Drupal Introduction Meeting notes

Added by Anne-Marie Deitering, last edited by Anne-Marie Deitering on May 16, 2007  (view change)

University Advancement
Todd Simmons
David Barner
Carol Andrews
3 student web developers

Central Web Services
Herb Vloedman
etc.

Introduction

http://oregonstate.edu/webprojects/drupal/

CWS - here to support those who need help with web services

Concept behind this particular CMS.

  • based on Drupal
  • make it available to sites hosted by CWS as simply as possible
  • an opt-in service, not pushed onto any particular website or part of the website

What are CMS?

  • we want to talk about it as a set of tools designed to allow for non-technical authoring of webpages
    • non-technical adding new sections to the website
    • people who don't know how to write HTML to be able to quickly manage web content
  • lets the people closest to the content actually manage that web content
  • allows for easier updating & more accurate websites

that's the first thing we're concerned with

Also - CMS allows for reviewing - two sets of eyes on all content.
Also - CMS allows for versioning. Keeps that history for you and lets you revert.

Also - gives you access to a development community here and around the world

Security

CWS plans to manage the Drupal installations centrally, making sure patches and updates are installed. CWS can also add functions specific to OSU b/c open source. For example, CWS created a queuing system for Drupal already.

CWS has spent about 4 months on Drupal already to get the infrastructure in place.

CWS evaluated a lot of different products, both open source and proprietary before deciding on Drupal as the best tool for the job.

Support services

Drupal documentation website

Drupal listserv

Training sessions - hands on

Community meetings - less formal and less structured

Lots of ways you can work with CWS with Drupal

  • CWS can redesign your site and convert it to Drupal
  • CWS will help you convert an existing site to Drupal
  • CWS will continue working with marketing/ University Advancement, etc. for redesigning projects
  • CWS can create you a development site in Drupal, then you can migrate that over to your live site (no cost for that)

Q & A

Cost

  • no cost change for hosting a Drupal site on CWS server
  • if CWS does actual development work, design, etc. is where costs would be involved

What's under the hood?

  • database driven.
  • have a module in development now to handle caching for performance and reliability

Can we still use our CSS?

  • create a Drupal theme, using a php template and you can still use your CSS and everything
  • Drupal creates some DIVs and you would just create some styles for those DIVs

What about accessibility?

  • screenreaders can read the rendered pages, yes

Drupal doesn't have to be controlling all parts of your website. If you have some pieces and processes (forms, etc) elsewhere, that stuff can stay. It's not an all or nothing type of thing. If you have the programming skills, etc. you can have hybrid sites.

What do the URL's look like

  • can be crazy, but we have the clean URL option

Using our current CMS (Webtroll?) isn't any fun. Will Drupal be fun?

  • that depends on what your department decides.
  • some might lock down everything fun so that everything is done in exactly the same way. Others might allow for more creativity. It's all by department.
  • Drupal is a building-block system. Different modules = different blocks. Can add new modules all the time.
  • also remember it's not a all or nothing system

Will there be an OSU template?

  • there are a number of OSU themes already built
  • also a community-driven thing, so if you build a cool theme you can share it

Can you do scripting?

  • yes - can insert php or js into the pages w/i the editor
  • whether you're allowed to do that, though, is up to your department

Can you restrict to certain audiences?

  • sections of the site can be restricted
  • Drupal does use SSO for authentication. Anyone w/ an ONID can be added to the site and edit at different levels
  • can restrict viewers as well

Talk about the database?

  • MySQL 5
  • mirroring option doesn't do a lot for Drupal b/c of it's interactivity. What would work better is caching, which gives the ability to render pages w/o the database.
  • infrastructure behind the MySQL 5 database is pretty good. Have only had 1 hiccup with it.
  • caching module has 2 levels - a permanent cache and a temporary cache with time limits on what is kept in there.

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