Web Content Management

Vignette Story Server

Inso DynaBase

Proven Solution

Large diverse customer base with particularly large segment of financial services and newspapers. Best-known application used by high-volume sites, such as CNet.

Does not appear to be so widely deployed, and seems to be more often used for intranets

Reliable Design

Modular System – can work separate from database

Still small client base, but appears robust

Replication

No details available

Through replication, DynaBase allows for the separation of development and production content. Though not required for scalability, this feature allows sites to be replicated across geographical boundaries or for use in creating fault-tolerant installations at a single location.

Security features

Vignette is in compliance with industry standards - this is important as Story Server can be set up to record much personal information about site usage and purchases

Administrator sets access level for all users, which can be on a file, folder, web or system wide level. Only those with publisher rights can set an item to approved, which will mean that it can be displayed on the web.

Open Database architecture

Supports variety of databases, which must be purchased/installed separately

Has included Object Design object-oriented database which stores all content and versions

Scalable content architecture

Support for wide variety of platforms and integration with third-party products

DynaBase provides customers with a comprehensive approach to scalability. There are no limits to database size and no limits on the number of Web servers that can be concurrently published using the same content. DynaBase provides various architectures to meet a wide range of customer needs, including high-availability, load balancing, and transaction scalability.

Cache control

Proprietary cache-management system enables a performance comparable to that of a static web site.

Template caching and display considerations are inherent in the template creation process. During the creation of templates, developers are prompted to identify up to six types of templates. At the same time, the developer is also asked to determine whether or not caching is needed.

Story server is installed on two different servers: Development and Live servers. Templates can only be viewed internally on the development server. Once they are approved, templates are launched to the live server, where the public can view them.

Caching is an important part of the DynaBase spec. Cache settings may be made at a URL or request level and may include multiple versions of a page that can be based upon any of a large number of parameters. By default, all content is cached, but there is component-level control of caching, so that fast changing pages or those that contain personalized information can have the static elements cached, and the rest generated when needed.

Integration with authoring tools and other software

StoryServer uses it's own scripting language, TCL, but this can be edited with any of the popular development tools.

It is easy to set up each document type so then when it is checked out it is launched in the authoring tool of choice. A range of tools may be specified for each type.

Supports industry standards

Supports popular scripting languages, web servers, operating systems; support exchange of information (ICE protocol)

Requires using proprietary scripting/document classification to use templates

Support for latest technologies – XML, etc

Large number of XML features built in, and adaptable to wide range of third-part tools

Good XML handling, DHTML, etc. Object Design database is perfect for XML

Version Control

Version control is available at the project and workflow task level. Any user authorized to work on a record, file, or template can also version it while performing a task on that asset. A content owner can create versions of her own files, records, or templates at any time. A task owner can do so while performing a task on the specific file, record, or template.

DynaBase has a strict built-in version control, which means that no file can be checked out by more than one person at a time. A version history is kept making it easy to see who has worked on what and when, and to rollback to a previous version if necessary.

Workflow

The system provides user-defined workflows, proactive notification and audit trails for editorial control and tracking.

DynaBase now manages the create/edit/approve/release process of Web delivery using a simple and flexible workflow system. Combined with new access control capabilities, existing version control facilities and an enhanced edition management mechanism, DynaBase now provides e-Business teams with a comprehensive platform for managing the flow and staging of content between authors, designers, programmers and production teams

Template language

In order to create templates in story server a working knowledge of HTML, SQL, and TCL/Tk is recommended. HTML generally creates the page lay-out and design. SQL retrieves information from the database. TCL scripting is embedded in the HTML in order to call specific fields from the database and place the actual content.

TCL scripting is easily replaced by other languages such as Perl, JavaScript, VBScript and ASP.

Content components rather than static templates.

Ease of Use

Wizards are provided to help design workflow environments.

Integrated content management and application server

Software is quite complex, but training and help systems are good. People using the software for check in/checkout only will find this process simple. Administrators will have the higher learning curve of controlling the whole system. Developers will have to learn the specifics of creating document classes and using the scripting environment for specific tasks.

The Web Manager Client is an Explorer like interface, web accessible, where all elements and versions of the site can be viewed and checked in and out

Supports diverse content delivery formats

All existing web formats supported, including XML, CSS.

DynaBase can access and manage any type of content, including tables in relational databases, images formats, Dynamic HTML, and cascading stylesheets. Dynamic HTML, including JavaScript or VBScript code and accompanying tag attributes (onmouseover, onmouseout, etc.), can also be managed and served within DynaBase. In addition, these elements can easily be inserted on-the-fly -- eliminating the need to manually author dynamic HTML on thousands of pages. DynaBase provides full support for all forms of cascading stylesheets, CSS1, including external, internal, tag-based forms. Furthermore, Inso employees chair the W3C working group for XSL, the new version of CSS1 for use with XML documents.

Search capabilities

Some basic functionality built-in, and can be integrated with third-party tools such as Site Server

DynaBase uses Inso's industry-leading search and indexing technologies within the DynaBase Data Server. This technology provides Web developers and their end users with a fast and efficient way to access to any document stored in DynaBase. Through the DynaBase Scripting Language, API developers can build custom search and retrieval applications that fully use the indexing and data storage and retrieval capabilities of DynaBase.

Language Support

No details available

No details available

Automated Tools

Many tools included that allow non-technical users to generate information and manage the site.

Remote site management tools included, Report facilities and replication tools that can be set up to work automatically

Support for Interactivity and Personalization

Open Profile Services enable you to gather data about your web site visitors. The collected data per visitor is called a profile, and the gathering of the data is referred to as profiling.

You can use the profiles you've gathered to many ends: decision support, assessing the popularity of certain pages on your web site, etc. You can also use these profiles to dynamically tailor your web site to a visitor's preferences. The changing of your web site to meet a particular visitor's preferences and traits is called. StoryServer's personalization features are comprised by a set of commands and tools contained in the Business Center, the Production Center and the Template Developer.

Having separate editions of the same content is a cornerstone of DynaBase. This means that the actual page that is displayed to a user can be based an infinite variety of factors controlled by the developer. Examples would be sale pages that would be displayed between certain dates only, pages that would be displayed based on the type of viewing device and pages customized for individual users.

Script programming can control what is displayed to the client based on cookies, registration, URL requested, and a variety of other factors.

Implementation

Existing site is unchanged, and components, content and design can be implemented independently in a modular fashion.

Personalization components take time to build meaningful relationships with the data.

All site resources must be imported into DynaBase before the system can function, but documents remain in proprietary formats for use with existing tools.

Initial start-up overhead, as all of site must be imported, and many changes would need to be made to an existing site to take advantage of the templates and document classes. This could be done over a period of time, without affecting site performance.

Whole sites can be exported, but don’t know what this will do to script enabled pages.

Provided training

1 day introduction class and 5 day in-depth training - available in San Francisco

3 day class covers all basic features and allows for plenty of hands-on training

Product Cost

At least $100,000 for software license + costs to implement and maintain (a programmer/application specialist that knows TCL/tk is required)

$50,000 for software license, $200,000 for implementation, additional seats required