sales organization, and as such may be involved in the creation of targeted
sales promotions such as discounts and coupons.
action group
- An explicitly defined group of operations corresponding to
Java(TM) commands that act on resources.
- activate
- (1) To initiate a merchandising program. (2) To transfer an enterprise bean
from secondary storage to memory.
- ad copy
- The information, images and other media used to support a marketing
activity. Also referred to as sales collateral.
- address book
- A collection of shipping and billing addresses owned by a customer. These
are useful for a customer who wishes to purchase gifts and ship them to
different addresses.
- ad hoc inventory
receipt
- A record of physical inventory that arrived at a specific fulfillment
center at a specific time, and was not expected inventory.
- applet
- An application program, written in the Java programming language, that can
be retrieved from a Web server and executed by a Web browser. A reference to an
applet appears in the markup for a Web page, in the same way that a reference
to a graphics file appears; a browser retrieves an applet in the same way that
it retrieves a graphics file. For security reasons, an applet's access
rights are limited in two ways: the applet cannot access the file system of the
client upon which it is executing, and the applet's communication across
the network is limited to the server from which it was downloaded. Contrast
with servlet.
- application
- In Java programming, a self-contained, stand-alone Java program that
includes a static main method. It does not require an applet viewer. Contrast
with applet.
- application
partitioning
- In the scheduler, the grouping together
of heavily running jobs. This helps to avoid overloading the scheduler's
default application pool.
- application server
- A server program in a distributed network that provides the execution
environment for an application program. For example, the
WebSphere
Commerce Server provides the execution environment for online stores.
approvable action
- A command or group of commands invoked by a user that cannot be
executed without prior approval from an
approver within the organization.
approval flow
- The series of steps initiated when a user attempts to execute a
task involving an approvable action.
The process first verifies that the user is authorized to invoke the command.
If the user is authorized, the request for command execution is sent to the
appropriate approver for acceptance or rejection. Multiple levels of approval
are possible.
approver
- The individual authorized to approve or reject an
approvable action.
approver group
- The designated users within a specific organization to whom an
approval request is directed when an
approvable action is invoked.
Requests are directed to the entire unit, rather than a single individual.
- ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)
- A standard code for representing characters using binary values. The
standard code is used for information interchange among data processing
systems, data communication systems, and associated equipment. The ASCII
character set uses the numbers 0 through 127 to represent all English
characters as well as special control characters. Most PC-based systems use an
8-bit extended ASCII code, with an extra 128 characters used to represent
special symbols, foreign-language characters, and graphic symbols. UNIX(R) and
DOS-based operating systems, with the exception of Microsoft(R) Windows NT(R),
use ASCII for text files. Windows NT uses the newer
Unicode standard. Conversion programs
allow different operating systems to change a file from one code to
another.
- asset store
- A store that contains a collection of sharable resources (business
artifacts, business processes, and storefront assets) that can be leveraged in
other types of stores. An asset store does not perform or record business
transactions; it is simply a holder of assets that can be used by other stores.
See store. See also
catalog asset store and
storefront asset store.
- atomic catalog
entry
- A non-divisible collection of catalog entries available for purchase.
Commonly referred to as a prebuilt kit.
- ATP inventory
- See available to promise inventory.
- attribute value
- The property of a defining attribute such
as a specific color (blue or yellow) or size (medium). You must predefine
attribute values before assigning them to products. Attribute values are
implicitly related to their defining attribute. Each possible combination of
defining attribute and attribute value creates a new SKU.
- auction
- A method of sale involving negotiating and dynamically establishing the
price and other terms of sale for goods and services, typically to the highest
bidder.
- available to promise (ATP)
inventory
- Inventory on hand minus inventory allocated to backorders and reserved
inventory.
- B2B (business-to-business)
- See B2B direct.
- B2C (business-to-consumer)
- See consumer direct.
- B2B direct
- The B2B direct business model supports commerce transactions involving
products, services, or information between two businesses or parties. Typical
B2B direct transactions occur between buyers, suppliers, manufacturers,
resellers, distributors, and trading partners. The ToolTech sample store is an
example of a B2B direct business. See
direct sales business model.
Contrast with consumer direct.
- back-office
business logic
- The implementation of business logic, using commands and customized code,
allowing a customer to complete an action in the storefront. For example, the
implementation of business logic that allows a customer to complete an order.
Contrast with storefront assets.
- backorder
- The status of an ordered product when inventory allocation has determined
that the product is not available.
- base search space
- An implementation of the Product Advisor. This style of implementation uses
WebSphere Commerce base database tables to facilitate searching a particular
category of products. See also
separate search space.
- batch
- A collection of payment transactions, such as captures, credits, capture
reversals, and credit reversals, processed as a group. A batch is submitted as
a single unit to the Acquirer's financial system. Business guidelines
regarding the use of batch processing are developed by credit acquiring
institutions. Merchants also establish policies that align with these
guidelines.
- bean
- A definition or instance of a JavaBeans component. See
Java bean.
- beaninfo
- A Java class that provides explicit information about the properties,
events, and methods of a bean class.
- bean-managed persistence (BMP)
- In the EJB development environment, persistence that is managed by an
entity bean. Contrast with container-managed persistence (CMP).
- BMP
- See bean-managed persistence.
- broadcast job
- A job that runs on all clones at once. Like any other job, it is handled by
the scheduler.
- buffer
- A portion of storage used to temporarily hold text, markup tags, and other
objects.
- bundle
- Provides single-click function for referring to multiple items. More
formally, a bundle is a composite catalog entry consisting of at least one
code. When a bundle is added to an order, it is decomposed
into its orderable items, which are then added to the order, and the price is
aggregated. A bundle cannot be directly purchased. See also
kit.
- business
intelligence
- The consolidation and analysis of data collected in the day-to-day
operation of a business, which is then used as a basis for better business
decisions and competitive advantage.
- business intelligence report
- This report is generated by WebSphere Commerce Analyzer, which analyzes
commerce data in a separate datamart. The data is moved from the WebSphere
Commerce database, and analyzed on a scheduled basis. Once this analysis, known
as data mining, is complete, this report provides information about established
patterns in the data.
business
policy
- A set of rules followed by a store or group of stores defining
business processes, industry practices, or the scope and characteristics of
business offerings.
- Buyer (buy-side)
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that makes purchases from the
Seller's Web site on behalf of a customer account. Typically, purchases are
made under one or more agreements negotiated with the Seller.
- Buyer (sell-side)
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that handles negotiations and
ordering, keeps track of inventory, makes purchase order decisions,
tracks reasons for returns, and tracks expected inventory
records and receipts.
Buyer Administrator
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages the
information for the buying organization. The Buyer Administrator creates and
administers the suborganizations within the buying organization and manages the
various users, including approving users as Buyers (buy-side).
- Buyer Approver
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that approves orders made by the Buyer
(buy-side) before the order is submitted for purchase with the
Seller.
- cache
- A special-purpose buffer storage, smaller and faster than main storage,
used to hold a copy of instructions and data obtained from main storage and
likely to be needed next by the processor.
- calculation code
- Associated with order items, catalog entries, or catalog groups to specify
how discounts, shipping charges, sales or use taxes, and shipping taxes should
be calculated.
- calculation rule
- Defines how a calculation will be done. Each
calculation code contains a set of
calculation rules. In general, only a subset of a calculation code's
calculation rules are applicable for a particular set of order items. For
example, different rules apply when shipping to different regions.
- calculation scale
- A set of ranges that can be used by a
calculation rule. For example, for
shipping charges, you may have a set of weight ranges that each correspond to a
particular cost. That is, a product weighing 0 to 5 kg might cost $10.00 to
ship, while a product weighing 5 to 10 kg might cost $15.00 to ship.
- call center
- In WebSphere Commerce, a group of staff who are assigned as users in the
Customer Service Representative access group, during which time they may invoke
some functions on behalf of a customer. For example, they can update customer
information, including the password; they can also update orders or place a new
order.
calling command ID
- A numeric identifier for a command that calls an API function.
- campaign
- A planned series of operations including advertisements and suggestive
selling techniques, that are pursued to achieve a defined set of business
objectives. In the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator, campaigns are used to
coordinate and aggregate groups of campaign initiatives.
