Content Management Systems
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The Index+ Content Management System
The Index+ Content Management System supports the writing, editing, interlinking and version control of text, images and multimedia elements for publishing to Websites or CD ROMs.
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The system is based on the Index+ Information Management system. This includes the Index+ Data Manager, the Index+ Web Gateway and the Content Development Client together with various system administration tools. Optional facilities include the Index+ Z-Server to allow access via the Z39.50 protocol and the Index+ Bridge. The Index+ Bridge enables the Index+ Content Management system to access third party databases as well as its own.
The system can be supplied to run on Sun/Solaris, Intel/Solaris, Intel/Linux (various version of Linux) and other Unix platforms as well as Microsoft Windows NT/2000. It is compatible with the Apache and IIS webservers and others. The system has been used to support users with Mac workstations via the Citrix Winframe.
The system is extremely scalable, it can operate on a stand-alone laptop for demonstration or training purposes as well as on the largest server sites. Persistent processes are used to minimise the time taken to service new user sessions. The number and life-span of these can be tuned to suit the performance of the webserver host and the load encountered.
Standards
System Simulation Ltd has a commitment to the use of open standards wherever appropriate. We have a track record of contributing to the creation of such standards, particularly in the areas of XML, Museum-related data exchange and Computer Graphics.
Templates & content design
The Index+ Content Management system comes complete with a "vanilla" set of templates for displaying and managing the content it is configured for.
Templates are developed using standard sections of HTML and Javascript code which can be combined and augmented to provide the desired result. This can be done by trained users and authorised third-parties. We can provide appropriate training where necessary.
Templates can be designed to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and to present using the same content as the conventional site. We can show examples of sites with high-accessibility pages generated from the same database records as the graphical versions.
Content can include material in proprietary formats as MS Word or Adobe Acrobat as well as open formats such as HTML and XML. Content can be held in the Index+ database itself or externally as files linked to metadata or other records. In either case it is delivered to the users browser by the Index+ Web Gateway.
Content administration
The Index+ system includes a comprehensive system of authorisation. Users belong to one or more groups to which privileges are assigned. Privileges include the ability to read and write data and also to execute specific commands or procedures.
There is a system administration tool which is used to assign users and privileges to groups.
A group may have control of individual pieces of content or entire portions of the site. Users can be assigned to such groups as necessary so that they can own the relevant content.
Content creation
The Index+ Content Management system includes the Content Development Client as well as web-based data entry facilities. The Content Development Client is an MS-Windows client application that runs over TCP/IP so it can be used anywhere there is a network connection. The Index+ database maintains a record of who modified specific records and when they did so.
Both the Content Development Client and the web-based data entry facilities provide forms for users to enter and edit information within a graphical user interface. As part of a delivered configuration, appropriate forms can be provided for each type of content.
Templates can display information from a single record or from multiple records. All records can be marked with a go-live date and an expiry date. Where a template displays information from multiple records, only records within the appropriate date range are displayed.
The content can be previewed once committed to the database.
Site navigation is maintained automatically as the content becomes available for viewing.
The Index+ Content Management system can be configured to support either a "published" site or a "live" site. A published site involves a publishing process which creates a new version of the site. The publication process will only publish content which is approved and can restructure the database for speedier read-only access. A live site is simply a copy of the development database. The database controls ensure that only appropriate (approved, in-date) content is accessible via the Web Gateway.
The system can include the Site Manager which allows multiple versions of the site to be viewed by appropriately authorised users. The Site Manager provides facilities for making a particular version live and to revert to a previous version.
Content approval
The Index+ Content Management system includes a comprehensive work-flow tracking facility which ensures that activities take place in the correct order. This can be configured to provide the desired facilities for approval and management tracking/reporting.
The management facilities include the ability to list content awaiting approval and needing modification.
Content deployment
The Index+ Content Management system can be configured to "publish" or copy to designated Internet and Intranet servers. Different content can therefore be made available on different Internet and Intranet sites.
Open format data held in other databases can be exported and imported into the Index+ Content Management system as part of the publication process. Alternatively the Index+ Bridge can be used to maintain live read-only links into the actual databases or copies of them.
Information identification
Content records can be configured with an agreed set of metadata fields. These can include life-cycle and management tags.
Content can be tagged with free-format or controlled keywords. The Index+ Content Management system includes comprehensive terminology management facilities for deploying controlled vocabularies for indexing and searching. Any approved set of keywords can be loaded and maintained. Multiple sets of keywords can be supported.
SSL provided the facilities that Essex County Council use to develop and deploy the keyword facilities for the SEAMLESS and Essex Life projects.
The terminology facilities include support for a place name thesaurus. Given appropriate data this enables an item to be tagged with the most specific geographical area identifier and then to be searched for using broader geographical area identifiers. This can be configured with user-supplied place name data or with a standard place name set such as the "Thesaurus of Geographical Names".
Conversion
We are currently developing a facility to load legacy web pages directly into the Index+ Content Management system. On loading various metadata will be added to allow the management of the legacy pages and to allow the Index+ Web Gateway to present the site in a transparent fashion. Such legacy pages can be indexed and linked to the new content originating in the Content Management system. As legacy pages are replaced by new content in the Content Management system they will be deleted or flagged as not for publication.
If there is a wish to migrate the content from legacy pages into the structured fields of the Content Management system, our experience is that this needs to be handled on a case by case basis using conversion tools that we would write or configure. We have considerable experience of carrying out such data migrations and have developed a large tool kit for doing so. Increasingly we aim to convert to XML to get the content into an open, structured format ready for processing with standard tools such as XSLT processors.
