There are many changes with DNN 7 that are aimed at making content and site maintenance easier.  Here are our top 4 reasons why an upgrade to DNN 7 is going to save you time and generally make your life easier.

About ASPHostPortal.com
ASPHostPortal.com is Microsoft No #1 Recommended Windows and ASP.NET Spotlight Hosting Partner in United States. Microsoft presents this award to ASPHostPortal.com for ability to support the latest Microsoft and ASP.NET technology, such as: WebMatrix, WebDeploy, Visual Studio 2012, ASP.NET 4.5, ASP.NET MVC 4.0, Silverlight 5 and Visual Studio Lightswitch. Click here for more information

1. Auto-save

We’ve all been there, you work hard at something, get it just how you want it then you hit the wrong key (or the browser crashes) and there goes all your work down the drain. Not anymore, with DNN 7 auto-save ensures your work is saved as you go, avoiding any mishaps and lost work. Sure to be the saviour of web content editors across the globe.

2. Bookmarked settings

DNN 7 has a completely different control panel from previous editions with a very visually appealing tab interface for both admin and hosts.  The new interface completely changes the way we use DotNetNuke and one of the best new additions is the ability to bookmark favourite settings. Keeping all your favourite settings in one easy to reach spot and at the click of a button is a massive time saver.

3. Drag and drop

Gone are the days of trying to format your pages behind the scenes. You want to add new modules, move an image or move a text box; you pick it up and put it where you want. The ease and simplicity of the new DNN 7 drag and drop feature gives you a whole lot of flexibility and control over your website, without pulling your hair out. 

4. Version Comparison

Ever edited something then thought hang on, I’m not sure that’s better, what did it look like before? With DNN 7 you can easily compare versions in either the rich text or html editors. Just tick the compare box and the text or code differences are highlighted for you. You can then choose which option you want to go with from the version history and save second guessing yourself.

In short, DNN 7 is an intuitive user friendly CMS that makes editing and maintaining your website content quicker and easier than ever before. These new improvements are sure to increase your productivity in 2013.

A typical DNN install requires considerable server resources, and creates significant traffic between the database & web server. These techniques aim to reduce both of these where-ever possible, along with some other optimizations. Some of these may not apply to you, and We advise you to exert discretion in deciding which of these work best for you.

About ASPHostPortal.com
ASPHostPortal.com is Microsoft No #1 Recommended Windows and ASP.NET Spotlight Hosting Partner in United States. Microsoft presents this award to ASPHostPortal.com for ability to support the latest Microsoft and ASP.NET technology, such as: WebMatrix, WebDeploy, Visual Studio 2012, ASP.NET 4.5, ASP.NET MVC 4.0, Silverlight 5 and Visual Studio Lightswitch. Click here for more information

DNN Optimization:

1. Host Settings
   1. Set the "Performance Setting" to "Heavy Caching".
   2. Depending upon Hosting resources, set the "Compression Setting" to "Deflate Compression" or "GZip Compression".
   3. Depending upon Hosting resources, enable "Whitespace filter" (not of much use, if you have also enabled compression).
   4. Disable "Users Online" for Installations on which "Users Online" module is NOT used.
   5. Set the "Scheduler Mode" to "Timer Method". "Request Mode" causes the Scheduler to be invoked on every request to a page of your installation.
   6. On sites where Logging is NOT mission critical, enable "Event Log Buffer", so that log entries are buffered before being flushed.
   7. On sites where the Site files do NOT update frequently, disable "Auto-sync filesystem".
   8. Uncheck "Enable Ajax" on portals that are just informative, and do NOT involve management tasks.
2. Admin Settings
   1. On DNN 5 portals, unselect "Enable Skin Widgets" if they are not being used to prevent redundant skin file downloads.
3. Log Settings
   Disable all Logs NOT required on an installation. In particular,
   1. Disable "Application Start".
   2. Disable "Application End".
   3. You might also want to disable others like "Scheduler Started", "Scheduler Event Started" etc. depending upon if they are not much useful to you. However, "Sceduler event Failure" should not be disabled to enable debugging of any scheduler issues.
4. Schedule Settings
   Disable or customize all Schdules NOT required on an installation. In particular,
   1. Configure "DotNetNuke.Services.Scheduling.PurgeScheduleHistory, DOTNETNUKE" to run every 5 days (or whatever fits best to your portal depending upon how much Schedule Log your portal generates).
   2. Configure "DotNetNuke.Services.Search.SearchEngineScheduler, DOTNETNUKE" to run every 5 days and retry after 1 day (again depending upon what fits best to your portal. There is no one size fits all approach here).
5. Javascript & CSS Optimization
   1. Manually optimize all css & js files to remove redundant white-space (or use a free or paid DNN module e.g. Page Blaster to manage this task for you).
   2. Zero out portal.css (if you dont use it, or better still, delete it).
   3. Check ~/portals/_default/default.css for any styles not being used on your portal.
   4. Try to use any other menu except SolPart Menu.
   5. Try NOT to use table based skins (improves the perceived rendering of your page).
      
