We are planning to produce a range of websites with DotNetNuke.
Our setting will be as follows:
1) We have developed one template which will be used for all future websites. This template is saved to be imported for other websites.
2) Development has taken place on a develop-server.
3) Now we will copy this installation to another server, as we're ready for production. This is the production-server.
4) We will work with a test-installation and a production-installation. Therefor there will be two installations on the production-server, one for testing, one for the real public website.

I have the following next steps in mind, but I don't know if they are the right way to do is. 
5) The test- and production-installations will be nothing more than two different copies of the development-server. (following the directions of HOW-TO-Move-a-DotNetNuke-installation)
6) On the development-server I will create a new website by importing the template, and altering and expanding it.
7) This website I will save as a new template as well.
8) Now I want to copy the template to the production-server. Is this possible? How?
9) I will import the template in the test-installation, and make it accessible by creating an alias for it. Our customer can test the website now.
10) If our customer approves the test-version, step 9 will also be executed for the production-installation. The alias created is the URL our customer wants its website to be located.

Is this the right way to do this?!
The reason we want to work with a development-, test- and production-installation is as follows:
- Development must take place at our own server. The test- and productionserver is not as easy accessible for us, so developing at the test-installation is not an option.
- We will work with a test- and production- installation because of the risk that existing websites will suffer from changes in the installation. If a new website needs changes in the DNN-installation, we want to test them as well. Testing on the development-server is not enough, as things can be different on the production-server. Therefor a test-installation is necessary.

Am I right in this production-plan?!
Please confirm, or give me advice!

A couple of things you should be aware of with templates ... they have not ability to install or update modules ... so that sort of thing will need to be managed and staged carefully ... changes to templates between module versions for example can cause templates to fail.

The other issue is the need to carefully select what modules your site will use - not all modules work as expected when it comes to templates.  For example last time i checked the media module exports the information regarding the appearance of the template - but NOT the actual contents - if i recall it holds a link to the file id of the file on the local portal - so if you were to export the template of a media module and import it back onto another hosting it wouldnt do what you were expecting and populate the module with the expected image etc.

Westa

Once a site is structurally sound - it does start to feel like this will be a deal of overkill.  And to be 
honest kinda of at odds with the whole concept of staging as such.

Most people with a cms adopt a staging process at page level as opposed to templateing an entire site.

And this is something you can work with your clients to understand.

Content of a given page is set to change ... that content is put up on the LIVE site and staged for approval.
The client can view this staged version by logging on with admin permissions.
But the rest of the world see the currently approved version.

The CE version of DNN has 1 tier staging built in - and if you are looking at more complex staging then you may want 
to consider a PE licence which gives granular control over the staging process  with multiple approvers and approval stages.

Something to think on.

Westa