In-Depth

Content Management Server: Functionality—for a Price

Content Management Server 2001 provides a structured approach to managing Internet and intranet site content.

• By Damir Bersinic
• 02/01/2002

Not New, But Better
MSCMS isn’t something Microsoft developed; it’s the Resolution content management product developed by NCompass Labs, which Microsoft purchased. This means that MSCMS isn’t version 1.0 but actually is in its fourth release, with all the features and enhancements that come from years of development. In Microsoft’s case, acquiring NCompass got it a product that works very well in implementing a workflow to create, approve, manage and stage Web content. It also means that strides have been made in integrating MSCMS with at least some of the other .NET server products, particularly Commerce Server 2000 and SharePoint Portal Server 2001. Microsoft provides whitepapers on the MSCMS Web site (www.microsoft.com/cmserver) to assist in integrating these products with MSCMS.

A Couple of Snags
The installation of MSCMS is well documented (and you need to follow the documentation here), but I did run across a number of snags. First was that the MSCMS Database Configuration Assistant (DCA) wasn’t able to enumerate a list of domains on the subnet, as the Windows Browser service on the MSCMS computer was a backup browser for its domain. The solution was to stop the Browser, although Microsoft’s Knowledge Base didn’t have any reference to this problem when dealing with MSCMS.

Second, the DCA was automatically invoked by the setup process, but the setup guide doesn’t deal with configuring a SQL Server until later, making the installation somewhat confusing. In the real world, I suspect that Microsoft Consulting Services or Certified Partners will be performing the install instead of the end-user organizations themselves. One other tip: Don’t skimp on the hardware, especially RAM.

After installing MSCMS, you create user roles and assign users from one or more NT domains (trust relationships not required) or LDAP servers (such as Active Directory or Site Server 3.0 Membership) to the roles. Based on the role, users can create templates (the look and feel of a Web site, or part thereof); create content (folders); add resources to or create resource galleries; or configure channels (the process of staging Web content). The flow is largely predetermined by the objects created and rights assigned to roles on them.

Figure 1. Assigning roles to users from one or more NT domains determines what they can do in creating, approving or managing Web sites and content. (Click image to view larger version.)

Now Here’s the Rub
I suspect that the biggest hurdle for implementing MSCMS in any organization will be its cost. Microsoft openly admits that, at $42,999 per CPU, this is the most expensive product it sells—and that’s before including the costs of SQL Server 2000, which is required by MSCMS, as well as Visual InterDev, training and other associated costs.

For organizations committed to .NET and needing a way to manage Web content, including content generated by Commerce Server 2000, SharePoint Portal Server and other .NET server, MSCMS is a great addition, but it doesn’t come cheap.