- capture
- The process by which the Acquirer receives payment from the customer's
financial institution and remits payment. A "capture" is the
guarantee that the funds are available and that the transfer will take
place.
- catalog
- See online catalog.
- catalog asset
store
- A collection of catalog artifacts that creates a virtual catalog. See
asset store. See also
storefront asset store.
- catalog entry
- (1) An object in an online catalog. An entry has a name, description, list
price, and other details. A catalog entry can be a product, item, dynamic
kit, prebuilt kit, or bundle. (2) In the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator,
a generic term for orderable merchandise or services in the catalog.
- catalog group
- A collection of one or more catalog entries or catalog groups which create
a navigational hierarchy for an online catalog.
- category
- A group of objects that have similar properties. In WebSphere Commerce,
categories are used to organize products or services offered by the store. For
example, a clothing store may include categories arranged by lifestyle (casual,
formal, outdoor), gender (male, female), or age (infants, children, adults). A
category is usually implemented as a catalog
group. See also child category, parent category, and top category.
- Category Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages the category hierarchy by
creating, modifying, and deleting categories. The category hierarchy organizes
products or services offered by the store. The Category Manager also
manages products, expected inventory records, inventory, return reasons, and
vendor information.
- category page
- A Web page in an online store that displays product
categories. Category pages connect customers
to child category pages or to products
that belong to the selected category.
- category table
- A dynamic table that displays category information in a series of rows and
columns.
- CCF
- See Common Connector Framework.
- certificate authority (CA)
- An organization that issues certificates. The CA authenticates the
certificate owner's identity and the services that the owner is authorized
to use, issues new certificates, renews existing certificates, and revokes
certificates belonging to users who are no longer authorized to use them.
- Channel Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages the channel hub, as well
as the distributors and resellers associated with that hub, including creating
and importing distributor and reseller contracts.
- child category
- A category that is subordinate to another
category in a hierarchy. See also
parent category.
- child
organizational entity
- One or more further levels of organizational entities that exist beneath
the parent organizational entity.
- clickstream
- In Web advertising, the sequence of clicks or pages requested as a visitor
explores a Web site.
- Clickstream
Engine
- The Macromedia LikeMinds Personalization Server component that accesses
transaction information and generates recommendations based on users'
shopping behavior as they navigate a Web site. WebSphere Commerce generates
events based on shopping behavior, including viewing a product detail page and
adding items to a shopping cart or wish list. These events are forwarded to the
Clickstream Engine.
- clickthrough
rate
- In Web advertising, the number of clicks on an ad on an HTML page as a
percentage of the number of times that the ad was downloaded with a page.
Contrast with impression.
- client
- A functional unit that receives shared services from a server. For example,
a personal computer requesting HTML documents from a Web server is a client of
that server.
- clone
- An identically configured copy of an object, such as an application server.
Clones can be used for workload management purposes, for example, to support
horizontal scaling and vertical scaling.
- CMP
- See container-managed persistence.
- code
- A number which uniquely identifies a catalog entry in the WebSphere
Commerce system. A product code is used as the prefix for creating individual
SKU codes.
- collaborative
filtering
- A technology that calculates the similarity between users based on the
opinions and ratings of a number of other people. Collaborative filtering uses
the behaviors of those customers who most closely resemble the current customer
as a functional basis for making predictions and recommendations for the
current customer.
- command bean
- A Java bean that contains the programming logic to handle a particular
request. The WebSphere Commerce commands follow the WebSphere command
programming model. There are four types of commands:
controller commands,
task commands,
data bean commands, and
view commands.
- commerce server
- See WebSphere Commerce Server.
- commit
- To end a unit of work by releasing locks so that changes made by that unit
of work become available to other processes.
- commitment
boundary
- A point at which there are no changes to a database file pending within a
job.
- commitment
control
- A way of grouping file operations that allows the processing of a group of
database changes as one unit or the removal of a group of database changes as
one unit.
- Common Connector Framework (CCF)
- Interface and class definitions that provide a consistent means of
interacting with enterprise resources (for example, CICS(R) and Encina(R)
transactions) from any Java execution environment.
- component store
archive
- A sample store archive for a component of a
composite store archive. These component
store archives are available for each business model.
- composite
catalog entry
- A collection of catalog entries that breaks down to its separate components
when ordered. Commonly referred to as a
bundle.
- composite store
archive
- Contains the organization structure, predefined user roles, and necessary
access control policies to create the appropriate store environment, plus a
working sample store or site. Each of the parts that
make up the composite store archive are also available as separate
store archives. WebSphere Commerce
provides sample composite store archives for each business model.
- Composition Services
- The component of the WebSphere Commerce messaging system that provides a
formatted output for messages using JSP templates.
- compound key
- In a relational database, a key that consists of two or more attributes in
a relation.
- compress
- To reduce the size of a set of data, such as a file, in order to save space
or transmission time.
- configurator
- Software that provides a dynamic rules-based kit (bundling) capability to
determine a group of items that may be sold together. The configurator may also
supply a price for the configuration. This grouping is based on pre-defined
rules in addition to user interaction with the configurator.
- consumer direct
- The consumer direct business model supports commerce transactions involving
products, services, or information between businesses and consumers. Consumers
typically purchase goods or services directly from a business in a consumer
direct scenario. The FashionFlow sample store is an example of a consumer
direct business. See direct sales business model. Contrast with B2B direct.
- container-managed persistence (CMP)
- In the EJB development environment, persistence that is delegated to an
enterprise bean's container, as opposed to being managed by the bean
itself. Contrast with bean-managed persistence (BMP).
contract
- In WebSphere Commerce, an agreement representing the terms and
conditions that apply to a transaction. See also
default contract.
- controller
command
- A command that interacts with a Web controller directly. On completion, a
controller command returns the name of a view task to be executed. The Web
controller determines the correct implementation class of the view command and
then invokes it.
- counter value
- A displayed monetary amount converted from the shopping currency into a
different currency.
- cross-sell
- A type of merchandising association
that is related or complementary to the currently displayed or selected
product. See also accessory,
product recommendation, and
up-sell.
- CSR
- See Customer Service Representative.
- customer
- A user of an online store.
- customer facing
store
- An online site where users may obtain information regarding products and
conduct business transactions regarding these products. Business transactions
may include retail purchases, transactions between businesses, and transactions
between a government organization and citizens or businesses. WebSphere
Commerce uses the generic term store to describe the online space where
all of these business transactions take place. WebSphere Commerce supports the
following customer facing stores: hub store,
direct sales store,
hosted store. See also
store.
- customer group
- A type of member group consisting of a
collection of customers who have been grouped by a
Site Administrator because they
share similar shopping patterns or characteristics. Typically, customer groups
are based on information that customers provide during registration. Customer
groups may be entitled to incentives (such as discounts) or be
shown different product and category pages than other customers. A customer can
belong to one or more customer groups per store.
- customer profile
- All information about the customer that is held by the
Seller. This can include basic demographics,
order history, or operational data such as the user ID and shipping address.
Customer profiles are dynamic; Marketing
Managers define the criteria for including a customer in a customer
profile. Customer profiles can be the targets of
campaigns.
- Customer Service Representative
(CSR)
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages customer inquiries. The
Customer Service Representative also processes customer registration,
returns, and orders. Some businesses may have a
Customer Service Supervisor,
who has authority to complete actions that cannot be accessed by a Customer
Service Representative, such as approving system-denied returns records. The
Customer Service Representative also works with auctions, such as withdrawing
bids and managing discussion forums.
- Customer
Service Supervisor
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that has access to all customer
service tasks. The Customer Service Supervisor manages customer inquiries (such
as customer registration, orders, returns, and auctions) and has
authority to complete tasks that cannot be accessed by a
Customer Service
Representative, such as contacting customers regarding payment exceptions
(for example, credit card authorization failures) and approving
system-denied returns records.
- data bean
- A type of Java bean that is placed into a JSP file. The data bean
represents data that is accessible by the Store Developer. Data beans can have
associated commands that are invoked when the JSP instantiates the data bean at
run time.
- data bean command
- A command associated with a data bean, and called by a JSP file. This
command retrieves data for the data bean from a persistent object, such as an
entity bean.
- data bean manager
- A module that invokes a data bean command to fetch data from corresponding
entity beans.
