Philosophical questions about updating a production CMS server
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We just put online a website managed by a CMS, Joomla. We've got a test server and a production server. The question we ask ourselves is what is the correct strategy to update the website content: should we give editors the right to directly modify the production server through Joomla's web interface, or should we restrict edition to the test server (or a clone of it) and find a way to automate the transfer from test to production? The first solution is the easiest one but seems the most dangerous (for instance how do we reconstruct the production server data if it crashes?) , the second one is safer but designing an automatic way to make the transfer is not straightforward... So in your opinion, dear fellow Cpians, what would be the best thing to do? Any food for thought is welcome!
When they kick at your front door How you gonna come? With your hands on your head Or on the trigger of your gun?
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We just put online a website managed by a CMS, Joomla. We've got a test server and a production server. The question we ask ourselves is what is the correct strategy to update the website content: should we give editors the right to directly modify the production server through Joomla's web interface, or should we restrict edition to the test server (or a clone of it) and find a way to automate the transfer from test to production? The first solution is the easiest one but seems the most dangerous (for instance how do we reconstruct the production server data if it crashes?) , the second one is safer but designing an automatic way to make the transfer is not straightforward... So in your opinion, dear fellow Cpians, what would be the best thing to do? Any food for thought is welcome!
When they kick at your front door How you gonna come? With your hands on your head Or on the trigger of your gun?
KaЯl wrote:
for instance how do we reconstruct the production server data if it crashes?...what would be the best thing to do
You can't answer the second question until you answer the first. And that can only be answered by your business. You might also ask yourself the following - What happens if someone does an edit and wants to revert it? - What happens if someone doess an edit and that edit itself is the cause of the crash? What if it doesn't cause a crash for two weeks? - What if someone makes an edit that is inappropriate? How do such edits get reviewed?
KaЯl wrote:
the second one is safer but designing an automatic way to make the transfer is not straightforward...
You need a process to do a production install. Whether it is automatic is a secondary issue.
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KaЯl wrote:
for instance how do we reconstruct the production server data if it crashes?...what would be the best thing to do
You can't answer the second question until you answer the first. And that can only be answered by your business. You might also ask yourself the following - What happens if someone does an edit and wants to revert it? - What happens if someone doess an edit and that edit itself is the cause of the crash? What if it doesn't cause a crash for two weeks? - What if someone makes an edit that is inappropriate? How do such edits get reviewed?
KaЯl wrote:
the second one is safer but designing an automatic way to make the transfer is not straightforward...
You need a process to do a production install. Whether it is automatic is a secondary issue.
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We just put online a website managed by a CMS, Joomla. We've got a test server and a production server. The question we ask ourselves is what is the correct strategy to update the website content: should we give editors the right to directly modify the production server through Joomla's web interface, or should we restrict edition to the test server (or a clone of it) and find a way to automate the transfer from test to production? The first solution is the easiest one but seems the most dangerous (for instance how do we reconstruct the production server data if it crashes?) , the second one is safer but designing an automatic way to make the transfer is not straightforward... So in your opinion, dear fellow Cpians, what would be the best thing to do? Any food for thought is welcome!
When they kick at your front door How you gonna come? With your hands on your head Or on the trigger of your gun?
If you're talking about just the content, not the system code, I think you should update directly on production server and have a good review workflow. the other option will be a bit hard to manage if you allow site users (not editors) to post comments for example. How will you manage the data then?
Hesham A. Amin My blog twitter: @HeshamAmin
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If you're talking about just the content, not the system code, I think you should update directly on production server and have a good review workflow. the other option will be a bit hard to manage if you allow site users (not editors) to post comments for example. How will you manage the data then?
Hesham A. Amin My blog twitter: @HeshamAmin
Indeed, it's the choice we made. Editors have to be responsible, they aren't children anymore, are they? :) And if they mess with the servers, then I should still have my whip somewhere, if they deserve a little punishment... ;)
When they kick at your front door How you gonna come? With your hands on your head Or on the trigger of your gun?