Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad B.Tech IV E-COMMERCE Previous Question Paper (September - 2020 - R15)

The anatomy of an E-commerce application is typically structured into a multi-tier architecture that separates concerns for scalability, security, and performance. The primary layers include:

• Presentation Layer (Client Tier): The interface through which users interact with the system, typically a web browser or mobile application. It handles user input and displays content rendered from the application server.
• Application/Logic Layer (Middle Tier): This layer contains the business logic, such as product catalog management, shopping cart functionality, user authentication, and payment processing. It acts as the bridge between the client and the data.
• Data Layer (Database Tier): The backend storage system that maintains product databases, customer profiles, order history, and inventory records. It ensures data integrity and persistence.
• Infrastructure/Support Layer: Includes essential services such as security protocols (SSL/TLS), load balancers to distribute traffic, payment gateways for transaction processing, and search engines for product discovery.

The order management cycle (OMC) is the end-to-end process that begins when a customer places an order and ends when the product is delivered. The key stages are:

1. Order Placement: The customer selects items, adds them to the cart, and completes the checkout process, triggering an order confirmation.
2. Order Processing and Validation: The system validates payment, checks inventory availability, and verifies customer details.
3. Order Picking and Packing: Once validated, the order is sent to the warehouse or fulfillment center where items are retrieved (picking) and securely prepared for shipment (packing).
4. Shipping and Logistics: The package is handed over to a courier service. The system generates tracking information and updates the customer on the status.
5. Delivery and Post-Sales Support: The final stage involves the physical delivery of the goods to the customer and handling any subsequent returns, refunds, or customer service inquiries.