- data mart
- A subset of a data warehouse that contains data tailored for the specific
needs of a department or team. A data mart can be a subset of a warehouse for
your entire organization.
- default contract
- In WebSphere Commerce, an agreement representing the terms and conditions
that apply to all transactions. A default contract is required for all
stores.
- default
organization
- The organizational entity that is used when a user registers and does not
identify an organizational entity. In addition, guest users are created under
the default organization.
- defining
attribute
- A property of an item in an online store such as its
color or size. Items can have several defining attributes. Defining attributes
are used for SKU resolution. See also attribute value and descriptive attribute.
- delete cascade
- A DB2(R) process that causes an action to be taken on rows in a database
when another row is deleted.
- delete rule
- A rule associated with a referential constraint that either restricts the
deletion of a parent row or specifies the effect of such a deletion on the
dependent rows.
- demand chain
- A demand chain is a value chain that supports
both direct sales channels and indirect sales channels. The Commerce Plaza
sample site is an example of an indirect sales channel demand chain. See also
supply chain.
- demilitarized zone
(DMZ)
- In network security, a network that is isolated from, and serves as a
neutral zone between, a trusted network (for example, a private intranet) and
an untrusted network (for example, the Internet). One or more secure gateways
usually control access to the DMZ from the trusted or the untrusted
network.
- deployment
- (1) The act of packaging enterprise
beans into a JAR file for distribution to a
container on an enterprise bean server. (2) The process of making WebSphere
Commerce application code available for use. This process includes packaging
customized commands, data beans, and enterprise beans into JAR files. The JAR
files must then be installed and configured within a container.
- deployment descriptor
- An XML file that describes how a module or application should be deployed,
by specifying configuration and container options. For example, an EJB
deployment descriptor passes information to an EJB container about how to
manage and control an enterprise bean.
- descriptive
attribute
- An additional description for an item. For example, special instructions
for clothing care or required battery types. Descriptive attributes are not
used for SKU resolution. See also defining attribute.
- direct
sales business model
- Supports commerce transactions involving products, services, or information
directly between businesses and consumers or between two businesses or parties.
WebSphere Commerce supports the following types of direct sales business
models: consumer direct and
B2B direct.
- direct sales
store
- A customer facing store that supports
the exchange of products, services, or information directly between businesses
and consumers, or between two businesses or parties. See also
hub store and hosted store.
- discount
- A price incentive offered to customers to promote a purchase.
- display format
- A set of display preferences that a customer at a multicultural store can
select, depending on their language and locale. For example, a multicultural
commerce site may have different formats for United States English and
Japanese. These display formats would differ in the language of the text as
well as such features as currency, units of measure, and data formats.
- display page
- (1) A page in a catalog that displays category and product information. (2)
A page in an online store that is generated in response to a command.
- disposition
- In WebSphere Commerce, disposing of or transferring inventory that has been
returned to the Seller's fulfillment
center by a customer.
distributor
- In WebSphere Commerce, in the context of the
demand chain business model, a distributor is
defined as an indirect seller of products. A distributor does not sell directly
to end users of the product, but only to other sellers, such as resellers. A
distributor may provide its own value-add services of modifications to the
product, and may also choose to group products for sale into kits or bundles
differently from its suppliers.
distributor proxy store
- A store that acts as a placeholder for an external distributor
store, allowing resellers to conduct business indirectly by way of the
proxy store.
- DMZ
- See demilitarized zone.
- document type definition (DTD)
- The rules that specify the structure for a particular class of SGML or XML
documents. The DTD defines the structure with elements, attributes, and
notations, and it establishes constraints for how each element, attribute, and
notation may be used within the particular class of documents. A DTD is
analogous to a database schema in that the DTD completely describes the
structure for a particular markup language.
- domain name
- In the Internet suite of protocols, a name of a host system. A domain name
consists of a sequence of subnames that are separated by a delimiter
character.
- downstream
- In the direction of data flow or towards the destination of transmission;
generally from an information server toward an end user.
- DTD
- See document type definition.
- dual display
- The simultaneous display of a monetary amount in the shopping currency, and
one or more counter value amounts in a
different currency.
- dynamic
- Pertaining to an operation that occurs at the time it is needed rather than
at a predetermined or fixed time. Contrast with
static.
- dynamic kit
- A group of products that are ordered as a unit. The information about the
products contained in a dynamic kit is controlled by an external
configurator and supplied at order entry
time. The individual components of a dynamic kit cannot be modified in the
order, but they can be reconfigured by the configurator. The entire
configuration must be fulfilled together. See also
bundle and
kit.
EDI
- See electronic data interchange.
- EJB
- See Enterprise JavaBeans.
- EJB container
- A run-time environment that manages one or more
enterprise beans. The EJB container
manages the life cycles of enterprise bean objects, coordinates distributed
transactions, and implements object security. Generally, each EJB container is
provided by an EJB server and contains a set of enterprise beans that run on
the server.
electronic data interchange
(EDI)
- The exchange of structured electronic data between computer
systems according to predefined message standards.
- e-mail activity
- A method of delivering merchandising and marketing content to customers.
E-mail activities deliver customized e-mail messages, based on JSP templates,
which can include advertisements, suggestive selling initiatives, and
promotions, among other merchandising and marketing content.
- e-Marketing Spot
- In WebSphere Commerce, data on a Web page that typically results from a
marketing activity such as a campaign.
- encryption
- The conversion of data into a form that cannot be easily understood so as
to prevent unauthorized access, especially during transmission.
- enterprise bean
- A component that implements a business task or business entity and resides
in an EJB container. Entity beans and session
beans are both enterprise beans.
- Enterprise
JavaBeans
- A component architecture defined by Sun Microsystems for the development
and deployment of object-oriented, distributed, enterprise-level
applications.
- entity
- In object-oriented design, an item that can be treated as a unit and,
often, as a member of a particular category or type. An entity can be a
concrete thing or an abstract idea.
- entity bean
- In EJB, an enterprise bean that represents persistent data maintained in a
database. There are two types of entity beans:
container-managed persistence (CMP) entity beans
and bean-managed persistence (BMP) entity beans.
Contrast with session bean.
- exception
condition
- An abnormal condition that may arise during execution of a program.
- expected inventory
- Inventory that has been ordered from a vendor and that is expected to be
received by the Seller. This information is
contained in an expected inventory
record.
- expected
inventory record
- Lists the inventory that has been ordered from a vendor and that is
expected to be received by the Seller. An
expected inventory record may contain information for multiple items,
fulfillment centers, and dates. See also
inventory receipt.
- Extensible Markup Language
- See
XML.
- factory
- In object-oriented programming, a class that is used to create instances of
another class. A factory is used to isolate the creation of objects of a
particular class into one place so that new functions can be provided without
widespread code changes.
- failover
- In high-availability cluster multiprocessing (HACMP), an active node's
acquisition of resources that were previously owned by another cluster node in
order to maintain the availability of those resources.
- feature
attribute
- Specifies how the information about products is to be displayed to
customers. For example, features with numerical descriptions can be displayed
to a customer in either ascending or descending order.
- foreign key
- In a relational database, a key in one table that references the primary
key in another table.
- framework
- A set of object classes that provide a collection of related functions for
a user or piece of software.
- fulfillment
center
- Serves as a storage warehouse where products are packaged and shipped to
customers. Fulfillment centers, stores,
and shipping carriers are treated as
separate entities.
- gateway
- A functional unit that connects a local data network to another
network.
- geo-code
- In WebSphere Commerce, an application-specific code representing a
geographical region.
- horizontal scalability
- The ability to distribute Java virtual machine processes across multiple
physical machines.
- host
- A computer that provides an access point to a network. A host can be a
client, a
server, or both a client and server
simultaneously.
- host name
- In the Internet suite of protocols, the name given to a computer.
Sometimes, host name is used to mean the fully qualified domain name;
other times, it is used to mean the most specific subname of a fully qualified
domain name. For example, if mycomputer.city.company.com is the fully qualified
domain name, either of the following may be considered the host name:
- mycomputer.city.company.com
- mycomputer
- hosted store
- A customer facing store that is hosted
by the site operator for the owner of the store. The store owner may have the
option of administering the store. See also hub store and direct sales store.
- hosting sales business model
- Supports hosting of merchants or other businesses by an Internet Service
Provider or other hosting provider.
