Multiple Projects - One Server

[font=Arial]We have to make a decision about having multiple project development teams in one TeamSite server OR have a TeamSite server for each project development team. Either way, the files coming out of development will get merged into the global platform files to make sure the new project development does not negatively impact the global installation.

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[font=Arial]We need to hear from others about how it worked/didn’t work with having multiple project teams on one TeamSite server. How did you handle the teams changing the same files, did you use governance, how did this option impact the creativity of the development teams, etc. What are the pros/cons for multiple development teams on one TeamSite server?

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[font=Arial]We need this information ASAP to help us make a decision in the next couple of days.

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Solaris 8 - TeamSite 6.5 SP2

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nipper

This is hard to digest down to a couple of bullet points, however you will find out that many companies put multiple projects on a single server.

As to how you keep dev teams separate, one common approach is multiple dev servers (I worked at a place that used 3 dev servers, 2 for true TS development, one for TS integration) for a single TS prod server.

View the old presentations from GearUp last year. I did one called Enterprise adoption of TeamSite - exactly on this topic. If you cannot find it email me.

HTH

Andy

publications_test.rptdesign

smg

This is hard to digest down to a couple of bullet points, however you will find out that many companies put multiple projects on a single server.

As to how you keep dev teams separate, one common approach is multiple dev servers (I worked at a place that used 3 dev servers, 2 for true TS development, one for TS integration) for a single TS prod server.

View the old presentations from GearUp last year. I did one called Enterprise adoption of TeamSite - exactly on this topic. If you cannot find it email me.

HTH

Andy

Hi Andy,
Thanks for your quick response. As you already know, Dev TS licenses are very expensive and hence we are really considering having 2 or 3 Dev teams working on different projects on one TS server for the obvious reason of cost saving plus save on buying multilpe servers and save on server maintenance. We have no experience in doing this and we are really wondering if doing so will have Dev teams stepping over each other's toes. Cost is one thing but having two Dev teams getting **** at each other is another. So what's your opinion and experience on this? If it is possible to do it by setting some basic rules among the teams with a little bit of inconvenience for each team, we may be OK with it, but we won't be OK if the inconveniences become such that it is not productive anymore.

Thanks a lot for your response in advance.

suj

There are ways to split common files like templating.cfg to avoid clashes when multiple teams are working together. See KB article https://support.interwoven.com/kb/kb_show_article2.asp?ArticleID=58163

I used to have a set up where, as an admin I will provide a copy of such common files to the development team, they modify it according to there needs offline and put it back in a development branch assigned to them. From there, an admin workflow is invoked which notifies the TS admin to approve and move the changes to the common dev server and later to prod environment. In short, one server, but different development branches.

nipper

There will be contention for about 10% of the changes. Those (like templating.cfg, iw.cfg, etc) need to be controlled by an admin. The good news is that those changes are the exception rather than the rule.

Remember, these are dev servers, so there will be instability. That happens. You can avoid some of it, but not all. GUIs will need to be rebuilt, iwreset -a will need to happen. Someone will break iw.cfg. Plan for it but hope it does not get too violent (or befriend the big guy in the group for protection) Smiley Very Happy

Most people put multiple projects on a single dev server. While it is better to have multiple dev server, it is also some serious cash.

Net net, is that you must put the proper procedures in place. Locations for custom files, restrict access to the common files (all on an admin or config branch). Do not allow unfettered access to iw-home (with root or admin privileges).

I have seen it get ugly when uncontrolled, but also have implemented multiple sites where this works well.

Final point, the procedures must be in place for a valid reason and with proper tools to automate processes. If this is ugly and painful to use, you will have serious issues.

Andy