1. DotNetNuke v4 Overview Stan Schultes
Enterprise architect / application developer
Conference speaker, mentor, trainer
Contributing Editor, Visual Studio Magazine
Microsoft MVP
DotNetNuke (DNN) is a highly dynamic, stand-alone open source Microsoft ASP.NET portal application with build-in content management. In this overview, we'll walk through v4.3 and look at what's new. We'll talk about the DNN package distribution options, installation guidance, deployment, and upgrades. Level 100.

2. WebCast Series on DotNetNuke
Jan 31: DNN v3 – Overview
Jan 31: DNN v3 – Installation and Configuration
Feb 4: DNN v3 – Portal Management
Feb 4: DNN v3 – Custom Module Development
May 16: DNN v3 – Building Custom Modules
May 16: DNN v3 – Advanced Module Development
2006 WebCasts:
Feb 13: DNN v4 – Overview
Feb 13: DNN v4 – Running on ASP.NET v2
(DotNetNuke downloads)
Overview – General survey of DNN v3 portal features with highlights of things that are new in v3.
Installation & Configuration – covers what you need to get the DNN v3 portal running.
Portal Management – covers how to make the DNN v3 portal work for you.
Custom Module Development – dives into the architecture for custom modules.
Building Custom Modules – walks through the custom module development process in VS.
Advanced Module Development – covers multi-view modules, interfaces, and an overview of core namespaces for developers.

3. Audience Polls
How much experience with ASP.NET (0,<1yr, 1-2yr, 2-3yr, >3yr)?
Using ASP.NET v2 in production (Y/N)?
Who is using DNN in production today (Y/N)?
Who is building Custom Modules (none, v1, v2, v3, v4)?

4. Presentation Outline DNN Technical Overview v4 – First Look
DNN Today – v4.3 / v3.3
Package Distribution Options
Installation Guidance
Deployment
Upgrades
Web Portal Introduction
What is a Web Portal?
Business Case
Open Source Project
DotNetNuke Project History
Target Audiences:
Web Hosters
Corporate Portal Developers
Individual Users

5. Technical Overview Framework application, modular construction
Core provides plumbing
Provider model allows pluggable services
Extend with custom modules
Portals / Pages / Modules
Portals = websites (unique URLs), sub-portals
Pages = portal organizational units
Modules = information containers
All are individually skinnable
Membership – Roles & Users
Online configuration & content management by role
Host vs. Portal Admin roles
Framework app –a dynamically generated application with a provider structure for plumbing (data access, membership, scheduler, logging, exceptions, etc.)
Modular construction – modules plug in easily through an install/uninstall interface. You can deploy your portals with whatever modular options you want.
Portals / Pages / Modules
Dynamically loaded user controls
All are individually skinnable
Virtualizable – create many portals & sub-portals in the same installation
Membership – Roles & Users
Host vs. Portal Admin
Online configuration & management by role

6. First Look at DNN v4 v3.3 / v4.3 – new features (also v3.2 / v4.0):
Membership, Roles, Profile – Systems Rewritten
Client API / AJAX
Navigation provider
Windows Authentication
Installer process
Not so many “visual” changes – more under the covers
 Keep in mind that DNN v4.0 and v3.2 are functionally equivalent

7. First Look at DNN v4

8. DNN Today – v4.3 and v3.3 V4.3 and V3.3 are functionally equivalent
Sources are slightly different
Projects will track together (near term)
Build
Runtime DB
DNN v4.x
VS 2005 only
ASP.NET v2.0
SQL 2005
SQL 2000
DNN v3.x
VS 2003 only
ASP.NET v1.1

9. Package Distribution Options
Install vs. Source
Install package – upgrades from v3 to v4
Source package – no auto upgrade path
Starter Kit (v4 only)
Separate Docs Download (PDF)
Customize Installation:
Installation templates: install\template
Modules customization: install\module
Install\portal, language, container, skin
V4 Source install contains .vb files – these are needed for the new codebehind deployment model.
Installation templates: create your own!

10. DNN v4 Installation Guidance
Unzip the Install package to a directory
Set directory permissions (ASPNET/Network Service)
Create empty SQL database, create account as db_owner
Create virtual web directory, configure for ASP.NET v2
Set up site’s .config files:
Copy config\SiteUrls.config to web root
Rename release.config to web.config
Edit web.config:
DB connection strings
MachineKeys
Custom settings
Browse to - automatically sets up site
Change Host and Admin passwords!
Assumes installation to a staging site

11. Deploying Your Portal Local vs. hosted install
Ideally: your web host supports DNN auto install
Reality: build a local staging site first
Object: install only runtime files on hosted site
Upgrades: rehearse on your staging site first!
Shared hosting / databases
use objectQualifier (any unique string) in web.config for shared DBs
Set AutoUpgrade setting in web.config to False while configuring site
Browse to: <url>/install/install.aspx?mode=install
Running in Medium Trust environments
add requirePermissions=“False” to all config sections
see Code Access Security (CAS) doc
Use portal templates & module exports to deploy content
Think through (& test!) your backup / restore process
Host access: Dedicated, FTP, Zipfile, auto install DNN
Medium Trust: add requirePermissions=“False” to all config sections (see Install Guide p.18)
Trigger an install with AutoUpgrade=False by browsing to: Install/Install.aspx?mode=Install

12. Upgrading DotNetNuke Source package: no auto upgrade from DNN v3 to v4
Project models & directory structures are different
Back up current configuration, database, web.config
Unzip the new install package into portal directory
Configure new web.config
DB connection strings, MachineKeys, custom settings
Browse to the site
Obsolete files are automatically deleted
(\portals\_default\<ver>.txt)
Rehearse the upgrade on your staging site

13. DNN v4 – Tips & Tricks Use page preview as Admin (remember!)
Modules visible only to Admin show red box
pages visible only to Admin don’t show any flag
Portal alias strings
Add functionality with Custom Modules (vs. making core changes)
Log Viewer
Admin & Host show different item types
Build a staging site for upgrades (VPC), always back up before attempting
Documentation
\documentation\StarterKit\*.html – installation guidelines
Separate download: 27 PDFs – many details explained
Watch DNN forums & bug tracker for status & fixes
Visit the many resource sites for skins, containers, tutorials, other tips & tricks, etc.

14. Learn More www.dotnetnuke.com - project download (register) and info
support.dotnetnuke.com - Gemini bug tracker
- DNN main forum
- full DNN forums list
- DNN 3.2 and 4.0 (pinned post)
- DNN v4 starter kits & templates
- starter kits forum thread
- installing DNN v4 source
- DNN v4 module development tutorial
- discussion of web application projects
- explains ASP.NET v2 codebehind model
- DNN vs. Sharepoint discussion
- Google sitemap generator
- Microsoft’s ASP developer site
TODO: Update this list