- HTML
- See Hypertext Markup Language.
- HTTP
- See Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
- HTTP Web controller
- See Web controller.
- hub store
- A customer facing store that enables
partners or clients. See also direct sales store and hosted store.
- Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
- A markup language that conforms to the SGML standard and was designed
primarily to support the online display of textual and graphical information
that includes hypertext links.
- Hypertext Transfer Protocol
(HTTP)
- In the Internet suite of protocols, the protocol that is used to transfer
and display hypertext documents on the Web.
- IDE
- See Integrated Development Environment.
- ID resolution
- The generation of reference numbers prior to loading XML elements into a
database. ID resolution is used to uniquely identify data within the database
system.
- impression
- In Web advertising, an ad's appearance on an accessed page. For
example, if a Web page displays three ads, each ad would have one impression.
Online publishers often sell ad space according to impressions. Contrast with
clickthrough rate.
- inbound message
- A message that WebSphere Commerce receives from an external or back-end
application. The Transport adapter supports five inbound messages in XML
format: Order Status Update, Product Inventory Update, Product Price Update,
Customer Update, and Customer New. Inbound messages are used to integrate
WebSphere Commerce with other systems.
- information roadmap
- An overview of a set of information resources, along with guidance on how
to navigate through that information. For example, what is the starting point,
or how a particular user should progress through the different pieces of
information to learn about the product or specific tasks.
- input method
- A component that converts key strokes into text input that could not
otherwise be typed directly, such as characters that are not native to your
operating system. For example, the input method component can be used to type
Japanese text on an English keyboard.
- instance
- See WebSphere Commerce instance and Web server instance.
- integrated development environment
(IDE)
- A set of integrated tools for developing software, that are accessible from
a single user interface.
- interest item
- An item that a customer has indicated for recurring or potential purchase.
An interest item is stored with quantity information, but not price
information. An interest item list consists of one or more interest items.
- inventory
allocation
- Designating inventory for an order against inventory that actually exists
in a fulfillment center. Allocation is not the same as
reservation, which is a more
stringent policy, and does not typically apply to orders. Contrast with
inventory allocation against expected inventory.
- inventory allocation against expected
inventory
- Designating inventory for an order against inventory that is expected to be
received at a fulfillment center. This information is typically found in an
expected inventory record.
Contrast with inventory allocation.
- inventory on hand
- Inventory that is physically available to fulfill orders.
- inventory receipt
- The receipt of products at a fulfillment center. Products may have been
expected and recorded in expected
inventory records, or received ad hoc.
Ad hoc inventory receipts are
not recorded in expected inventory records.
- inventory sharing arrangement
- An arrangement whereby a store makes its inventory receipts available to
another store for inventory
allocation.
- IP address
- The unique 32-bit address that specifies the location of each device or
workstation in the Internet. For example, 9.41.41.103 is an IP address.
- ISO 4217
- A three-letter format standard adopted by the International Organization
for Standardization, used to indicate the currency in which a monetary amount
is expressed. For example, the United States dollar is expressed as USD.
- item
- (1) A catalog entity that has a code. All items that
are related to a particular product exhibit
the same set of attributes and are distinguished by their attribute values. An
item does not need to be associated with a product. If an item has no distinct
attributes, it does not have an associated product. An item can be purchased.
(2) For WebSphere Commerce Accelerator users, an item is known as a
SKU.
- JAR file
- JAR (Java Archive) is a platform-independent file format that aggregates
many files into one. Multiple Java applets and their components (.class files,
images, sounds, and other resource files) can be bundled in a JAR file and
subsequently downloaded to a browser in a single HTTP transaction.
- Java
- An object-oriented programming language for portable interpretive code that
supports interaction among remote objects. Java was developed and specified by
Sun Microsystems, Inc.
- Java bean
- A reusable software component that follows the
JavaBeans specification from Sun
Microsystems, Inc. Beans have standard ways of implementing their properties,
methods, and events so they can be examined and manipulated programmatically.
WebSphere Commerce and Commerce Studio include
WebSphere Commerce specific beans
that you can use to add dynamic information to store pages created with
JavaServer Pages technology.
- JavaBeans
- As defined by Sun Microsystems, a portable, platform-independent, reusable
component model.
- Java Database Connectivity (JDBC)
- A specification for enabling Java programs to access databases using SQL
queries.
- Java Message Service
(JMS)
- An API from Sun Microsystems, Inc. that supports the formal communication
known as messaging between computers in a network. Using the JMS interface, a
programmer can invoke enterprise messaging systems such as WebSphere MQ.
- JavaScript
- A Web scripting language that resembles Java.
- JavaServer Pages
(JSP)
- A server-side scripting technology that enables you to embed Java code
within static Web pages (HTML files) and to execute the Java code when the page
is served. As a result, you can use JSP technology to create product data
pages, which typically contain dynamic content, such as products, product
prices, and attributes.
- JDBC
- See Java Database Connectivity.
- job
- A WebSphere Commerce command that is scheduled to run at a specified time
or interval.
- JSP
- See JavaServer Pages.
- JSP file
- A scripted HTML file that has a .jsp extension. Allows for the inclusion of
dynamic content in Web pages.
- jurisdiction
- A geographical region for tax or shipping purposes representing a country
or region, province or territory, zip code range, or an application-specific
geo-code.
- kit
- A collection of catalog entries that are ordered as a single item. A kit is
available in one of three types: dynamic kit,
prebuilt kit, and static
kit. See also bundle.
- LDAP
- See Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.
- Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
(LDAP)
- An open protocol that uses TCP/IP to provide access to information
directories.
- list price
- A price that is part of the catalog
entry. Since a catalog may be produced by a manufacturer, who would supply
a list price as part of the description of each entry, the list price is not
necessarily the price at which an entry is sold. The price at which items are
sold is determined by a store and is known as the
offer price. Thus, displaying the list
price is, in general, not always appropriate. If a store creates its own
catalog entries, then it may display either the list price or the offer price
in its catalog.
- load balancing
- A method of dividing the amount of work that a computer has to do between
two or more computers so that all online users get served faster. If one server
starts to get swamped, requests are forwarded to another server with more
capacity. Typically, load balancing is the main reason for computer server
clustering. Since load balancing requires multiple servers, it is usually
combined with failover and backup
service.
Logistics Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages
fulfillment. The Logistics Manager has access to all operational tasks,
including the duties of the Pick Packer,
Returns
Administrator, and Receiver.
- LUHN formula
- An industry standard used by many credit card companies for rudimentary
prevention of credit card fraud.
- manifest
- A shipment confirmation that may contain tracking identification
information.
- marketing event
- In WebSphere Commerce, any event within the system that is considered to be
significant for the purposes of marketing. Most marketing events are directly
driven by customer behavior. Examples include catalog browsing, navigation, and
shopping cart activity.
- Marketing Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that monitors, analyzes, and
understands customer behavior. The Marketing Manager also creates and modifies
customer profiles for targeted selling
and creates and manages campaigns.
marketplace
- A business-to-business electronic commerce Web site in which
those organizations granted access to the site are presented with a unified
view of the products and services being traded. They are also provided with a
variety of trading mechanisms to facilitate trade among themselves.
- master catalog
- The main catalog containing all products, bundles, prebuilt kits, SKUs,
descriptions, and standard pricing. Each product belongs to a single category.
See also online catalog and
sales catalog.
- member
- A person, group, or organization known to the system. A member can be a
user, an organization, an organization unit, or a member group. A member may
act as a customer or an administrator, or may own entities.
A member must first become a member of the
marketplace before becoming a user.
- member group
- Member groups implement role-based control in WebSphere Commerce. The type
of member group indicates its intended usage. A
customer group is for general use, while
an access group is for access control
purposes.
- merchandising association
- An association between two catalog items for the purpose of a sales
activity. For example, a camera may have a "requires" merchandising
association with a set of batteries, and a particular shirt may have a
"goes with" merchandising association with a particular pair of
pants. See accessory,
cross-sell and
up-sell. See also
product recommendation.
- Merchant Initiated
SET(TM)
- A SET Secure Electronic Transaction LLC extension for
SET Secure Electronic
Transaction messages. The Merchant Initiated SET extension permits a
merchant to use SET messages for authorization and capture of orders that were
placed by the cardholder using a transmission method other than SET.
