Trolling for thoughts on multiple C5 installs -vs- centralized install
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Hey there,
Just spending a sunny Saturday afternoon thinking about the joys and wonders of Concrete5 and got to the topic of multiple websites (distinct, different sites). What are the current/best-practice thoughts in regard to the Pros/Cons involved with having separate, individual installations of C5 for each site -vs- using the centralized approach (http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/how-tos/developers/setting-u... )?
As I see it, the relative pros/cons for each are:
SEPARATE INSTALLS:
Pros:
- any glitches/problems only affect one site, not all of them
- no issues/concerns about cross-site security/privacy
Cons:
- The more sites you have, the more effort involved in updating them
- Server space usage from duplicating all the core files for each site
- DB backups take more time/effort... must do one for each install
CENTRALIZED INSTALL:
Pros:
- less server space required by only a single core install
- only one "core" to be upgraded... saves time (?)
- backups are easier... one database
Cons:
- have a glitch/problem with your install? ALL of your sites are now down
- possible cross-site security/privacy issues (?)
- upgrade is slightly more complicated
What are your thoughts? Anyone out there doing a lot of either approach and have insights on your experience(s)? Love to hear 'em!
Thanks!
- John
Just spending a sunny Saturday afternoon thinking about the joys and wonders of Concrete5 and got to the topic of multiple websites (distinct, different sites). What are the current/best-practice thoughts in regard to the Pros/Cons involved with having separate, individual installations of C5 for each site -vs- using the centralized approach (http://www.concrete5.org/documentation/how-tos/developers/setting-u... )?
As I see it, the relative pros/cons for each are:
SEPARATE INSTALLS:
Pros:
- any glitches/problems only affect one site, not all of them
- no issues/concerns about cross-site security/privacy
Cons:
- The more sites you have, the more effort involved in updating them
- Server space usage from duplicating all the core files for each site
- DB backups take more time/effort... must do one for each install
CENTRALIZED INSTALL:
Pros:
- less server space required by only a single core install
- only one "core" to be upgraded... saves time (?)
- backups are easier... one database
Cons:
- have a glitch/problem with your install? ALL of your sites are now down
- possible cross-site security/privacy issues (?)
- upgrade is slightly more complicated
What are your thoughts? Anyone out there doing a lot of either approach and have insights on your experience(s)? Love to hear 'em!
Thanks!
- John
Mnkras,
Thanks... you're right. I don't fully understand the centralized install. Didn't realize that each site would still have its own DB, etc. I see how that alleviates the issues of cross-site security/privacy... while simplifying upgrades.
Would still be a little concerned that when updating/upgrading the core of a centralized setup, you run the risk that any "gotchas" now take down all sites using the core. Obviously, the right precautions need to be taken so that downtime is minimized... but I'd still see this as at least a slight risk.
How many people are utilizing the centralized install approach... and anyone have input on it? What you like/don't like, etc?
Thanks... you're right. I don't fully understand the centralized install. Didn't realize that each site would still have its own DB, etc. I see how that alleviates the issues of cross-site security/privacy... while simplifying upgrades.
Would still be a little concerned that when updating/upgrading the core of a centralized setup, you run the risk that any "gotchas" now take down all sites using the core. Obviously, the right precautions need to be taken so that downtime is minimized... but I'd still see this as at least a slight risk.
How many people are utilizing the centralized install approach... and anyone have input on it? What you like/don't like, etc?
Well, what I do is make a directory with each version of c5 (not each site), and I make symlinks on each install to the particular version,
so /home/someguy/public_html has a sym link called concrete to:
/share/concrete5/5.4.2.2/ (this directory is totally optional) so that core is never upgraded, when I want to upgrade a site, I just change the symlink to the new version (for that site) and run the upgrade script.
that way, you arn't forced to upgrade all the sites at once.
Mike
so /home/someguy/public_html has a sym link called concrete to:
/share/concrete5/5.4.2.2/ (this directory is totally optional) so that core is never upgraded, when I want to upgrade a site, I just change the symlink to the new version (for that site) and run the upgrade script.
that way, you arn't forced to upgrade all the sites at once.
Mike
Mike,
I see... so you can easily switch each site over to a new install, one at a time... by having separate sub-folders of the core for each released version. That's pretty sweet! Migrate a site to the new version... and if there's a problem you can reset it back down until you figure out what the culprit was. AWESOME!
Concrete5 just gets better and better... the more I learn about it! :)
Thanks, again!
- John
I see... so you can easily switch each site over to a new install, one at a time... by having separate sub-folders of the core for each released version. That's pretty sweet! Migrate a site to the new version... and if there's a problem you can reset it back down until you figure out what the culprit was. AWESOME!
Concrete5 just gets better and better... the more I learn about it! :)
Thanks, again!
- John
just don't forget to backup the database before upgrading
LOL! Oh yeah. Right. THAT would be a good thing NOT to forget. ;)
CENTRALIZED INSTALL:
Pros:
- less server space required by only a single core install - yes
- only one "core" to be upgraded... saves time (?) -yes
- backups are easier... one database -no, each site has its own database, ONLY the core files are shared
+ Bugfixes/hacks you can apply to all sites
Cons:
- have a glitch/problem with your install? ALL of your sites are now down - No Only the cire files are shared, so only if there is an issue in c5 would it affect all sites.
- possible cross-site security/privacy issues (?) - no
- upgrade is slightly more complicated -no