Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to Rails
- How complicated is moving to the Rails technology?
- Before the Rails Connector can be used, all layouts and custom
functionality (such as PHP or Java code, portlets) need to be rewritten. The
expenditure for this depends on the complexity of your system.
The content, on the other hand, can be taken over completely. In
particular, editors can continue to use the system for creating content while
the layouts and the functionality are adapted to Rails behind the scenes. As
soon as the latter has been completed, the current version of the content can
be easily delivered using the new Rails server.
- Do I require a Template Engine if I use the Rails Connector?
- No, the Template Engine can no longer be used in a sensible way.
- Do I require Trifork or any other Java application server if I use the
Rails Connector?
- Not on the live server, but still on the editorial system since the GUI is
implemented in Java and requires the Trifork or any other comparable
application server to run.
- Is Java still supported in general?
- Yes, the Java Portal Manager is still expressedly supported. However, we
recommend that new customers work with Rails and not with Java.
- Can we continue to use our portlets?
- If you wish to run your live server with Rails and the Rails Connector,
portlets currently cannot be used.
- Can we work both with Rails technology and Java?
- You can – even if this should rarely be necessary –
deliver the content of two Fiona instances using different technologies.
However, it is not possible to combine these two technologies in one CMS
instance.
When changing over to Rails, your editorial system and your website can
stay in operation because the Rails application can be developed in
parallel to running the existing (classic) Fiona system. During
development, live data can be used for testing the rails application which
then, finally, completely replaces the classic live system.
- Do we still require Apache web server for delivering the web pages?
- Yes. Apache web server ensures that all incoming HTTP requests are properly redirected.
Apache web server forwards these requests to one or more Mongrel servers
(possibly located on different machines). Mongrel is for your Rails
application what Trifork is for Java applications. It processes requests and
returns the result via the Apache server.
- Which databases are supported in conjunction with the Rails Connector?
- Currently, only MySQL databases are supported.
- What is the role of the Search Server in conjunction with the Rails Connector?
- The Rails Connector supports the use of the Search Server. Therefore,
the latter can be installed and operated as usual.
- Do I require a version control system for my Rails project? If so, which one is recommended?
- Rails projects cannot be handled professionally without a version
control system. Like numerous other companies, we use Git.
Subversion is another often-used
VCS.
- Where can I find information about Ruby on Rails?
- The home page of Ruby on Rails is
http://www.rubyonrails.org/.