- model
- A statistical concept, which describes a data mining target pattern. Models
detail relationships for which the data is mined, and evaluated. The data is
analyzed and clustered into one or more segments when
the model is applied to a dataset.
- node
- A connection point in a network; either a redistribution point or an end
point for data transmissions. In general, a node has programmed or engineered
capability to recognize and process or forward transmissions to other
nodes.
- non-registered
customer
- A customer who is not registered with a store. Non-registered customers are
created when a customer adds something to the shopping cart, but has not yet
registered.
- object
- (1) An item that a user can manipulate as a single unit to perform a task.
An object can appear as text, an icon, or both. (2) In object-oriented design
or programming, objects are grouped into classes that share common data
definitions and member functions. Each object in the class is said to be an
instance of the class.
- offer
- A price for a product, in one or more currencies, along with a set of
conditions such as an effective time range or an acceptable quantity range,
which must be satisfied in order to use the price. Also known as a trading position. See also
trading position container.
- offer price
- A price at which items are offered by a store. The offer price is the final
price paid, before taxes, discounts, and shipping. Offer prices
can be qualified by quantity ordered (that is, you can have a different price
per quantity), time frame, member groups, or contract. When items are actually
placed into an interest item list or into an order, the price shown is the
offer price. See also list price.
- online catalog
- General term for a collection of catalog
groups or catalog entries available
for display and purchase at an online store.
- Open Database Connectivity
(ODBC)
- A standard application programming interface (API) for accessing data in
both relational and nonrelational database management systems. Using this API,
database applications can access data stored in database management systems on
a variety of computers even if each database management system uses a different
data storage format and programming interface. Contrast with
Java Database Connectivity.
- Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
driver
- Each database that supports
ODBC has its own
ODBC drivers. A driver provides a set of standard application programming
interfaces to perform a variety of database functions such as connecting to the
database, performing dynamic SQL functions, and committing or rolling back
database transactions.
- operational report
- This report is based on data from the WebSphere Commerce database, and is
created in real time.
Operations
Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages order processing,
ensuring that orders are properly fulfilled, payment is received, and orders
are shipped. The Operations Manager can search for customer orders, view
details, create and edit returns, and manage order information.
See
Sales Manager.
- order
- (1) One or more items,
products, prebuilt kits,
bundles, or SKUs, or a combination
thereof, selected for purchase. An order contains quantities, prices, shipping
information, and tax and shipping charges, which are compiled and displayed to
customers after they initiate the ordering process. In WebSphere Commerce, an
order can be in one of the following order states: new, pending, shipped,
completed, or canceled. (2) One or more
products, their prices, and the quantity
specified, that a customer has selected to purchase or has purchased. A
Customer Service
Representative can also place an order on behalf of a customer. In addition
to products, a customer order includes a billing address; shipping address (not
applicable to downloadable purchases, such as software); shipping method,
carrier, and service; payment information; tax and shipping charges; and any
comments or price adjustments stipulated by the person placing the order.
An Operations Manager
ensures that orders are properly fulfilled, payment is received, and orders are
shipped.
A
Sales Manager ensures that orders are
properly fulfilled, payment is received, and orders are shipped.
- organization
- In WebSphere Commerce, a business or company. For example, IBM is an
organization. An organization can have several organizational units; for
example, the IBM Electronic Commerce Division. A typical WebSphere Commerce
organizational hierarchy includes artificial organizational entities created
specifically to support access control; for example
root organization,
default organization, and
child organizational entity. Each
organizational entity can have multiple users, but each user can belong to only
one organizational entity.
organization administrator
- In WebSphere Commerce, the representative of a member
organization who establishes organizational approval flows, and assigns roles
to the users within the organization.
- outbound message
- A message generated by WebSphere Commerce that is sent to a back-end
system. The WebSphere Commerce Transport adapter supports one outbound message,
called Order Create. This message contains order information copied from the
WebSphere Commerce Server to back-end systems, where further order fulfillment
processes take place. Outbound messages are used to integrate WebSphere
Commerce with other systems.
- output queue
- A generalized mechanism to separate a set of products that require special
treatment in the fulfillment process. An output queue may direct information
about ordered products to a printer or a file. For example, monogramming would
require special attention; sending products to be monogrammed to the same
output queue would allow for this.
- owner
- (1) A member who owns an entity. (2) One
who has access and permission to operate on an entity.
- package
- (1) A shipping unit that may be tracked by a shipping carrier. (2) In the
WebSphere Commerce schema, a package object represents a collection of catalog
entries that has a code and is ordered as a single item. For WebSphere Commerce
Accelerator users, a package is also known as a
prebuilt kit.
- packing slip
- A printed document containing a list of all the products in a given
release. Typically, this document also
contains the ship-to address, shipping carrier information, and sometimes
pricing information. The packing slip is used by packers to package the
products in a release for shipping. It may then be included in the package
itself so that the customer can verify that the correct products were
sent.
- parametric search
- A search of the online catalog in which the user specifies attributes or
values as criteria.
- parent category
- A category that contains other categories
in a hierarchy. See also child category.
- partner group
- In WebSphere Commerce, a designation for business partners, which assigns
them a set of entitlements and privileges. For example, a manufacturer may
assign resellers a designation of Gold, Silver, or Bronze, based on their
success in selling the product line, or their volume of sales.
- partner site
- A Web site operated by a business partner, such as a distributor or a
supplier.
p-card
- See purchasing card.
- persistence
- A characteristic of data that is maintained across session boundaries,
usually in nonvolatile storage such as a database system or a directory. A bean
persists by having its properties, fields, and state information saved to and
restored from storage, rather than ceasing to exist when the application that
created it is not running.
- personalization
- (1) The use of customer knowledge to present a customized shopping
experience. (2) Creating for a given user a set of associated information that
can be used to customize resources for that person.
- personalization engine
- The Macromedia LikeMinds Personalization Server component that identifies
which algorithm is used to generate customer recommendations. The LikeMinds
Personalization Server supports five different engines: Clickstream, Purchase,
Item Affinity, Preference, and Product Matching. WebSphere Commerce interacts
with the Clickstream Engine.
personalized attributes
- In the RFQ trading mechanism, a list of attributes created by a
selling organization that a buyer must use when sending an RFQ to that
organization. In addition to the predefined attributes provided by the Seller,
buyers may specify unique attributes in designated attribute fields.
- PGP
- See Pretty Good Privacy.
- pick batch
- A group of releases that are managed as a unit in a
fulfillment center.
- Pick Packer
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that picks products from fulfillment
centers and packs the products for shipping to customers. The Pick Packer also
manages pick tickets and packing slips which are used to confirm shipment of
products during order fulfillment.
- pick ticket
- A printed document containing a list of all the products required to
fulfill the releases in a given pick batch.
This document is used by pickers to gather the products that must be packaged
and shipped for all of the releases included in the pick batch.
- portlet
- A Web component, similar to a servlet, that is specifically designed to be
aggregated in the context of a composite page.
post-approve
- The execution of the post-approve command, if any, when an
approvable action is approved. For
example, the post-approve command might transmit a special notification
process. See also pre-approve and
post-reject.
post-reject
- The execution of the post-reject command, if any, when an
approvable action is rejected. For
example, the post-reject command might check for the size of the order and
notify a manager if it is above a certain amount. See also
post-approve and
pre-approve.
pre-approve
- The execution of a command prior to the approval of the
approvable action which initiated the
approval request. For example, prior to the approval of an order, the command
that checks inventory is executed to ensure that the product is in stock. See
also post-approve and
post-reject.
- prebuilt kit
- (1) A collection of catalog entries that has a code and
is ordered as a single item. See also
bundle and
kit.
- prebuilt kit component
- An item that is sold as part of a prebuilt kit.
- preferred
currency
- The currency indicated by a customer as the one in which he or she would
prefer to see prices. The preferred currency is indicated in the customer
profile. See also shopping currency and supported currency.
- preferred
language
- The language indicated by a customer as being the one in which he or she
would like to conduct transactions. The preferred language may be indicated
either in the customer profile or by use of the langId parameter, which is
available from the URL-based controller commands. See also
shopping language.
- Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
- An electronic transfer protocol that allows for the private exchange of
files or mail using public key encryption.
