Oshyn Open Text Best Practices Part1

Open Text Web Solutions CMS Best Practices: Part One October, 2009

Open Text Web Solutions CMS Best Practices: Part One Table of Contents 1.0 Summary 4 2.0 Project and Content Organization 4 2.1 Project Organization - Background 5 2.2 Best Practices for Project Organization 5 2.3 Content Creation - Background 6 2.4 Best Practices for Content Creation and Organization 7 3.0 Templates Management 8 3.1 Templates Management - Background 8 3.2 Best Practices for Templates Management 8 4.0 Content Reuse 10 4.1 Component Reuse - Background 10 4.2 Pointer Reuse - Background 10 4.3 Best Practices 10 5.0 Content Security Constraints 12 5.1 Background 12 5.2 Best Practices 12 6.0 Workflows 14 6.1 Background - Setting Up Workflows in RedDot 14 6.2 Best Practices 15 7.0 Managing Users and Groups 16 7.1 Background - Creating Users 16 7.2 Background - Types of Users 16 7.3 Best Practices 16 8.0 Publication Packages and SEO 18 8.1 Best Practices 18 9.0 Meta Data Management 19

9.1 Best Practices 19 About Oshyn 20 About Adaeze Okorie 20

1.0 Summary This paper is the first in a series of RedDot implementation best practices by Oshyn. The goal is to focus on RedDot Content Management System (CMS) and some of its important features. In each section, the background provides some insight into RedDot features that facilitate CMS best practices and then following details provide strategies, key points and tips on how to leverage these features to achieve an effective, reliable and robust RedDot Implementation now. Schedule a one hour CMS consultation now . Call Oshyn at 888.483.1770 x173 or email us at newbusiness@oshyn.com to schedule a FREE one hour consultation to discuss you current business needs and how Oshyn can help you achieve them.

2.0 Project and Content Organization To start any RedDot CMS project, project and content organization are a very important initial step. It promotes usability for content contributors and administrators and ensures long term success. 2.1 Project Organization - Background Folders are used to structure Content Classes, organize digital assets, and integrate external document repositories. Asset Manager Folders: User friendly interface in the CMS used to store, view and select digital assets as content. By default the content of the Asset manager folders are stored in the project database but can be stored in a file system directory for nesting, versioning and multiple assets import. This is configured at the folder level. File Folders: For storing non image digital assets (e.g. PDF, Word, Excel, etc.). Content Class Folders: These folders are used to organize the Content Classes by groups. Native support for file types: RedDot provides native support for all file types including PDF, .doc, Flash Media, scripts, etc. and are stored in file folders within a project. It also has the external file folder type used to access files located in an external repository. 2.2 Best Practices for Project Organization There should be enough folders to make grouping of related content classes easy. Content Class folders should be general enough for grouping similar content classes. This ensures effective content reuse since editors see these folders when they are prompted to select from a list while creating pages. Grouping should be based on functions (e.g., Foundations, Body components, Right rail components, Framework, etc.). This ensures a logical and intuitive access. Content classes are not assets but are a component of the Project and should always be stored in the project database. Content Class folders can be shared among projects, but they are read-only and can only be edited in the original Project. File system vs. database for asset storage – Assets stored using the file system will not be included in project exports. Using the file storage requires a separate backup but it enables the use of versioning and subfolders and is thus recommended. Asset related content class elements must be assigned to specific asset folders. Files assigned as content to these elements must be stored in the assigned folder or its subfolder. Plan your asset organization FIRST because you cannot change an element’s assigned asset folder later. This is because preexisting instances of that element will be using the originally assigned folder.

If you want generic content classes used through the site, organize asset folders according to general purpose and not business specific. Since content classes are tied to specific asset folders, they are an extension of these folders. Organize the Asset Business folders by moving them to the top level. This optimizes the directory structure, provides flexibility to business users and provides granularity for setting proper permissions. Note that only one level of subfolders may be used. All asset folders can be shared with other projects, allowing either full or read-only access to the assets. Assets can be moved and reorganized between child and parent folders and can be moved to a directory in the local file system. Ensure that files on the local system are uploaded in Asset Manager to avoid broken links. Even though Assets can be stored in the file folders, they should be in the Asset manager to take advantage of the features that it provides - thumbnails, storage and display of basic file attributes (e.g., size, date, dimensions, color depth, etc.),user-defined attributes, asset versioning and check-out, Subfolders, image editing capabilities and folder authorizations Separate PDFs that need to be searched (which will be published to Delivery Server) from PDFs/Images/Videos that don’t need to be searched and (which will go to the HTTP server(s)) Add Versioning to Asset Manager Folders. 2.3 Content Creation - Background Content management occurs in RedDot SmartEdit environment. CMS content can be created either by editors via SmartEdit or by project export and import. Administrators and Site Builders create Content Classes while editors and authors create and edit content. Editors access the RedDot system and navigate to relevant sections via a browser, removing the need for client software installation. RedDot CMS has a built in WYSIWYG Text Editor with most of the editing features that enables users to enter and format large blocks of text. The Text Editor generates HTML code for formatting so users don’t need HTML knowledge. If multiple users try to edit the same content at once, the first user gets access; the rest cannot click the red dots and see a message that the initial user is editing the page. With proper authorizations, different red dots allow content contributors to create new areas and web pages in the site. Projects can be exported and imported between RedDot CMS servers. The files are used to build a database containing all the code, project structure, administration settings, project rules, and some or all of the actual content. The administrator can import archives, releases, settings and users from the exported project. Depending on the reason for the export or import the admin

Oshyn Open Text Best Practices Part1

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