The foundation of content server begins with a completely web-based repository where all content and its associated metadata is stored for management, reuse, and access. CarolinaContent Web site layout files, images, style sheets, data files, and documents are all considered content and are centrally stored within the content server.

Review the About Content Server documentation to learn more.

User Roles

Four of the user roles defined in the CarolinaContent system are Contributors, Managers, Developers, and Administrators.

Contributor

Contributors are site users that have been given access to view, create, edit, and delete Web site content. Most users in the CarolinaContent system are Contributors. They are responsible for managing and maintaining the web content for their group.

Manager

The Manager role is enabled when workflow is in place. Managers review content submitted by Contributors. They are responsible for approving content before the changes can appear on the live site.

Developer

This group can build and maintain the web site design, structure, and navigation. They can choose which editing tools will be available for the Contributors.

Administrator

A small group of individuals with access to the administration areas of CarolinaContent. They can choose which access levels will be given to Developers, Managers, and Contributors.

CarolinaContent Environments

CarolinaContent Web sites run on servers that are provided and maintained by ITS. These servers provide environments for storing large quantities of content and metadata, as well as areas where users can contribute, develop, and view Web sites.

Consumption Environment

Visitors that navigate to CarolinaContent Web sites in a Web browser view the content, layouts, and documents in a Consumption Environment. This server location is where the public facing sites exist.

Contribution Environment

Contributors to the CarolinaContent system log into their Web sites at a unique url which grants them access to the contribution servers. Any changes to content in this environment are pushed to the consumption server where site visitors can view the content on the public facing site.

How CarolinaContent works for Contributors (View larger image)

Development Environment

New features and functionality are added to CarolinaContent Web sites within a development environment. These updates are tested and then pushed to the consumption server during a regular release schedule. This process is similar to an application development environment and ensures any upgrades are fully functional before they go live.

AFS File Space and CarolinaContent

Most applications that currently exist within the AFS file space will not be recreated in the CarolinaContent environment. These will not be moved, but many of the urls will need to change in order to enable your CarolinaContent Web site to link to your existing application. In the case of the ITS Web sites, applications that did not migrate into CarolinaContent exist at http://its2.unc.edu/your_application_file_path.

To learn more about how your site urls may change in the CarolinaContent system, contact Jeremy Davis for more information.

Tools for Contributing Content

Depending on how the site developers created the Web site, site contributors can update their Web site content with the web-based form and native document contribution.

Web-Based Form Contribution

Contributors can navigate to the url of their contribution environment, press the key command to log into contribution mode (CTRL + SHIFT + F5), and click on the Edit Region Content icon to enter contribution mode. The contributor will be able to use the available editing tools to add and update the content. When they hit Save, their changes are submitted to the consumption environment where they are viewable by site visitors.

To learn more about web-based form contribution, review Editing Content.

Screenshot of Web-based form contribution.

Native Document Contribution

This method is similar to web-based form contribution except when contributors login and click on the Edit icon, the native document that contains the content launches its native application. For example, if the web developer builds the site to display Microsoft Word documents as the web page content, when contributors click the edit icon, Word launches and contributors can make the edits directly in Word. When they hit Save, the file is automatically resubmitted to the content server and displayed as Web page content.

To learn more about native document contribution, review Editing Content.

Screenshot of native document contribution.

Content Server Configuration for the Web-Based Form

In order for contributors to edit their content with the web-based editor, a configuration must be set within the content server. View the instructions on how to make this configuration update.

Installing the Check Out and Open ActiveX Control

Some users have reported trouble when attempting to edit Help documents when using Internet Explorer. In order to do so, IE requires an ActiveX control be installed. View the instructions on how to install this ActiveX control.

Metadata Model

The CarolinaContent server environment is based on the mass storage of documents and content that can be reused across multiple Web sites. Metadata about each piece of content within the system is what enables Contributors to find, categorize, view, and edit content.

Here is an example of the metadata for the Encyclopedia of North Carolina:

Content	Example of Metadata Categories	Metadata Values
	Author	William S. Powell
	Title	Encyclopedia of North Carolina
	Publisher	The University of North Carolina Press
	Language	English
	Number of Pages	1328
	Product Dimensions	11.2 x 9 x 2.7 inches

Metadata within CarolinaContent is used for a variety of purposes. Metadata can trigger workflow, allow similarly categorized pieces of content to be pulled into a web page, provide security for privileged content, and enable users to find, display, and share specific pieces of content.

Example metadata for content in the CarolinaContent system:

Type
Title
Author
Security Group
Account
Revision
Release Date
Content ID
Comments

Metadata fields on a content check-in form (Partial screenshot).

The metadata model that has been setup for CarolinaContent has been established by ITS in conjunction with Oracle UCM Specialists to ensure it is flexible enough to be used across the campus community. Site contributors and developers will be responsible for entering the metadata for each new piece of content that they create in the system. Correctly applying metadata takes advantage of the most powerful use of the Oracle UCM and CarolinaContent which is managing and sharing content across many Web sites.

To learn more about the metadata model setup for CarolinaContent, review the metadata documentation.

Role-based Security

CarolinaContent makes use of a role-based security model which assigns each unit on campus a Security Group. Within the Security Groups, Accounts are assigned to specific departments and groups of users. Roles are assigned to users within the Accounts which grant access to read, write, delete, and administer content.

Review the documentation on how to password protect Web pages with Security Groups.

Workflows

Workflow is a feature within CarolinaContent that enables changes made by a contributor to be approved by another contributor or site manager before they can be published on the live site. This feature provides a quality control mechanism for your Web sites and ensures updates are made within a timely manner.

Sample Workflow Diagram

Currently workflow is not enabled on the CarolinaContent Web sites, but it can be customized and enabled for your group. Contact Jeremy Davis for more information on enabling workflow on your CarolinaContent Web site.

Information Technology Services at UNC-Chapel Hill

CarolinaContent

Content Server Overview

Content Server Introduction