- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
The Integrated Web Platform, or IWP, project will transform UC ANR's digital experience for internal website editors and the people who visit our websites.
In the coming months, UC ANR will transition its website from the homegrown Site Builder to Drupal – a more stable, flexible, and powerful CMS that will make our content more discoverable to the communities we serve. This much-needed change will bring significant improvements in how we manage and present web content, as well as optimizing our content for search engines.
There have been challenges with transitioning from Site Builder and the blog system in the past, and that is why we are now working with Kanopi, a new vendor that has experience joining projects and guiding them to launch. The IWP Core Team is leveraging the work of previous UC ANR committees and vendors (including UC Davis IET) who provided feedback, initial planning efforts and prototypes.
Site Builder and the current blog system will be retired and replaced with Drupal. As part of this change, UC ANR will have a whole new navigation and look and feel for our web editors and site visitors. Drupal is expected to go live in December 2024. If the launch date changes, the IWP team will make an announcement.
UC ANR employees should begin cleaning up Site Builder now. See https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance for ways to help.
Once Drupal is live, you will no longer be able to create new sites on Site Builder. During the transition, Site Builder and Blog content will continue to be available.
For website editors who have questions, Stephen Dampier is offering office hours 3-4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Zoom. Feel free to drop in at https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97937501529?pwd=Zm1PaGRuc0htcnVZbmZQaGcya3oxQT09. You may also email questions and comments about the IWP to iwp@ucanr.edu.
To learn more about the upcoming changes, visit https://it.ucanr.edu/IWP and be sure to explore the FAQs page.
Dear Colleagues:
This message provides essential information on the implementation of UC ANR's new website using the Drupal Content Management System, focusing on migration and cleanup of Site Builder and Blog sites.
This is a follow-up to the IWP 101 ANR Update that went out on June 27, 2024.
Migration to Integrated Web Platform (IWP)
Migration means that content will be exported from Site Builder and become available in Drupal. The goal is to migrate existing, relevant content to Drupal while avoiding migration of irrelevant, outdated, duplicate, and unused content, images, and files. Site Builder editors should complete the Site Builder and Blogs Cleanup actions provided in the last section below.
The list below provides information on what will be migrated. The migration is estimated to start in November 2024 with a targeted go-live in December 2024. If these dates change, we will communicate it broadly.
Migration and conversion will be for existing sites and blogs on a specific date that will be communicated well in advance. Anything created before the migration date will be captured.
What's Migrating
Only Active Sites and Blogs and their contained content
Active sites are defined as published on Site Builder and/or Blogs. Draft and inactive pages with their containing assets will not be migrated. There will be no date of publication restriction on the content. Published Content in Site Builder will be set as “Published” in Drupal. This will avoid the risk of content issues across the entire website due to missing owners, editors, challenges with resources, etc.
Images and Files
Only files that are in use (i.e., published) will be migrated. “In use” is defined as published on the same site where the associated file library exists. Images and Files have the option of Alt and Title attributes as well as Captions; these will be migrated. Because Site Builder converts original file names into numbers, the Alt and Title Attributes become very important for identifying what images are about. Editors should ensure images on Site Builder have these attributes and captions populated.
Meta Descriptions
Each Page in Site Builder should have a unique and descriptive Meta Description. Existing Meta Descriptions will be migrated.
What's Not Migrating
Site Builder comprises approximately 700 websites, thousands of pages, and thousands of files and images that are no longer being used. The overhead is enormous. Blogs suffer from the same issues. Over 465 Blogs exist and contain as many as 47,000 posts. Many of these blogs haven't been used in years. Site Builder and Blogs use different underlying technologies, and some features or customizations won't translate directly to Drupal due to technical incompatibility.
Not migrating
These may be assessed for possible future migrations:
- Some Site Builder assets (e.g., ANR Survey Tool integration with sites, Site Builder blog comments, Newsletter subscribers).
- All custom Site Builder assets – These include assets that are widgets built by ANR IT for one site or one unit's use (e.g., Universal Review System, custom databases and media players, custom survey result pages).
- Removed and inactive Site Builder pages and assets – These will be available on Site Builder during the transition period and eventually will be permanently deleted. If desired, individuals should back up this information onto a cloud service like Box.
- Unused images and files will not be migrated. These are files that are not being displayed in/inserted into any Site Builder pages.
- Sites hosted on other content management system platforms (e.g., WordPress, SiteFarm, UC IPM Cold Fusion site).
- Sites with no owner, no traffic, or no content – These will be made inactive and will not migrate. IWP team will reach out to admins/responsible parties/editors prior to inactivating any sites.
Not in scope
- ANR Portal applications will not be affected or changed (e.g. ANR Survey Tool, Collaborative Tools, Bibliography, Repository, Volunteer Management Systems).
- Customized websites are not part of the foundational build, which will provide a solid platform for enhancements in the future.
This may cause some disappointment. We appreciate your patience as we focus on delivering the foundational release. After the IWP system stabilizes, more information will be shared about alternative tools and how to request these items to be migrated in future stages. Non-Site Builder site migration can be evaluated post go-live on a case-by-case basis.
Site Builder and Blog Cleanup
As part of the IWP content strategy, not everything should exist in the new site. Please take some time to review your websites and pages. Start by following instructions/tips on the links below.
