Introduction

This section has documentation on installing, using, and administering Cascade Server.

Here are some pointers to get you started:

  • Still need to download Cascade Server? Contact your account representative for a download link.
  • Setting up Cascade Server or integrating an existing site? Our Technical Intro Guides will walk you through a sample integration process.
  • Upgrading Cascade Server? Follow the instructions included with the upgrade. Make sure that you review the "What's New" pages that came with your upgrade.
  • Need to understand the basic concepts before getting started? Try Cascade Server Basics - this section offers a good overview of the terms and concepts that will carry you through the rest of the documentation.

If you have any questions about Cascade Server after reading the documentation here, you can post your questions in the Cascade Server User's Forum found in the application by going to Help->Forum.

User's Guide Outline

  1. Web Services »
    Web services provide Cascade Server users a powerful way to work with the system by providing a very core interface with which to interact.
    1. Web Services Operations »
    2. Web Services Skeleton Project »
    3. Introduction to Web Services
      The interface of Cascade Server provides methods to create, edit, read, and delete all assets and components in the software.
  2. Creating the Asset Factory »
    Asset Factories are a great way to allow non-technical users to easily create specific types of pages or other assets.
    1. Asset Factory Plugin Framework »
    2. Creating the Asset Factory
      Asset factories are managed in the Administration area, but each must be based on an actual asset in the main area.
  3. Available System Tags »
    Cascade Server provides users with additional functionality by implementing proprietary pseudo tags throughout the system.
    1. Content Region Tags
      The content region tag is the most basic and essential pseudo code that Cascade Server provides.
    2. Metadata Regions
      Often in a template it is desirable to insert metadata from the current page without having to define a content region, associated block, stylesheet to display the information.
    3. Passthrough Code
      Passthrough code sections tell the interpreter to exclude the enclosed code when the page is being previewed internally.
    4. Additional Pseudo Tags
      Additional pseudo tags can be used for imbedding images, supplying links, and other functionality.
  4. Basics »
    Learn more about the basics of Cascade Server.
    1. Concepts »
    2. What Is Cascade Server?
      Cascade Server is an enterprise web content management (WCM) solution designed around XML.
  5. Configuring Preferences »
    System preferences are managed by the administrator, and are found under the Tools menu.
    1. General Options
      The general options allow you to customize basic system-wide preferences
    2. Email Options
      The email properties allow the administrator to determine how email messages are sent from the system.
    3. Content Options
      Content options provide more detailed customization for how the system handles various types of content.
    4. User Preferences
      The user preferences determine settings unique to the current user.
  6. Setting up System Users »
    Users and Groups must be set up by an administrator or manager.
    1. Users
      Each person using the system should have his/her own user account.
    2. Groups
      Placing multiple users into groups is a great way to customize permissions in the system.
    3. Roles
      Roles must be assigned to each user or group in the system in order to determine which tasks that user or group may perform.
    4. Assigning Permissions
      Permissions determine which users or groups have access to a specific folder or asset.
  7. Setting Up Workflows »
    Workflows are a valuable way to ensure that all content is properly reviewed before being published. Specialized workflows can also be created which automate various system tasks, such as automatically creating an index page when a new folder is created.
    1. Workflow Triggers »
    2. Building Workflows »
    3. About Workflows »
    4. Assigning Workflows to Asset Factories
      To have a specific workflow occur every time a certain type of asset is created, it must be attached to an asset factory.
    5. Creating Workflows
      Workflows are created in the Administration area, and are then attached to asset factories, or assigned to folders of assets in the Home area.
    6. Assigning Workflows to Folders
      To have a workflow process invoked for any given asset, the workflow must be assigned at the folder level.
  8. Incorporating Scripting Languages »
    Codes may be embedded in a block, template, stylesheet, the default region of a page, or in the text of file.
    1. Introduction
      As server-side scripting technologies such as JSP, ASP.NET, etc. become more prevalent, there is in increased demand for Cascade Server to support embedding of these types of code into published files or pages.
    2. Passthrough Code Sections
      Passthrough Code Sections are used to allow server-side scripting language to 'pass through' Cascade Server's XML validator.
    3. Root Code Section
      The root code section is used to support code that must be placed at the very beginning of a document.
  9. Importing a Site »
    Importing a site can be performed by using the Zip Archive or the Site Import.
    1. Site Import Tool
      The Site Import Tool automates many of the tasks that go into setting up a new site in Cascade Server.
    2. Importing Via Zip Archive
      To import an existing site using the Zip Archive feature, please ensure that you have zipped the folder containing all the files for your site and not just the files inside the folder.
  10. Creating a Site »
    This section will guide you through all the steps required to create a site from scratch or turn a newly imported site into a fully functional CMS-driven site.
    1. Creating Assets »
    2. Creating Dynamic Navigation »
    3. Creating Structured Authoring Fields »