Site maps
The Index+ Content Management system can provide standard templates for maps of sections of the site which are then populated automatically from the data. It can also present indexes of page titles section by section.
Site searching
The Index+ Content Management system provides the full power of Index+ searching - nested boolean expressions, date, numeric and alphabetic ranges, field specifications and wildcards.
Typically the Content Development Client is configured with the full searching capability for trained users and the the public website is configured with a selection of simple and "advanced" search forms for public users. Searches can be constrained to specific areas of the site.
All textual content can be searched, not just metadata. Content held in proprietary formats such as Adobe Acrobat and MS Word can be loaded together with an open textual form to allow indexing. Standard utilities are available to do this.
Site directory
The Index+ system can generate an appropriate data structure and templates automatically from the XML schema for a site directory. Content held in such structures can be exchanged with compatible systems as XML documents.
Online forms and data transfer
The facility to design and implement online forms is available, to allow end users to request information, provide feedback etc. The Index+ Content Management system can import data submitted via these forms automatically via a range of mechanisms. Where appropriate a "mediation" or "approval" process can be incorporated so that data supplied by untrusted persons can be checked before it is made available on a public website.
User registration and personalisation
The Index+ Content Management system supports user registration. This includes a variety of mechanisms including cookies for identifying users at repeat visits. Our experience is that different customers have differing requirements for this important, outward-facing facility and we will agree the appropriate configuration with each client.
The user registration system supports passwords and password hints for helping a user recover a forgotten password.
Appropriate forms for entering and amending registration details and preferences can be configured.
Email notification
The user registration information can be used to configure an email notification facility as described.
Secure user areas
The Index+ Web Gateway provides secure authentication and authorisation facilities. These make use of the same facilities as those used for user registration for personalisation. However these user accounts are administered centrally and not self-registered.
Authorised users can have access to restricted content.
Discussion groups
Authorised users can have access to discussion group facilities. These can be moderated or un-moderated.
e-Commerce
We have integrated Index+ systems with a variety of financial systems. The current trend is to make use of XML to define the documents to be exchanged and Index+ has strong capabilities in this area.
Document management
Index+ can provide an integrated Document Management system or can integrate with third-party products.
Integrating with other systems
We have experience in integrating with other web-based applications. The Index+ Content Management system can provide appropriate navigation by treating other sites as "resources" and holding metadata records describing links into sites and specific pages within sites. The 24 Hour Museum allows museum site operators to register individual pages of their sites with the 24 Hour Museum database.
The Index+ Content Management system can accept Resource Description Framework metadata definitions in XML format from other third party systems.
The Index+ Bridge enables Index+ Web Gateway sites to act as clients
to other network-based data services, integrating such services seamlessly
with the content from the Index+ Content Management system. For instance
we have integrated the Visual Arts Data Service (an Index+ site) with
a Content Based Image Retrieval service operated by Newcastle University
to allow them to retrieve images based on similarity.
The Index+ Content Management system can serve data to clients other than
web browsers. It currently supports XML and and Z39.50 services.
Sample applications
FoodScienceCentral - International Food Information Service (IFIS)
Food Science Central is a gateway to free and subscription based information relating to the world of food science, food technology and food-related human nutrition. SSL has configured the Index+ Content Management System and e-commerce enabled website for FoodScienceCentral. It provides news and bulletins from the sector, email custom alerts and public and specialist access to over 30 years worth of information in the form of articles, FSTA abstracts and papers. The site is updated regularly.
www.foodsciencecentral.com
Sense of Place South East (SoPSE consortium - Hampshire County Council Libraries Service)
SSL has supplied an Index+ Content Management System and website for the Sense of Place South East (SoPSE) project. This comprises the web portal and its microsites currently including ‘Greenham - a common inheritance’, ‘Hantsphere’, ‘Slough History online’, ‘The Huntley & Palmers Collection’ and ‘Thames Pilot’. Illumina delivered the interactive designs for the website. Each microsite delivers fully searchable images and information from libraries, museums, archives, local papers and a range of organizations enhanced with narrative stories. SoPSE consortium includes county council and locan authority organisations and is funded by NOF.
www.sopse.org.uk
Thames Pilot - Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
SSL is currently developing new interactive functionality for ThamesPilot which is also accessed through SoPSE. This project is a partnership of museums and archives along the river Thames with the aim of providing interactive web access to resources from their collections.
www.thamespilot.org.uk
Local Studies Content Management System and ‘Etched on Devon’s memory’ website - Devon County Council
SSL has developed an integrated Index+ Collections Management and Content Management system for the Local Studies Service of Devon Library and Information Services. The system enables effective management of both Local Studies holdings and the content of the ‘Etched on Devon's Memory’ project. This project is supported by the New Opportunities Fund to digitise historic content and make these available to the public via the web.
www.devon.gov.uk/library/locstudy/etched.html
Museum Documentation Association - AdviceNet portal
SSL has configured an Index+ Content Management System and web portal ‘AdviceNet’, for the Museum Documentation Association (mda). AdviceNet is the first point of call for anybody with a question about the care of a collection. Information is provided via edited content, collected data and links to external resources. AdviceNet benefits all those working with collections, and in turn their national and international publics, by providing easy access to quality assured resources, advice and support on collections management and use.
www.mda.org.uk/
Museums Association - MA website
SSL has developed the content management system and website for the Museums Association (MA). The Index+ Content Management System enables MA staff to create, edit, link and manage all content and update the website weekly. The website is a powerful tool furthering the Association’s programme of information delivery to the sector with news, events and conferences, issues of best practice such as ethics, commercial opportunities and career development. It includes current articles from Museum Journal and an archive of articles from Museum Practice.
www.museumsassociation.org
