http://www.dnncassini.com


I've been fortunate to gain the active technical support of the makers of the Cassini Web Server (UltiDev LLC) as well as the designers of the popular BackupScript module for DotNetNuke (Evotiva) to help me create an instructional site at http://www.dnncassini.com .

The site, www.dnncassini.com, is a free site and hopes to offer attractive, human-readable sets of instruction -- with active support in forums, too -- explaining how to use the combination of DotNetNuke, Cassini Web Server, and BackupScript module for making your live, functional hosted DNN site appear on your local machine. This also allows you to make "offline" changes to the "local" site -- and then upload it into the real, functional website later. No more fiddling while online with a live site! Not to mention the security blanket comfort of having a local copy of your database, all modules, all portal files, your full hosted DNN installation root, everything (the whole banana) -- to fiddle with and learn from in your local environment. This instructional set is geared towards the new learner, as I myself fit into this category, having been making websites and using DNN for only 8 months now. This DNN adventure has been very successful so I hope to share knowledge to many.

My cohorts at UltiDev and Cassini have worked hard alongside me to hammer out a set of instructions. So far, I have used these instructions to successfully make a complete local, fully functional backup, for two of my DNN 4.0.2 websites. (*Note: This even worked successfully on the very restrictive ISP GoDaddy with their shared hosting *auto-install* from their Value Apps one-click-to-install package!)

Now I'm ready for a limited sharing of this set of instructions. I'm looking for volunteers who *have an operational DNN 4.0.x site* and would like to backup their site locally. Please go to http://www.dnncassini.com (or post here, of course) if you have any questions or would like to be on that list. Please note: Although the dnncassini.com website will help anyone, this call for volunteers isn't a first-come-first-serve basis. We need specific DNN frameworks we are looking for to ace our set of instructions.

Thanks,
Travis

We do hope for and plan to support the latest versions. Right now, I feel like my set of instructions are very good for 4.0.x.

Evotiva have been kind enough to give me a universal license to practice with (using their BackupScript 2.0.4 module) so that I can also hammer out instructions for DNN 4.3.x .

I do not own or operate any DNN 4.3.x websites, though. So I am looking for volunteers who would like to see a local backup/restore procedure in place for their DNN website -- anyone with a DNN 4 website. My license allows me to practice using even someone else's website.

Thanks,
Travis

greenflash,

You are welcome to become the first volunteer for the DNNcassini.com project.

The goal of course is to provide you with the confidence that you can make a completely functional backup of your existing functional DNN website, on your local PC -- without "reinventing the wheel". After we are successful you can purchase a license from Evotiva to continue to backup and restore, from-and-to your live portal connected to this home backup, for as long as your site is in existence. Evotiva have incredible tech support (actually, it's unbelievably good) but as you know the goal here is to spread knowledge for everyone who comes after you. In addition, you won't have to go through the long learning process and experimentation to build a backup your site for the first time. It took several days of hard work to design the basic framework, so that is already behind us!

You are correct in that the function requires me to have temporary administrative rights on your DNN portal. I will simply install the module on your site, which will allow me to commence a backup process tied to my license. I will practice and learn and get everything right. Along the way your participation will be helping me to improve my set of instructions, potentially helping hundreds of others in the future. When I am finished -- and have a completely successful and functional local copy of your website operating on my machine -- I will uninstall the module from your site. Then I will send you a full step-by-step list of instructions on how to do the same yourself, on your machine. The license from Evotiva costs $48.80. All other applications required are open source and free.

By the way, all the previous tests were conducted on GoDaddy's fairly restrictive shared hosting access, so that is a bonus for us in this case. If you want to see a fully functional 4.0.2 portal that I have backed up completely and functionally on my local machine, you can see it here: bringhome172nd.org .

Thanks and let me know if you have any questions before we start anything. We can go as slow as you like.

Thanks,
Travis