CMS Project

Ozarks Technical Community College

Joint project of:Jason Huddleston, Asst. Coord. Internet Services & Network Security

Karyn O’Dell, Coordinator of Web Development

Content Management SystemContent Management System Allows users to update the website…

Quickly Easily Securely

Webmaster responsibility for active site content

Original ProcessOriginal Process Users with permission were given

Dreamweaver Files had to be uploaded from users’ office Problems:

Catching people at their desks Users would forget what they had done Dependent files would be missed Drag/drop accidents broke templates

Research ProcessResearch Process Recognized need for secondary “staging”

server for security purposes Controlling publication of new content Assigning responsibility for content Needed publication process easy for users and

web administrators

Research Process (Cont.)Research Process (Cont.) Open-Source

Zope - Required recode of entire site Plone PHPNuke - Layout not customizable

PureCMS IIS Server Used Active Directory for permission FTP to live server Cost $14,000

None compliant with Dreamweaver

DecisionDecision Macromedia Contribute

Compatible with Dreamweaver Interface easy to use and understand Users not allowed to access code Dependent files automatically placed where they

“should” be “Email Review” option

Contribute SoftwareContribute Software

Beginning ConceptBeginning Concept Users edit pages from “live” server, but not

upload to the server

“Email Review” for approval

Web dept. would then save the page to the “live” server, from the review, after approval

ProblemsProblems “Email Review” feature was not what we thought it

was Sent administrator link to “test” page Users had to save file to server themselves Could not require the review before allowing upload

Did not want users to have direct access to live server

Using Tripwire to compare contents – too slow

Modified ConceptModified Concept Users

Edit pages on the “staging” server (which we named “Stage”)

No Email Review, just Publish Email web staff to alert us to the changes

Web Department Preview changes on Stage Copy from Stage to Live via Dreamweaver

Dreamweaver Copying ProcessDreamweaver Copying Process

Copying Process IssuesCopying Process Issues Tedious to find all needed files Easy to miss dependent files users would

forget to mention Connections would sometimes drop in the

middle of download/upload (firewall issues) Need: Easier, more efficient copying process

Development: Writing our ownDevelopment: Writing our own Design Goals

Compare Stage and Live contents Report changes Provide secure web-based form with file list

Check boxes for approval Preview pages within form

Copy/Upload approved pages Logging, tracking, etc.

Development: IssuesDevelopment: Issues Problems

JavaScript tree not supporting forms (www.treemenu.com)

Rsync and SSH instabilities Users – permissions (FTP)

Solutions Rsync – mount live file system local on Stage

(NFS or SAN) Use rsync alone instead of rsync over SSH

Development: Web form processDevelopment: Web form process Compares data folders on staging server and

the live server Generates a file / folder tree in memory with

all of the metadata about the files. Processes file / folder tree and prints list to

webpage. Updates approved changes

Using the formUsing the form

Development: RevisionsDevelopment: Revisions Upgrades

Last edited date / user Checked out files Full file path Select All/Deselect All (Later removed) Refresh button Expandable/collapsible menu tree (CSS &

JavaScript)

Development: To DoDevelopment: To Do Revisioning Logging script use Tracking changes Select All files within a folder File deletion

Thank you!Thank you! CMS-Script on SourceForge

https://sourceforge.net/projects/cms-script/

Questions

Contact Information: Jason Huddleston: huddlesj@otc.edu Karyn O’Dell: odellk@otc.edu