alfrescowcm

WCM replacement in alfresco 5.0


Currently we are using alfresco version 4.xx and we want to upgrade it to alfresco 5.0.

I have seen different tools like Web quick start, Crafter but which will be the best for WCM replacement.

Is there any other alternative to replace WCM in alfresco 5.0?


Solution

  • I have worked with WCMQS (Quick Start) with Alfresco 4.2, so my experience is not covering Alfresco 5.x.

    Correct me if I am wrong, if you talk about replacing the WCM, it means you are interested in building a static web site.

    Altough wcmqs is a good product, I found it not so easy to customize, with also few (small) bugs in it. Also any change in the presentation layer required a redeploy of the wcmqs webapp. It seems also there's no support, or more important an active user base, for the framework on which it is based: Spring Surf.

    So in the end I have temporarily abandoned the wcmqs app itself. I have kept the ws: model (collection, approval workflow etc...) and built some custom actions on top of it which render the html file, and the whole site is then transferred by means of FTR (File transfer receiver), I have just mimic the old WCM mechanism, which is a thing an Alfresco developer can easily do.

    UPDATE

    Following your requirement, a file or a group of files to be served to the web, based on my experience you have two options that avoid to install the WCMQS module:

    1) If the load on the server is not too high, small file size and few users in need of the dumped files:

    place your files on a specific Alfresco folder, then you can use the built in CMIS webscripts (or write your own) for listing and serving the document/node to the external. Then you have two options, change your client url to use the Alfresco webscripts, or make your remote web server to act as a proxy/redirect to Alfresco.

    Here is a link pointing to Alfresco webscripts Wiki, starting from there you can build your own, or list and use a built-in one. Web Scripts. Be careful, you probably need to play a bit with authentication.

    2) If the load on the server is high, big file size or many users in need of the dumped files:

    Use any of the built-in approval Alfresco workflow, and have the approved content being published on a specific Alfresco folder. Then install and configure FTR to publish filed from Alfresco to remote file system.