- primary key
- In a relational database, a key that uniquely identifies one row of a
database table.
Procurement Buyer (buy-side)
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that uses the account
belonging to the buyer organization to make purchases from the Seller and sends
pending orders to the procurement system for approval.
Procurement Buyer Administrator
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that registers and
approves users as Procurement Buyers
(buy-side). The Procurement Buyer Administrator manages the various users
and creates and administers the suborganizations within the buying
organization.
procurement card
- See purchasing card.
- product
- A catalog entity that can be viewed as a group of items
that share attributes. All items that are related to a particular product
exhibit the same set of attributes and are distinguished by their attribute
values. A product cannot be purchased.
- Product Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that is responsible for determining
the best way to display, price, and sell products in the online store. The
Product Manager suggests discounts and traces customer purchases.
The Product Manager also determines suggestive selling techniques, and creates
and manages auctions and bid controls. The Product Manager role is equivalent
to a merchandising manager.
- product page
- A Web page that displays detailed information about a product in an online
store.
- product
recommendation
- A sales and marketing technique in which catalog inventory is suggested to
customers based on their profile or on independent criteria. See
cross-sell and
up-sell. See also
merchandising association.
- production server
- A WebSphere Commerce Server that is live for business. See also
staging server.
- project
- A unit or organization of files and assets in WebSphere Studio. For
example, you create a project in WebSphere Studio in which you manage all of
the Web assets for your store.
- proxy store
- A store that represents a business partner's operational assets and
handles the business logic that allows a WebSphere Commerce site to interact
with an external business partner. A proxy store does not include a storefront
and cannot be accessed by users. See
store.
- publish
- In WebSphere Commerce, to transfer files to a location on the WebSphere
Commerce Server. Using the Administration Console, you can publish the store
archive to a WebSphere Commerce Server, thus creating an operational store. The
store archive must be published to a WebSphere Commerce Server before you can
view an operational store.
purchasing card
- A credit card that a business can offer its departments or
employees to allow them to buy business-related items. A business will make
arrangements with the card issuer to govern the purchases that card holders can
make. For example, maximum limits can be imposed and the cards can be
restricted to only allow purchases of certain items. Purchasing cards can also
have preprogrammed limits for purchase amounts. Also known as a procurement card.
QWEBCOMM
- (1) The name of the WebSphere Commerce product library. (2) A subsystem
space for WebSphere Commerce jobs. (3) The name of the default Web server
instance; this Web server instance is used for running multiple WebSphere
Commerce instances.
- Receiver
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that receives inventory at the
fulfillment center, receives returned products as a result of customer
returns, and tracks expected inventory records and ad hoc receipts for
ordered products.
- redirection URL
- A URL used in a URL command to indicate
the page that should be sent to the user upon completion of the command.
- reference store
- An online store which contains fully functional code for selected features
of an online store, for example, auctions. Reference stores are designed to be
used by store developers as code samples of the highlighted features.
- referential integrity
- (1) The state of a database in which all values of all foreign keys are
valid.
(2) The condition that exists when all intended references from data in one
column of a table to data in another column of the same or a different table
are valid. Maintaining referential integrity requires that DB2 Universal
Database(TM) for z/OS(TM) enforce referential constraints on all LOAD, RECOVER,
INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE operations.
- referrals
- Records that show the number of times a third-party business or Web site
has referred customers to the Web site. Referrals can be recognized where the
Seller and the third-party measure the number
of referrals for recognition purposes. They can also be unrecognized where the
Seller measures referrals for their own
purposes. Referrals can be measured through various techniques including
clickstream analysis, clickthrough rates, affiliate marketing services, and
surveys.
- registered
customer
- (1) A customer who is registered with a store. To register, a customer
provides personal information to the WebSphere Commerce system, such as an
e-mail address. (2) In WebSphere Commerce, a defined role that allows the
reseller to shop in the marketplace. Resellers must first register in the
marketplace and be approved by the Seller Administrator in order to attain the
Registered Customer role.
- release
- In a WebSphere Commerce store, a set of products in a given order that have
the same ship-to address, fulfillment center, and shipping carrier. Products in
a release may be shipped in multiple packages. For example, a release could
contain four computer monitors. It would not be practical to ship them all in
one large box, but they are still considered a single release. Products that
would otherwise be part of a single release may be released separately if the
Seller's policy dictates.
- report context
- The basis for a displayed report. The context changes depending on which
function you are using in the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator. Available report
contexts include campaigns, initiatives, and a combined context.
request for quote
(RFQ)
- The trading mechanism used when a buyer solicits quotes for a
specific set of goods or services. It can be used if a buyer does not find a
particular item in the catalog, finds an item without a price, or wants to
establish a long-term supply arrangement for a fixed-price item.
reseller
- In WebSphere Commerce, in the context of the
demand chain business model, a reseller is defined
as a business that sells products to businesses (such as end users or other
resellers), after having obtained the goods from manufacturers, distributors,
or other resellers. A reseller may provide its own value-add services of
modifications to the product, and also may choose to package or bundle products
differently from its suppliers.
- reserved
inventory
- Inventory that has been designated for a particular purpose, and is not
available to allocate to orders.
- resource bundle
- Contains the text for the store pages. If the store supports more than one
language, the resource bundle will contain multiple "bundles," that
is one bundle per language. The bundle files are created and accessed according
to the Java PropertyResourceBundle API.
resource group
- A group of resources that can include business objects such as
contracts or a set of related commands. In
access control policies, resource
groups specify the resources to which the policy authorizes access.
- return
- One or more products, their prices, and the quantity specified, that a
customer has selected for a refund from the store in which the product was
originally purchased. The refund can be in the form of a credit, refund, or
replacement product. Depending on your business, a return does not always
require the customer to physically return the unwanted product. For example, a
refund for a magazine subscription would not require a physical return.
- return merchandise authorization (RMA)
- Authorization from the Seller for a customer to return products ordered
from a store and receive a credit, refund, or replacement product. At the
Seller's discretion, a product may not need to be returned in order to
receive a credit, refund, or replacement product.
- Returns
Administrator
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages the disposition of
returned products.
RFQ
- See request for quote.
RFQ response
- When using the RFQ trading mechanism, the reply a Seller sends
to a buyer who has sent them an RFQ. The RFQ
response indicates the terms and conditions under which the Seller will sell
the products or services to that buyer.
- RMA
- See return merchandise authorization.
- role
- Defines what access levels a given user has and the specific resources they
can modify at those levels. The user may be limited in how they can access
information if they do not have the proper role. Multiple roles are
permissible.
- roll back
- To remove changes that were made to database files under
commitment control since the last
commitment boundary. To return to
a previous stable condition.
- root organization
- The top level of an organization, which owns site level access control
policies, and is automatically assigned all roles included in the WebSphere
Commerce product.
- rule
- A statement that associates a set of actions with a set of test conditions.
The basic form of a rule is: if condition, then action. Rules are used
extensively to implement personalization.
- rule project
- Contains information that your site requires to interact with the Blaze
Advisor Rule Server.
- rule service
- An interface used to interact with the Blaze Advisor Rule Server. A rule
service has defined input and output methods to facilitate communication
between the two applications.
- run-time environment
- (1) An execution environment. (2) In WebSphere Commerce, an active Web site
conducting business.
- sales catalog
- A section of your master catalog containing a much more flexible structure
for customer display purposes. While you can only have one master catalog per
store, you can have as many sales catalogs as you want. See also
master catalog.
Sales
Manager
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that manages order
processing, ensuring that orders are properly fulfilled, payment is received,
and orders are shipped. The Sales Manager can search for customer orders, view
details, manage order information, and create and edit returns.
See Operations Manager.
- sample store
- A fully functional online store, provided in
store archive format with WebSphere
Commerce. Sample stores are designed to be used as a base on which you create
your online store.
- sample store
archive
- The sample stores provided with
WebSphere Commerce are packaged as store archives
and referred to as sample store archives.
- SAR file format
- In WebSphere Commerce, SAR (store archive) is a platform-independent file
format that aggregates many files into one. See
store archive.
- scalable
- Pertaining to the capability of a system to adapt readily to a greater or
lesser intensity of use, volume, or demand. For example, a scalable system can
efficiently adapt to work with larger or smaller networks performing tasks of
varying complexity.
