Logical Architecture in Microsoft Excel

Printing Data Matrix 2d barcode in Microsoft Excel Logical Architecture

We ll begin looking at the logical architecture of the MCMS system. Each component is described later in this section; however, let s start with a broad picture. First, a computer that will be configured to run MCMS must also be running a version of Windows: Windows Server 2003 (in this chapter, we ll be referring to Windows 2003 unless otherwise stated), Windows Server 2000 (only covered peripherally), or Windows XP Specific details about configur. ing the Windows operating system are outside the scope of this book, except where noted. Note that SQL Server must either be present locally or available remotely. To the left side of Figure 1-1, you ll note development components: Visual Studio, custom Web Services, and the ASPX templates. Visual Studio has tools for managing the development of MCMS solutions, including creating the templates. (Creating templates is covered in 9.)

Components for accessing content are shown in the top center of the figure. These components are used by authors and viewers viewers, in the MCMS vernacular are called subscribers. This is managed via the HTTP transaction processor of the Internet Information Server (IIS) Web Service and a custom MCMS ISAPI filter (covered in 9).

Figure 1-1. MCMS components The components of the logical architecture are defined in the following list: ASPX template file: Placeholders, controls, and so on. Authoring Connector: Enables authors to create content and send content directly to MCMS for publication using Microsoft Office. Content Repository: Microsoft SQL Server database (table definitions, stored procedures); stores information about site structure and content, including resources. Content server: The core MCMS engine. Custom Web Service: An MCMS extension to allow a Web application to interact with MCMS.

ISAPI filter and security service: Serves HTTP requests for the MCMS Web site, handles authentication of these requests, creates the context in which ASPX template files run, and assembles the page. Placeholder control: Provides data access to the Content Repository and resources. Publishing API: Provides programmatic access to the MCMS object model used by placeholder control(s) to access and negotiate authoring mode. Visual Studio .NET: Main development environment supports the various extensions that exploit MCMS features and objects. Web author: The main authoring application for MCMS 2002.

Figure 1-2 shows a typical MCMS site installation. A high-volume production environment is implemented across an indeterminately large bank of servers from a single server handling everything to an entire clustered server farm. The production environment may or may not be protected behind an external firewall. The production environment is supported by a development/ content-authoring environment, which should be protected behind its own firewall. This environment is built up from a single development server, which is configured first and can replicate the implementation to the other systems. Following are the servers shown in Figure 1-2: Development server: Contains content database and templates; used in content rendering; relatively few authorized users access this server. Content authoring server: Used by contributors to submit content; authors, editors, approvers, and administrators access this server to manage content development. Staging server: Provides a platform where content is tested before it is deployed to the production environment; access to this server is similar to the content authoring server. Production server(s): Provides the live site where users access content.

Site Deployment API in conjunction with Microsoft Application Center 2000 to perform incremental deployments. This is for non-MCMS sites (ASP.NET-based sites). Refer to COM-Based Site Deployment in the MCMS product documentation for more information. For additional information about Application Center 2000, go to http://go. microsoft.com/fwlink/ LinkId=9514.

Figure 1-2 also implies how workflow progresses. MCMS is deployed to the development server, providing initial administration and the ability to create the site structure, including the content database and templates. The site is replicated to the authoring server so contributors can post their content (depending upon the total expected volume, the authoring and development servers may coexist on a single computer). Many authors generally update this MCMS frequently. Security and authentication can be time consuming in the initial stages because individuals and groups of collaborators may be restricted to certain parts of the site. The next step and again, this can all be configured on a single computer is to implement the staging server that will support the production environment. Initially, and periodically thereafter, an administrator replicates content from the authoring server to the staging server usually at