    4. Creating Multiple Outputs »
    5. Creating System Components »
    6. Organizing your Assets
      Cascade Server allows any assets to be placed in any folders. Typically, each folder under the Base Folder will represent one site and will contain all the assets needed for that site.
    7. Using External RSS Feeds
      Cascade Server allows for the inclusion of external RSS feeds in internally managed pages through the use of an XML Feed Block.
    8. Creating Forms
      The CMS makes it easy to manage forms right within the business user interface.
  11. Publishing a Site »
    Cascade Server has a powerful and highly customizable publishing engine capable of handling multiple sites.
    1. Transports
      Transports are the mechanism that moves content from a temporary directory on the server to the final location.
    2. Destinations
      Destinations allow the use of the same transport across multiple targets.
    3. Transport Diagnostic Utility
      This utility serves to allow managers and administrators the ability to test destination connectivity and destination transfer rates without the need to invoke a publish.
    4. Destination Diagnostic Utility
      This utility serves to allow managers and administrators the ability to test destination connectivity and destination transfer rates without the need to invoke a publish.
    5. Previewing Pages
      Pages can be previewed before publishing to allow users to see how the page will look without the region icons on the screen.
    6. Publish Set
      Publish Sets are use to allow groups of publishable assets to be published on-demand or on a schedule.
    7. Publish Triggers
      Publish Triggers are plug-ins that can be utilized during the Cascade Server publishing process. They allow developers to execute custom logic each time an asset (page, file, or other content item) is published.
  12. Managing and Creating Content »
    Managing and creating content in the CMS is easy.
    1. Editing a Page »
    2. Deleting an Asset
      Assets (or system components) can be deleted by users that have write access and no workflow.
    3. Publishing a Page or Folder
      When a page is published, all of the elements that make up that page are rendered as HTML and send to the live web server (also called the production server), enabling it to be accessed as part of the website.
    4. Viewing a Folder
      Clicking on a system folder will reveal its contents both in the left asset tree and in the main view.
    5. Navigating the System
      Learn to navigate the CMS with this introduction to the system structure.
    6. Creating a Page
      The easiest way to create a new page in Cascade Server is by using the Asset Factory set up by your Administrator.
    7. Copying a Page
      When creating a page that is similar to an existing page, it is often most useful to Copy the existing page and make the appropriate edits.
    8. Uploading a File or Image
      Cascade Server supports the uploading of any file type.
    9. Moving Assets
      Assets may be moved individually or at the folder level.
    10. Reordering Assets
      Asset reordering is a feature that enables you to manually change the order of assets within a folder.
  13. Using Workflows »
    Learn how to use workflows in Cascade Server.
    1. As a Contributor »
    2. As an Administrator »
    3. Notifications »
    4. As an Approver
      Approvers are responsible for reviewing content in workflow and determining whether it should be approved, rejected, or edited.
    5. As a Translator
      A Translator is treated by the system as an additional Reviewer for content, who, instead of simply reviewing content, actually adds content to the page.
    6. As a Publisher
      Publishers are responsible for the final step in a workflow - publishing the content.
  14. Install »
    Learn more about setting up and configuring Cascade Server as well as different databases.
    1. Installing Cascade Server
      The installer is available in a variety of formats for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.
    2. MySQL Configuration
      Install Cascade on MySQL.
    3. Oracle 9i Configuration
      This set of instructions discusses the process of getting started with Cascade using Oracle 9i.
    4. Oracle 10g Configuration
      This set of instructions discusses the process of getting started with Cascade using Oracle 10g.
    5. Running Cascade Server
      Cascade Server can be run in one of two ways, either via Windows Service or Command Line.
    6. SQL Server 2000 Configuration
      Install Cascade on SQL Server 2000.
    7. Setting Up LDAP or Active Directory »
    8. Install »
  15. Additional System Features »
    Cascade Server offers advanced features for managing content more effectively.
    1. Search »
    2. History
      By clicking on History, users can see a list of their most recently viewed assets.
    3. Locking Assets
      To prevent other users from making changes to an asset, a user may lock the asset.
    4. System Tool - Optimize Database
      Optimize Database is an option that appears only for administrators.
    5. System Tool - Rebuild Index
      Running the Rebuild Index system tool will rebuild the necessary search indices and correct any errors if the database has been modified outside the context of the CMS.
    6. Audits - Assets
      The Audits tab is available on all assets and allows you to view any actions relating to that asset.
    7. System Tool - Configure Logging
      These logs are useful from a diagnostic perspective and should not be considered part of the normal everyday administration of Cascade server.
    8. Version Control
      Cascade Server automatically saves a version of an asset every time changes are submitted. These versions can be viewed or activated as needed.
    9. Audits - Users, Groups, & Roles
      The Audit Trail is accessible from the Administration area and gives a detailed account of all activity having taken place within the system.
Last modified on Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:07:21 -0500
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