New CMSOptions and Implementation

in 30 Min.

What we have now

Alternatives

Migration Scenario

Technical Challenges

IDMC website?

Database

CMS

Content Delivery System

What we have now

Lotus Notes

Meant to be a collaboration Database System

Used mostly as email server/client

It’s a document based database

Database Schema

The website database is divided into different database

files, each include different documents with different

fields and forms.

In document based database all document related information are saved together in one

document.

While in relational database a document may spread over several tables.

each type has advantages and disadvantages, but our data

currently uses the document type model.

Lotus Notes Setup

Database CMS Web Serv.

Lotus Notes

All integrated together

Difficult/Buggy to separate them

Servers Setup

Online Solutions In-House ActiveWeb

IDMC website Setup

20 min.

ActiveWeb = Public Server

Code is locked at Online Solutions

Alternatives

Why Switch? :)

Web Accessibility

Flexibility in design

SEO enhancement & Semantic Layout

New web standard (resent year, HTML5 etc.)

Maintenance & Hosting Cost

Options

Commercial

Open Source

In-House Tailored

Commercial SystemsWhat we have now :)We don’t own the codeCost for setup, support and pluginsNot open to community contributionsSame time and effort to setupUsually are retagged open source projectBuilt for web-mastersForce the client to adopt their workflow

Open SourceMore optionsGood for simple websites and blogs (OOB)We can modify the codeContinuously evolvingSame time and effort to setupStill built mostly for web-mastersForce the client to adopt their workflowLess setup cost, good extensions are not free

Keep in mind

Already identified database schema

Won’t work out of the box

We need to pick one with editors support

In-House tailored CMS

Design based on our data model

Flexibility in improvements (we own the code)

Ease of database migration

Based on the same code and database of alternatives solutions - not from scratch solution! but not a copycat also.

RecommendationUse Ruby on Rails for front end CMS

CouchDB for Database and Content Serving

Same technology used with GO/LI Forms

Same is used by Twitter, Yellow Pages, Hulu, Basecamp etc.

Popular, open source, easy to use, fast to develop with.

Built in support of RESTful URLs

Tons of free open source plugins (gems)

RESTful URLs & Breadcrumbs

http://www.internal-displacement.org/africa/central-african-republic/causes-and-background/background-to-the-displacement-situation

http://www.internal-displacement.org/idmc/website/countries.nsf/(httpEnvelopes)/46F3AA2460658FACC125726B004F9DAB?

OpenDocument#9.2.3

VS.

Migration Scenario

Parallel Systems

Keep the old system while developing a new

one in parallel would guarantees ease of test

and a view of comparison between them.

Step by stepBuild a new database model (improve the old one)

Sample Data

Build the CMS forms/list based on the new model

Build website templates

Complete migration of Database

Build a redirect procedure for old link types

Configure a new server for the new CMS

Step by step cont.

Test

Migrate Web Stats

Setup email notification service

Migrate the Domain name

More tests to insure complete migration

Time Frame

Planning and research from now till the end of the year.

Start implementation by January.

Have it in production by November

Keep supporting Lotus Notes and address any problem during the above.

Questions