- scheduler
- A multithread, multiprocess background server designed to handle the
scheduling and launching of jobs, based on a simple timing scheme.
- schema
- The set of statements, expressed in a data definition language, that
completely describe the structure of a database. In a relational database, the
schema defines the tables, the fields in each table, and the relationships
between fields and tables.
- Secure Hypertext Transfer
Protocol (S-HTTP)
- A security-enhanced variation of
HTTP. S-HTTP allows
servers and clients to authenticate each other and to define the kind of
security used in transmissions. S-HTTP is an alternative to another well-known
security protocol, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). See
also secure server.
- secure server
- A server that encrypts files it is sending and decrypts files it has
received to facilitate secure communication with a client.
- Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
- A security protocol that allows the client to authenticate the server and
all data and requests to be encrypted. The URL of a secure server protected by
SSL begins with HTTPS (rather than HTTP). See also
secure server.
- security
- The protection of data, system operations, and devices from accidental or
intentional ruin, damage, or exposure.
- segment
- A data mining construct that groups input data records within a given
dataset, on the basis of similar characteristics. Each group is called a
segment. Within a segment, each piece of data is evaluated (or scored) for the
degree to which it fits the segment to which it belongs. This statistical
conformance is represented by a number, called the score, which ranges between
0.0 and 1.0. In DB2 Intelligent Miner, this concept is known as a cluster.
- Seller
- (1) A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that has access to all WebSphere
Commerce Accelerator capabilities. (2) The role that supervises the overall
store objectives and management, in addition to tracking the store sales. The
Seller role is equivalent to a
merchant.
Seller Administrator
- The Seller Administrator manages the information for the
selling organization. The Seller Administrator creates and administers the
suborganizations within the selling organization and the various users in the
selling organization, including the assignment of appropriate business
roles.
- separate search
space
- An implementation of the Product Advisor. For this style of implementation,
you must create additional database tables containing metadata to facilitate
searching a particular category of products. See also
base search space.
- server
- (1) A functional unit that provides shared services to one or more clients
over a network. (2) A computer or program that responds to commands from a
client. Examples include a file server, a print
server, and a mail server. See also
WebSphere Commerce Server and Web server.
- servlet
- An application program, written in the Java programming language, that is
executed on a Web server. A reference to a servlet appears in the markup for a
Web page, in the same way that a reference to a graphics file appears. The Web
server executes the servlet and sends the results of the execution (if there
are any) to the Web browser. Contrast with
applet.
- servlet engine
- The function of the Web application server that manages
servlets. It manages the creation and deletion
of servlets, dispatches the appropriate servlet for each URL it receives, and
specifies which servlets should be automatically loaded into memory at start
time and which servlets should be loaded upon initial request.
- session bean
- In EJB, an enterprise bean that is created
by a client and that usually exists only for the duration of a single
client/server session. There are two types of session beans:
stateful session beans
and stateless session beans. Contrast with entity bean.
- session ID
- A unique identifier that is assigned when a customer accesses WebSphere
Commerce. For a non-registered customer, the session ID is assigned by the
system. For a registered customer, the session ID is the login user ID.
- SET Secure Electronic Transaction
- An industry standard for secure credit card and debit card payments over
open networks such as the Internet. The SET protocol ensures confidentiality of
information, integrity of all transmitted data, authentication of the
cardholder and the merchant, and interoperability.
- shipping carrier
- A company that provides shipping services from a fulfillment center to a
customer.
- shopper
- See customer.
- shopping cart
- A pending order. See also
interest item.
- shopping currency
- The currency that is used by a store in its transactions with a particular
customer. See also preferred currency and supported currency.
- shopping language
- The language that is used when displaying pages to a particular customer.
If the customer's preferred language is supported by the store or site,
then the preferred language is used as the shopping language. Otherwise, the
shopping language is the default language for the store or site. See also
preferred language.
- S-HTTP
- See
Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
- Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
- In the Internet suite of protocols, an application protocol for
transferring mail among users in the Internet environment. SMTP specifies the
mail exchange sequences and message format. It assumes that the Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) is the underlying protocol.
- Site
Administrator
- A defined role in WebSphere Commerce that installs, configures, and
maintains WebSphere Commerce and the associated software and hardware. The Site
Administrator responds to system warnings, alerts, and errors, and diagnoses
and resolves system problems. This role typically controls access and
authorization, manages the Web site, monitors performance, and manages
load-balancing tasks.
- SKU (stock keeping unit)
- In a catalog, a SKU represents each orderable piece of merchandise. It can
include variables for department, class, vendor, style, color, size, and
location. In the WebSphere Commerce database schema, a SKU is known as an
item.
- SMTP
- See Simple Mail Transfer Protocol.
- source catalog
entry
- A product or SKU that contains one or more
merchandising associations. When a
source catalog entry is displayed, the user can view the defined merchandising
associations. See also target catalog entry.
- SQL (Structured Query Language)
- A standardized programming language that is used to define and manipulate
data in a relational database.
- SSL
- See Secure Sockets Layer.
- staging server
- An instance of a WebSphere Commerce Server that is used for testing
purposes before new functions or data are deployed to the
production server.
- state
- (1) Stages in the life cycle of an object that identify the current status
of that object. Multiple states are arranged to create a business flow. See
also state machine. (2) An
object's characteristic that is manifested in its public and private data
members, and can be divided into two categories: essential state and
non-essential state.
- stateful
- Of or pertaining to a system or process that keeps track of the state of
interaction. Contrast with
stateless.
- stateful session
bean
- A session enterprise bean that acts on behalf of a single client and
maintains client-specific session information (called conversational state)
across multiple method calls and transactions. Contrast with
stateless session bean.
- stateless
- Having no record of previous interactions. A stateless server processes
requests based solely on information provided with the request itself, and not
based on memory from earlier requests. Contrast with
stateful.
- stateless
session bean
- A session enterprise bean that does not maintain any conversational state.
Stateless session beans are pooled with others in a container. Contrast with
stateful session bean.
- state machine
- In WebSphere Commerce, the state machine enforces the validity of user
actions, tracks the execution of actions within an instance of the business
process, and provides the run-time user interface with a list of actions for an
instance of the business process. In doing so, the state machine enables the
configuration and execution of successive steps in the workflow process.
- static
- Pertaining to an operation that occurs at a predetermined or fixed time.
Contrast with dynamic.
- static kit
- A group of products that are ordered as a unit. A static kit is a type of
kit. The information about the products contained in a static kit is predefined
and controlled within WebSphere Commerce. The individual components within the
order cannot be modified and must be fulfilled together. A static kit will
backorder if any of its components are unavailable. See also
prebuilt kit.
- stock keeping unit
- See SKU.
- store
- In WebSphere Commerce an online store is the place where all transactions
for your online business occur. WebSphere Commerce supports several different
types of entities that are defined as stores. These store types include
customer facing store,
asset store, and proxy
store.
- store archive
- A compressed file that contains all the assets (including file assets and
database information) necessary to create a store. Publishing the store archive
to a WebSphere Commerce Server creates an operational store. See
SAR.
Store archive files are also used to
package and deliver organization structures, predefined user roles, and access
control policies necessary to create the environment for your store or site, as
well as for packaging collections of assets used to create a catalog or
storefront.
- store entity
- An abstract super class that can represent either a store or a store
group.
- storefront asset
store
- A collection of JSP files, commands, business processes (for example, order
processing), business policies and access control policies that create a
virtual storefront. See asset store. See also
catalog asset store.
- storefront assets
- The part of an online store that customers see while shopping. Storefront
assets include HTML pages, JSP files, style sheets, images, graphics, and other
multimedia file types. Contrast with
back-office business logic.
- store owner
- In WebSphere Commerce, this position controls and owns the database and the
file assets related to the online store. A store owner can be an
organization.
- Structured Query Language
- See
SQL.
- suborder
- The part of an order that is being shipped to a specific address. An order
can consist of multiple suborders. For example, a customer may indicate
different shipping addresses for different products in the shopping cart. Each
shipping address and the products associated with it constitute a
suborder.
- supply chain
- A supply chain is a value chain that supports
procurement and sourcing of goods. WebSphere Commerce supports sourcing of
goods through private marketplaces. A private marketplace provides a forum for
vendors to offer their wares for sale to buyers with whom they have contractual
relationships. The Commerce Supplier Hub site is an example of a private
marketplace supply chain. See also demand chain.
