Content Management System

Information Session
 Discussion Summary
• CMS Overview
• Demonstration
• CMS Migration Decision Criteria
• Information Resources

McMaster University
 McMaster Web History
• Centrally managed web services
• Moved to distributed web services
• Current web services difficult to manage
as they are spread over a large support
base

History Overview - McMaster University

 Past/Current Setup

www.mcmaster.ca

INTERNET

faculty1.mcmaster.ca faculty2.mcmaster.ca

*Each group required its own hardware, hardware technicians,

web admins, and development tools. Tools required by all content
providers.

History Overview - McMaster University

Future Setup with CMS
*CIS manages server hardware, and hardware technicians.
Each group has a web admin and one set of development tools.
Content providers may edit content directly through the internet.

INTERNET

www.mcmaster.ca
faculty1.mcmaster.ca
faculty2.mcmaster.ca

History Overview - McMaster University

 What is a CMS?
• Tool to manage website content
• Depository for information

How does it work?

• Data from content providers is stored in a

central database, not static HTML

CMS Overview - McMaster University

 What is our CMS?
• Ektron eMPower
• Requires a Cold Fusion application server
• Requires an Internet Explorer web plugin
for content editors
• Utilizes an extension plugin for
Dreamweaver

• Find more details at www.ektron.com

CMS Overview - McMaster University
 CMS Workflow
• Web administrator designs webpage
template
• Web administrator adds eMPower CMS
tags called “content blocks” to webpage
template using CMS
• Web administrator positions content
blocks in webpage using Dreamweaver
• Content provider logs in, updates content
block, and logs out
CMS Overview - McMaster University
 CMS DEMO
• Request a trial account

Demo - McMaster University

 CMS Licensing
• One license allows unlimited installations
per parent domain
ie. http://www.mcmaster.ca,
http://www.mcmaster.ca/cis,
http://www.mcmaster.ca/... all one license
• Limited number of URLs based on “vanity
licensing”
ie. http://faculty1.mcmaster.ca,
http://faculty2.mcmaster.ca

CMS Considerations - McMaster University

 Things to Consider
• Who is the administrator and/or how many
do we have?
• Current and desired URL of the website
• Web applications running on current
system, can we switch?
• Is the whole faculty/department moving?

CMS Considerations - McMaster University

 Making the Switch
• Request a demo site from
ways@mcmaster.ca or
webmaster@mcmaster.ca
• Attend administration training session
• Develop your site
• Migrate your site to the production server

CMS Considerations - McMaster University

 CMS Information
• Steve Way xt. 24170 – ways@mcmaster.ca
Web Services Analyst for McMaster
• Faculty/department Web administrator
• Ektron Homepage http://www.ektron.com
• McMaster CMS FAQ
http://www.mcmaster.ca/cis/cms
• DailyNews http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca

Information Resources - McMaster University