Traditional desktop operating system based applications such as word processors etc. have all of their components located on a single computer. The visual interface to the application is on the local computer, the processing happens on the local computer, and the application communicates with components on the local computer.
Many applications are now distributed. This means that communication and processing for the application may happen primarily on a remote computer, but the user interface is presented to you on your local computer or other device. Many of these types of applications are now accessed using a web browser and Internet protocols. The interface to the application appears in a web browser window on your computer.
The typical user does not realize the difference between using a web browser to view web sites and using a web browser to control a distributed application. While browsing web sites, you may use any of the controls that are built into the web browser (ex. back/forward buttons, close windows etc.). With web-based distributed applications, you should only use the interface controls the application presents to you within the browser window. For example, you should only use buttons, menus, etc. that you see in the area marked in yellow below. You cannot control the application by using any controls outside of the yellow area.
Remember that the application processing happens on a remote server. The remote server will only react to controls that it presented in the browser window. It will not know anything has happened or react in a predictable way if you use the web browser controls like the back/forward buttons or close the browser window by using the close box.
Below are examples of web-based interfaces for some of the applications that the University uses. Note that to properly logout of the application (and therefore preserving security, data integrity, and resources) you must use the logout control that the application presented in the browser window.
