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Transcript PPT - EDUCAUSE Library

Web Application Management
Moving Beyond CMS
Douglas Clark
Director, Web Applications
Copyright Douglas Clark 2003
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Overview
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About Butler
Discovery
Defined Needs
CMS Options
CMS Assessment
Trends in Content Management
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Our Solution
Butler’s Application Management System
Solution Implemented
Technical Advantages
Business Advantages
Future Challenges
About Butler
Butler University
• Private, liberal arts, Indianapolis
• 5 undergraduate & 4 graduate degrees
• 5,000 students; undergrad & grads
• 1,000 faculty & staff, full & part-time
• “Sweet 16” baby!
Web Applications
• Became department in October 2001
• Housed in Information Resources
• 2 full-time, 1 part-time, 2 students, 1 vacant
• Microsoft IIS 5, ASP 3, SQL 2000
• PeopleSoft Enterprise Portal 8.4
About Butler
Douglas Clark
• Background in public relations
• Six years in web development
• Third custom CMS architected
• Technical focus:
user interactions and maximizing resources
• Professional focus:
relationship-building and collaboration
Discovery
• Gathered opinions and needs by meeting one-onone with campus leaders
• Conducted comprehensive site audit
• Reviewed institutional mission, business goals and
future initiatives
• Assessed web department: business practices,
skills, long-term objectives
• Examined trends in the industry
Defined Needs
• Better management of web content
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Simple page creation tool for novice managers
Track out-of-date content
Insert workflow processes for key content areas
Allow sharing of content between departments
Allow content to be used in multiple web sites
• Centralized web applications
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Develop apps for common functions/data needs
Connect apps to university ERP systems
Same core functionality across web sites
Personalize app features by department
Allow content managers to select apps in CMS
Defined Needs
• Template-based web pages
• Control common elements—navigation, logos
• Unique designs by web site or directory
• Web Department
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Become application providers, not page creators
Implement version control on web applications
Coding standards for contracted developers
Rapid development, rapid deployment
CMS Options
• Enterprise ($200K +)
• Documentum*
• Interwoven*
• Vignette*
• Upper-tier ($100K +)
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Stellent
Microsoft**
FileNET
Gauss
• Mid-tier ($50K +)
• RedDot
• Low-priced ($1-10K)
• Ektron
• Service Provider: Atomz, iUpload
• Open Source: Zope, Midgard, OpenCMS
*Identified by Gartner as Leader; **Identified by Gartner as Challenger
CMS Assessment
• BIG $$ for quality system
• Extra costs for training and licensing
• Fewer open source options for MS platform
• Geared primarily for content, not web apps
• Pre-built apps, not always tailored for needs
Trends in Content Management
“The management of content destined for a Web site
and the code supporting applications integrated into
the Web site are beginning to merge.”
Gartner Research
1/28/2002; TU-14-5701: “Web Content and Web Code Begin to Converge”
Our Solution
Butler’s Application Management System
• Everything is a web application
• Database-driven web content
• Template separate from content
• Apps are “plugged” into system through DB
• 3-tiered design: ASP 3, COM (.wsc) and SQL
• Coding standard/convention for application
development
Butler’s Application Management System
http://website/directory(/...)/index.asp?pg=(#)&
action=(app function)
website: multiple sites can be managed in system
directory: set by website, many layers deep
index.asp: single file compiling code and design
pg: reserved word for CMS pages
action: reserved word for application functions
setup file
STEP 1
format menus
Compiler
STEP 3
STEP 2
content
raw data
template
index.asp
web app
web app
content
FAQ
web app
web app
alumni
web app
web app
calendar
campus
directory
FAQ
web app
course
search
alumni
directory
registration
course
calendar
members
components generated “on-the-fly”
Butler’s Application Management System
Code sample, index.asp

<% set com = Server.CreateObject(“WebSiteCompiler.wsc")
com.WebSite = WebSite
com.Directory = Directory
com.UserName = session("UserName")
com.Page = Page
com.ReferURL = ReferURL
com.AppFunction = Action
com.AppFormTags = formTags
com.AppFormValues = formValues
WebSiteMenu = com.WebSiteMenu()
DirectoryMenu = com.DirectoryMenu()
DirectoryDropDown = com.DirectoryDropDown()
PageMenu = com.PageMenu()
PageContent = com.PageContent()
BuildPage = com.BuildPage()
set com = nothing%>


Butler’s Application Management System
Code Sample, Compiler Component – Page Content Function
strPath = Server.MapPath("/components/"&objComponent)
set com = GetObject("script:" &strPath&"")
com.WebSite = WebSite
com.Directory = Directory
com.UserName = UserName
com.Page = Page
com.ReferURL = ReferURL
com.AppJavascript = comJS
com.DbProvider = DbProvider
com.DbServer = comDbServer
com.DbPrefix = comDbPrefix
com.DbSuffix = comDbSuffix
com.DbUser = comDbUser
com.DbPass = comDbPass
Execute("com_Return = com." & comFunction & "("&passParam&")")
set com = nothing
Solution Implemented
Two different sections…
…can use the same
application.
Technical Advantages
• Easy distribution of apps to web pages within the
CMS
• Apps tailored for various uses through objectoriented programming
• Apps easily used by non-CMS web pages
• Manage use of apps among web sites within the
CMS framework
• Apps can use different databases
Business Advantages
• Channel data to and from a central location
• Build solutions that benefit many
• Up-to-date site with less maintenance
• More interactive/interaction-based web sites
Future Challenges
• Developing administrative interface
• Implementing version-control on apps
• Maintaining information architecture integrity
• Ensuring quality page designs
• Handling increased demand
• Upgrading system to .NET
Questions
Douglas Clark
[email protected]