- supported
currency
- A currency that an online store is capable of displaying and handling. See
also shopping currency and
preferred currency.
- targetable command
- A command that can be executed on a different target container. A
targetable command invocation incurs some overhead; making the task command not
targetable can improve the performance of the overall command framework.
- target catalog
entry
- A promotional product or SKU that is defined as a
merchandising association. See also
source catalog entry.
- targeted e-mail
- Communicating a campaign through e-mail to specific recipients based on
customer profiling.
- task command
- A command that implements a specific application logic. In general, a
controller command and a set of task
commands together implement the application logic for a URL request. A task
command is not targetable, meaning it is always executed in the same container
as the controller command.
- tax category
- Indicates the different categories of tax a store may be required to
collect, such as federal, state or provincial, and municipal tax. Each tax
category must be assigned one of the tax
types; either sales or shipping.
- tax type
- Indicates the type of tax; either sales or shipping. Each tax type has its
own unique set of tax categories.
- TCP/IP
- See Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol.
- template
- In WebSphere Commerce, a template is a pattern that defines how information
in the WebSphere Commerce database displays on a Web page. The template
determines the location and type of text and images on the page, as well as
other page attributes, such as a background color. The templates are created
with JavaServer Pages (JSP) technology using HTML tags or beans that are linked
to the WebSphere Commerce database.
- top category
- In an online catalog, a category of catalog entries that has no
parent.
trading mechanism
- Within WebSphere Commerce, a method by which buyers and Sellers
carry out business transactions. Depending on the edition of WebSphere
Commerce, these methods may include: fixed price, contract, RFQ, and
auction.
- trading position
- See offer.
- trading
position container
- Contains offers, also known as trading positions. The trading
positions in a trading position container are made available to customers by
associating the trading position with one or more
contracts. A trading position container may
be restricted. A customer shopping in a store cannot use offers in a restricted
trading position container unless the customer is a member of one or more
customer groups associated with that
trading position container.
- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP)
- A set of communication protocols that support peer-to-peer connectivity
functions for both local and wide area networks.
- transport
- A means by which to send an outbound message from WebSphere Commerce.
- trigger
- A trigger is an object that initiates an action when an UPDATE, DELETE, or
INSERT operation is run against a table. The action is called a triggered
action and the operation is called a trigger event. Triggered actions can
perform such tasks as:
- Synchronizing other tables with changes made by trigger events
- Validating input data
- Generating values for newly-inserted rows
- Unicode
- A universal character encoding standard that supports the interchange,
processing, and display of text that is written in any of the languages of the
modern world. It also supports many classical and historical texts in a number
of languages. The Unicode standard has a 16-bit international character set
defined by ISO 10646.
- up-sell
- A merchandising association with a
related yet pricier product in the same product line as the currently displayed
or selected product. See also accessory,cross-sell, and
product recommendation.
- URL
- The address of a file on the Internet. The URL contains the name of the
protocol, the fully qualified domain name, and the path and file location. See
also URL command.
- URL command
- A controller command that has a
URL interface. A URL command may be called by entering a URL in a browser.
- use case
- In WebSphere Commerce, a use case shows the flow of each user interaction
in the sample store and acts as a template for creating your own store.
- user
- In WebSphere Commerce, a user can be either an administrator, or a
customer. If the user is an administrator, the administrator can be further
defined by registration type based on role. If the user is a customer, the user
can be either registered or non-registered. A registered customer has a unique
identifier or logon ID, a password, and is required to provide some profile
data for registration purposes. Registered customers can be classified
according to their profile type. A non-registered user only has limited
privileges within the site, does not possess a unique identifier, logon ID, or
password, and does not have to provide profile data. Often, a customer who is
not registered is referred to as a guest user.
- user distinguished name
- An LDAP concept to refer to the unique key for locating a user (or member),
organization, or organizational unit. This term is sometimes referred to as a
member distinguished name, and is often abbreviated to "DN" as in
"user DN" or "member DN." The DN for a user would list the
path to follow in the LDAP structure so that the system is able to retrieve a
user's information. That is, LDAP starts at the root organization, searches
through any additional organizations under the root, and drills down to the
user's node. For compatibility purposes, WebSphere Commerce creates DNs for
users even if LDAP is not used.
- user group
- See customer group.
- value chain business model
- A business model that supports transactions involving multiple enterprises
or parties. Products, goods, services, or information are delivered through the
parties of the value chain from producers to end users. WebSphere Commerce
supports transactions through, and relationship management of the following two
types of value chains:
- vertical scalability
- The creation of multiple Java virtual machine processes on a single
machine.
- view
- An alternative representation of data from one or more tables. A view can
include all or some of the columns in the table or tables on which it is
defined.
- view command
- A command that is used to compose a view as a
response to a client request.
- Web application document root
- The location within the file system where an application's Web assets
are stored (such as static HTML, JSP files, and GIFs).
- Web application Web path
- The portion of a URL associated with a Web application.
- Web controller
- An adapter to the WebSphere Commerce commands. There can be different types
of Web controllers, one for each client invocation protocol, such as the HTTP
request or WebSphere MQ request.
- Web server
- A server on the Web that serves requests for HTTP documents. The Web server
controls the flow of transactions to and from WebSphere Commerce. It protects
the confidentiality of customer transactions and ensures that the user's
identity is securely transmitted to the WebSphere Commerce Server. The Web
server implements the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
protocol to achieve this level of security.
- Web server
instance
- A unique configuration of the Web server to support one or multiple
WebSphere Commerce
instances.
- WebSphere Application Server
- Web application server software that runs on IBM HTTP Server and that can
be used to deploy, integrate, execute, and
manage e-business applications.
- WebSphere Commerce Accelerator
- In WebSphere Commerce, a workbench of online tools used to maintain online
stores through various store operations. If multiple languages are available on
the WebSphere Commerce machine, you can complete these tasks for each language.
Tasks that you are authorized to perform in your role are displayed on the
WebSphere Commerce Accelerator home page menus. These tasks are based on user
roles and authority levels.
- WebSphere Commerce database
- The database that contains the operational data for online stores.
- WebSphere Commerce data beans
- A set of Java beans, included with WebSphere Commerce and Commerce Studio,
that access information from the database tables. Creating store pages using
these beans allows you to display information that may often change, such as
category and product lists or product prices.
- WebSphere Commerce instance
- A unique configuration of WebSphere Commerce to support an electronic
commerce Web site, which may contain one or multiple stores.
- WebSphere Commerce Recommendation Engine
- Powered by LikeMinds, the software responsible for implementing
collaborative filtering recommendations.
- WebSphere
Commerce Server
- The server that handles the store- and commerce-related functions of an
e-commerce solution. The WebSphere Commerce Server provides all of the
WebSphere Commerce functionality in a Web container and an EJB container.
- WebSphere MQ classes for Java Message Service
- A set of Java classes that implement
Java Message Service (JMS)
interfaces by Sun Microsystems, Inc. to enable JMS programs to access WebSphere
MQ systems.
- widget
- (1) An element of a graphical user interface (GUI) that displays
information or provides a specific way for a user to interact with the
operating system and application. Widgets include icons, pull-down menus,
buttons, check boxes, scroll bars, windows, forms, and many other devices for
displaying information and for inviting, accepting, and responding to user
actions. (2) In object-oriented programming, each type of widget is defined as
a class (or a subclass under a broad generic widget class) and is always
associated with a particular window. A widget implements procedures through its
widget class structure. Most if not all application development languages
today, such as Java, come with a ready-made library of widgets that a
programmer can incorporate and modify.
- wrapper
- A program or script that sets the stage and makes possible the running of
another, more important program.
- WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You
Get)
- The capability of a text editor to continually display pages exactly as
they appear when printed or viewed through a Web browser.
- X.509 certificate
- Client certificate authentication for users entering a secured WebSphere
Commerce site.
- XML (Extensible Markup Language)
- A standard metalanguage for defining markup languages that was derived from
and is a subset of SGML. XML omits the more complex and less-used parts of SGML
and makes it easier to write applications to handle document types, to author
and manage structured information, and to transmit and share structured
information across diverse computing systems. XML is defined by the World Wide
Web Consortium (W3C).
