Implementing a Server-Based Sign-up Process

The server-based sign-up process automates the registration and set-up tasks for new and existing users. This process uses an Internet sign-up server (ISS) to collect information from each user. The sign-up server adds the data to your customer database and then sends a configuration packet back to the user's computer. This packet configures the browser for subsequent connections to your Internet services.

The following server-based sign-up methods are available to ISPs:

• Internet Connection wizard - Using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, you can specify the Internet Connection wizard (ICW) as the tool that customers will use to sign up and configure their computers for Internet services. This is the recommended method because it uses a standard wizard interface that you can customize to fit the needs of your organization and its users. The ICW automatic-configuration feature also enables you to configure settings for users that already have Internet accounts.

  For more detailed information about how to develop an ICW sign-up process, including the files that you need to generate and install on your server for ICW sign-up, see Chapter 13, "Setting Up Servers."

• Full-screen Kiosk mode - Using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, you can specify that the sign-up process screens you create are displayed in full-screen Kiosk mode.

Note If you are using single-disk branding and members of your user community have Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 installed, it is recommended that you use the Kiosk-mode sign-up method. The ICW is not available through single-disk branding unless users are running version 5 of the ICW (the ICW version that accompanies Windows 98 is not enabled for the Internet Explorer ICW sign-up method).

Creating a Custom Package with a Server-Based Sign-up Method

To create a custom browser package that includes a server-based sign-up method, specify the following in Stage 4 of the Internet Explorer Customization wizard:

• Either Server-based sign-up using the Internet Connection Wizard or Server-based sign-up using full-screen Kiosk mode as your sign-up method.
• The path of the working folder that contains your custom sign-up files. These files enable users to configure their computers to connect to your sign-up server.
• The sign-up server information, including dial-up-networking parameters that enable users to establish a connection to your sign-up server and the URL of the first online sign-up page.
• The ICW customization information, including your title bar and custom images (if you selected Server-based sign-up using the Internet Connection Wizard).

To ensure that your package installs correctly, the folder that contains your custom sign-up files must include the following:

• Signup.htm - This HTML page provides information about your Internet services and must include a link to an appropriate HTML page on the sign-up server. You can customize the sample Signup.htm file, which is located in the IEAK \Reskit\ISP\Server\Client folder. For example, you can add technical support data or include links to Internet sign-up (.isp) files.
• Signup.isp - This Internet sign-up file is used to dial your sign-up server and is referenced in Signup.htm. This file should also contain a link to the URL of the server script that generates your Internet settings (.ins) files. Using the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, you can edit the parameters contained in this sign-up file. The Internet Explorer Customization wizard also generates other .isp files for the sign-up process.
• All other sign-up files - All related files, including .gif and .jpg graphics files, must be saved in the same folder with your custom sign-up files. For example, you may want to include your own customized versions of the Install.gif file.

For more information about building a browser package with custom sign-up files, see Chapter 12, "Preparing for the IEAK" and Chapter 15, "Running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard."

Distributing a Custom Package with a Server-Based Sign-up Method

If you use a server-based sign-up method, the sign-up process for your custom browser package occurs in three steps:

1. The user's computer establishes a connection with the sign-up server.
2. The sign-up server collects information from the user, and adds the data to your customer database.
3. The sign-up server passes a configuration packet back to the user's computer, which is then configured with the appropriate browser settings.

Establishing a Connection with the Sign-up Server

The user opens the sign-up program, which starts Internet Explorer, dials the sign-up server, and posts an initial connection request. Then, the sign-up server does the following:

• Accepts the request from the user's computer (the HTTP client) and establishes an HTTP connection.
• Creates a local data store for accumulating the information that the user enters.
• Assigns a unique session handle that is embedded in all subsequent HTTP transactions with the client.

HTTP is a sessionless protocol; however, the sign-up server operates in a session-oriented mode and uses the session handle to identify all transactions associated with the sign-up process for a particular user. For example, the session handle could be an automatically generated number sequence assigned to this transaction by your database. For more information about sign-up server processing, see Chapter 13, "Setting Up Servers."

Collecting the User's Sign-up Information

The sign-up server collects user information from a sequence of HTML pages that walk the user through the sign-up process, much like a wizard in a Windows-based program. The sign-up server uploads the pages, on demand, to the user's computer. The sign-up process concludes when the user clicks the appropriate button on the final HTML page to either accept or decline the sign-up agreement.

You can choose your own content and format for the HTML pages. Typically, each HTML page includes the following:

• A form for the user to fill out.
• Navigation buttons that the user can click to move forward or backward between pages.
• A button that the user can click to cancel the sign-up session.

Each HTML form includes controls for collecting input text, navigating between pages, and identifying the session. The form gathers information from the user and passes it to the sign-up server when the user clicks a navigation button. Also, the sign-up server can validate the data and post an edit page to the user's computer if the data is not acceptable. For more information about setting up HTML forms on your sign-up server, see Chapter 13, "Setting Up Servers."

Note Make sure that you save the HTML file in the correct folder on the sign-up server; the Signup.isp file includes a link to server files for Windows 32-bit versions, and the Signup.htm file includes a link to server files for Windows 16-bit versions.

Passing a Configuration Packet Back to the User's Computer

If the user accepts the sign-up agreement, the sign-up server builds a configuration packet with an .ins file (generated by the Internet Explorer Customization wizard) that includes information about the user and your Internet services. The .ins file can contain only connection settings, or it can contain connection, browser, and mail settings that include graphics.

The sign-up server passes the configuration packet back to the user's computer by using the .ins file, which can be generated on the fly, or simply redirected to the client computer. Then, the user's computer can continue the process of installing the custom browser package. If the user declines or quits the sign-up agreement, the sign-up server redirects the user's computer to a file that cancels the sign-up process.

The configuration packet includes the following information:

• Data for configuring Internet connections
• Capabilities of the user's account (including e-mail and newsreaders)
• Branding information, which customizes the appearance of the sign-up pages for your organization
• The local phone number, so the user can access your Internet services

The first two types of data are created as part of the sign-up server. The Internet Explorer Customization wizard prepares the .ins file for branding. Some settings, such as Entry, User, Phone, Device, Server, and TCP/IP, cannot be specified in the wizard; you must assign these settings manually in the .ins file.

If you want to provide a variety of custom "private-branded" versions of Internet Explorer for different user groups, you can maintain multiple sets of branding information that the sign-up server downloads in the .ins file. For example, you may want to customize versions with different logos, title bars, favorites, search pages, start pages, special links, or locations for online assistance. All of the compact discs that you distribute to users will be the same, but they will be branded differently when the users sign up for Internet services.