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Joined: 10/27/2006
Posts: 22
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Thanks Mitchel. There is a lot of helpful info in the post on your site. In particular, you talk about how to update modules you have written by using:
1. strict versioning
2. create SQL Data Providers for each individual database change you do.
3. build .dnn manifests for all modules
But it may be too advanced for me at my current stage.
Im not exactly sure what items 2 and 3 mean, hopefully they will become evident when I eventually work on my first dnn module. Ive got 3 or 4 books on SQL here. I just checked, The only one that mentions custom data providers says "thankfully we wont be covering that in this book".
For starters I have a module called authintegrator that allows me to run ordinary ASP aps and have them authenticated by DNN. Ive edited the skin I will be using and turned it into a master page, so I can jump out to a similar looking ASP ap and then back into DNN. I also intend to cheat and use something called open-smart-module, which allows you to plug a web user control into it to deploy a simple module into DNN. I might also buy X-Mod, now that you can connect user-controls to it... the more I find out about DNN modules, the more I tend to think Ill stick with my cheating ways... shelling out to ASP.Net aps and using third party modules, keeping important data in my own simple tables.
Im guess-timating that your advice mostly kicks in around "level 4" below (am I correct?):
* Level 1:
Suppose you have a site with no user data stored, except the basic login info. Its a site withjust html modules and some installed third party modules. Suppose all you are doing is expanding the site, adding more html to the existing html modules, adding new modules, moving modules around, and changing the skin?
* Level 2:
Suppose, now, that you have a site with lots of user data in 3rd party modules. Lets say, for example you have a couple instances of X-Mod, and a gallery module (thats flat files and db files). And you want to do the same thing, move modules around, edit a skin.
* Level 3:
Then there is the case where you have created your own module(s). But they dont store any permanent user data in them, except that they read existing DNN tables.
* Level 4:
You have your own constructed module(s) that store user data in a totally separate table, using a duplicate of the userID.
* Level 5:
In addition to everything else, you have written your own module(s) and are keeping data both in DNN's tables and external tables.
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Joined: 10/27/2006
Posts: 22
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Ive given serious thought to trying PowerDNN as part of my strategy. While I obviously would not want to bother them with frequent updates, I do understand that they manually deploy for you. I chatted online with them and they seemed to suggest that if I wanted a separate development environment, I should have two installs/databases with them, so that both would be onlne (and I guess much easier for them to move from one environment to another).
Their plan for 2 installs is $50 per month. Thats really at the limit of what I would be willing to pay for a site that has no users now and, if it ever makes any money, wouldnt do so for years. I would just be willing to pay that.
But then the problem is that I need at least one other DB to run ASP aps. I can squeeze them all into one db, but I have to have at least one, and their next plan up is $100/month!
Thats $1200 /yr to host a hobby, that if I were using straight ASP, I could surely host on a good provider for well under $300/yr. If it were PHP and mysql, we would be talking under $150/yr for similar service.
But, anyway, $100/mo is just too much for me now.
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Joined: 6/12/2007
Posts: 37
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I think you and I had similar conversations with them. I ended up doing the $20 plan figuring I can upgrade if need be. I have another asp .net site at a different host.
I'm approaching the DNN learning curve thusly: 1. I need to learn how to use it as a web user without modifying code. 2. I'd like to follow some tutorials on creating my own modules. 3. Only then will I feel comfortable looking under the hood and volunteering to help with the core.
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Joined: 10/27/2006
Posts: 22
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Whoa Tina!
Help with the core ???
I havent yet seen any advice on how to update a page with just HTML modules on it that isnt basically, moving around stuff on the live site, while people are on it... or else shutting it down and rushing like heck.
For me, at this point, even thinking about helping with the core is like a 5 year old asking to help his big brother drive the car. Im just trying to figure out how to ride in the car without a child restraint.
Seems that anyone can ride DNN with a child restraint, which is asking a site to install it, adding a skin, and then updating a few modules in place by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner and adding text.
Now, I want to know how to manage a site with user's data stored on the site and Im trying to make changes, without losing that data.... Im not even sure Im actually going to create my own modules. Ive got auth-integrator to shell out to ASP sites, and Ive got open-smart-module, to allow me to add ASP.Net user controls as modules, and I might get X-Mod... all to avoid creating my own modules.
But even "cheating" like that, Im still trying to plan ahead how to do updates to a live site.
If I help DNN project, it will be by setting up some kind of Wiki, or compiling help resources, but
Changing the core?.... not for me... not in this lifetime.
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miamiray wrote
Ive given serious thought to trying PowerDNN as part of my strategy. While I obviously would not want to bother them with frequent updates, I do understand that they manually deploy for you. I chatted online with them and they seemed to suggest that if I wanted a separate development environment, I should have two installs/databases with them, so that both would be onlne (and I guess much easier for them to move from one environment to another).
Their plan for 2 installs is $50 per month. Thats really at the limit of what I would be willing to pay for a site that has no users now and, if it ever makes any money, wouldnt do so for years. I would just be willing to pay that.
But then the problem is that I need at least one other DB to run ASP aps. I can squeeze them all into one db, but I have to have at least one, and their next plan up is $100/month!
Thats $1200 /yr to host a hobby, that if I were using straight ASP, I could surely host on a good provider for well under $300/yr. If it were PHP and mysql, we would be talking under $150/yr for similar service.
But, anyway, $100/mo is just too much for me now.
If cost is a big concern of yours, you might look at learning more about how to install and upgrade DNN on your own. Don't get me wrong PowerDNN is a great service, but as you point out they are a bit pricey, but they have great service if you are not comfortable with installs upgrades etc.
I personally host on 3Essentials and I am currently running 4 different DNN installs (My primary one and 3 testing ones) as well as 3 standard ASP.NET websites, and 3 parent portals to my primary DNN install and I get it all for $13.95 a month.
10 Domains
10 SQL Server database
10 Gb Storage
100 Gb Transfer
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