The server-based sign-up process is a Web-browser-based mechanism that automates the task of adding new customers to your customer database. The sign-up process happens in three steps:
- The new customer connects to your sign-up server.
- An HTML/HTTP-based dialog box collects information from the user, and adds the customer information to your customer database.
- Your server passes a configuration packet back to the customerÆs computer. The packet includes information about configuration and branding. It also includes the local phone number so the customer can access the Internet service provider.
Passing a Configuration Packet Back to the Computer
After the customer has provided you with the information you need, you must return the following information to the customer:
- Data for configuring Internet connections
- Capabilities of the customerÆs account (including e-mail and newsreaders)
- Branding information
This information must be passed back to the computer in an IEAK Profile, or .ins, files. Your development team creates the first two types of data as part of the server, and the IEAK wizard prepares the .ins file data for branding. The ISP/INS Reference Guide contains the specification of the .ins files. Some settings such as Entry, User, Phone, Device, Server, and TCP/IP cannot be specified in the wizard. You must assign these settings manually.
If you want to provide a variety of custom "private branded" versions of Internet Explorer (containing such items as custom logos, title bar, Favorites, search page, start page, special links on the Links bar, and the location for online assistance) to different customer groups, you should maintain a variety of sets of branding information on the server for downloading in the .ins file. This means that all of the compact discs you send out will be the same, but they will be branded differently when the user signs up. This eliminates the potential for a large inventory problem.
Setting Up a Sign-up Server