Site Builder Cleanup Checklist: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/Site_builder_cleanup_checklist/
Delete unused sites, pages, and assets: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/administration/deletions/
Site Builder Maintenance: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/
As part of Site Builder cleanup efforts, Stephen Dampier is holding a weekly open office Zoom Session to answer your questions.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m.-4 p.m. PST
Zoom Link: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97937501529?pwd=Zm1PaGRuc0htcnVZbmZQaGcya3oxQT09
Remember, while we're not immediately shutting down Site Builder, this cleanup prepares us for a smoother transition. We will be sending out more reminders leading up to the final migration.
Questions or Concerns?
Check out the IWP FAQ page, and email iwp@ucanr.edu with any concerns that are not addressed there.
IWP Core Team
Kit Alviz
Dustin Blakey
Stephen Dampier
Linda Forbes
Jaki Hsieh Wojan
Mike Hsu
Scott Leaf
Andrew Waegli
IWP Project Sponsor
Tu Tran
Dear Colleagues:
This message provides essential information on the implementation of the new UC ANR website using the Drupal Content Management System (CMS).
Integrated Web Platform (IWP) Background
The IWP project will enhance UC Agriculture and Natural Resources' digital presence for both internal web editors and our clientele. In the coming months, UC ANR will transition from the homegrown Site Builder to Drupal – a more stable, flexible, and powerful CMS that will make our content more discoverable to the communities we serve. This much-needed change will bring significant improvements in how we manage and present content, as well as optimizing our content for search engines.
There have been challenges with transitioning from Site Builder and the Blog system in the past, and that is why we are now working with Kanopi, a new vendor that has experience joining projects and taking them to launch. The IWP core team is leveraging the work of previous UC ANR committees and vendors (including UC Davis IET) who provided feedback, initial planning efforts, and prototypes.
What is changing and what is staying the same?
Site Builder and Blogs will be retired; Drupal is the replacement. As part of this change, UC ANR will have a whole new navigation and look and feel for our web editors and site visitors.
As we work through the development and implementation of IWP, additional changes will be identified and communicated.
SITE BUILDER & BLOGS | DRUPAL |
Discoverability / UC ANR's Web Presence | |
Analytics tell us that most website visitors use Google to search and find UC ANR content. | Website visitors will utilize the Content Hub, Drupal's dynamic search feature. |
Site Builder crashes. | Drupal has modern and continually updated technology to reduce the likelihood of crashes. |
Tags are inconsistent between Site Builder and Blogs. Anyone can add a new tag in Blogs. | Consistent tags drive relevant information to the Content Hub/search. Tags and taxonomy will be established and maintained by a governance group. |
Editing Experience | |
Editors would create a page and populate it with text and assets. | After considering the audience and where the information would be reflected in the Content Hub, editors create content using pre-defined Content Types, rather than creating a page. Content Types allow for more flexibility in the future and improved management of UC ANR information and resources. |
Anyone with ANR Portal can create a new site or Blog. | There will be an approval process to start new sites (e.g., content editors) and new procedures to add additional site managers (e.g., groups). This will reduce duplication and stagnant sites that exist in Site Builder, and ensure content is discoverable navigable, manageable, and on-brand). |
Sites and Blogs are managed in different interfaces and systems. | Sites and blogs will all be managed in Drupal. |
Timeline and transitions
- UC ANR Employees should begin cleaning up Site Builder now: https://ucanr.edu/sites/sb3help/bestpractices/site-builder-maintenance/. Additional reminders and resources will be forthcoming.
- Employees are invited to Zoom training sessions about cleaning up Site Builder (see link below).
- Drupal is expected to go live in December 2024. If the launch date changes, we will communicate it broadly.
- Once Drupal is live, you will no longer be able to create new sites on Site Builder.
- Site Builder and Blog content will continue to be available during the transitional period.
About Drupal CMS
Drupal is a content-oriented CMS that allows for dynamic content delivery and can provide an array of benefits:
- Improved Content Organization: Drupal's taxonomy system enables sophisticated categorization, enhancing content discoverability.
- Enhanced Searchability: Content in Drupal is structured for better SEO (Search Engine Optimization), making it easier for our clientele to find what they need.
- Greater Flexibility: Drupal's Content Types provide templates for various kinds of content, allowing for consistent but also dynamic presentation.
- Scalability: Drupal can handle large volumes of content and traffic, accommodating our growing needs and improving system stability and availability.
- Consistency: IWP will help ensure a uniform look and feel across the website, enhancing the user experience and promoting UC ANR branding.
Learn more about Drupal at https://www.drupal.org/.
Starting Simple
Based on learnings from previous challenges, we are starting simple with a foundational build. This approach allows us to:
- Lay the groundwork for a more sophisticated platform and build future enhancements.
- Build confidence as we familiarize ourselves with the new system at our own pace.
- Test and learn Drupal's functionalities.
- Become scalable to allow for further growth and better management of content.
- Iterate and make improvements based on feedback and performance data.
We need everyone's support in this major undertaking. We will communicate when and how you can assist with the above processes for a robust, efficient, and orderly transition.
Contact Us!
For the latest updates on the IWP project, please visit our Integrated Web Platform (IWP) Project Webpage or email us at iwp@ucanr.edu.
Site Builder Cleanup Office Hours
As part of Site Builder cleanup efforts, Stephen Dampier is holding a weekly open office Zoom Sessions to answer your questions.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. PST
Zoom Link: https://ucanr.zoom.us/j/97937501529?pwd=Zm1PaGRuc0htcnVZbmZQaGcya3oxQT09
IWP Core Team
Kit Alviz
Dustin Blakey
Stephen Dampier
Linda Forbes
Mike Hsu
Scott Leaf
Andrew Waegli
IWP Project Sponsor
Tu Tran