      
6. Cookies: Set the appropriate value for Persistent & Session cookies in web.config.
   
   
7. Compilation: If you are compiling DotNetNuke or any Extension from source, make sure that you compile the project in Release mode. Moreover, make sure you have debug="false" in web.config for your production sites.

DotNetNuke 7 provides support for active directory authentication and includes a SharePoint connector which enables fast and secure publishing of SharePoint documents to websites, intranets and extranets. It also includes a brand new intuitive control panel and now provides support for SharePoint Lists.

The DotNetNuke 7 professional and enterprise editions now ships with an auto save feature which provides the ability to automatically save the content in the background. This will enable users to recover the content in the event of a browser crash.

DotNetNuke 7 includes drag and drop modules, cross site module sharing, actions menu instead of manage button as in previous version, a new data access layer named DAL2 which includes micro-ORM and support for ASP.NET Razor in addition to a brand new simplified installer.

About ASPHostPortal.com

ASPHostPortal.com is Microsoft No #1 Recommended Windows and ASP.NET Spotlight Hosting Partner in United States. Microsoft presents this award to ASPHostPortal.com for ability to support the latest Microsoft and ASP.NET technology, such as: WebMatrix, WebDeploy, Visual Studio 2012, ASP.NET 4.5, ASP.NET MVC 4.0, Silverlight 5 and Visual Studio Lightswitch. Click here for more information

The difference can DotNetNuke 7 make in the development of websites

There are a number of features that differentiate DotNetNuke 7.0 for website development which ultimately enable a broad range of users to be more productive:

Web content editors

A rich text editor with a new auto-save and recover feature prevents editors from losing their work. It also enables them to easily track content changes and compare versions of both rich text and HTML content. DNN 7.0 allows modules to be shared between multiple DotNetNuke websites for greater consistency and ease of maintenance.

Enterprises

DNN 7.0 makes it easier for enterprise users to log in to their DotNetNuke sites with new support for Active Directory authentication. It also now enables bi-directional support for popular Microsoft SharePoint Lists, which are used widely by businesses to improve operations, promote team project collaborations, keep employees up to date on current business projects and tasks, manage employees more effectively, and improve business productivity.

Developers

Web developers can build and expose secure web services through the DNN Services Framework, which is now based on Microsoft’s web API. Data access has been simplified through the introduction of a micro-ORM, allowing simpler and more elegant database interactions with less code.

ASP.NET Razor is now optimized for developing dynamic extensions, combining code and content in a fluid and expressive manner. The included jQuery, jQueryUI and Knockout.js libraries make it even easier for developers to consume Web services and create modern, interactive client-side applications.

The newest release has graduated to ASP.NET 4.0 as its baseline platform requirement but is also fully compatible with latest generation Microsoft technology including Windows 8, Windows Server 2012, IIS8, ASP.NET 4.5, Visual Studio 2012 and SQL Server 2012.

Designers

An overhauled Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) foundation makes it easier for designers to create beautiful and engaging websites, enabling improved cross-browser compatibility, extending standards compliance and increasing site performance. Additionally, DNN 7.0 includes standard form patterns that designers can reuse or extend to build frequently used user interface elements.

The DNN 7 different from previous versions

DotNetNuke 7.0 provides a revamped UI/UX that makes it easier for content editors to build and manage websites. It also provides a suite of new features that improve productivity through a drag and drop and an updated rich text editor that includes auto-save and version comparison features.

It  improves enterprise integration with an active directory authentication provider and by adding support for SharePoint List to our SharePoint Connector. This latest version provides our most advanced development framework with a web serves framework built on Microsoft's Web API.

The opportunity that DotNetNuke provide to ASP.NET developers

DotNetNuke provides a robust and powerful web development framework for ASP.NET developers. DNN7 provide support for the most recent versions of ASP.NET, and enable developers to embrace both Web Forms and WebAPI development methods.

The development framework greatly reduces the amount of code required to build applications by providing support for tasks like Security, Authentication, Installation and Upgrades. Developers can also distribute applications commercially on the DotNetNuke store where thousands of modules and skins are for sale.

The different of DotNetNuke with open source platforms like DotNetBlogEngine, Joomla and WordPress

DotNetNuke (DNN) is the most widely deployed content management platform and web development framework for Microsoft .NET. Organizations that have standardized on Microsoft technologies and have Microsoft development skills often prefer DNN over open source CMS offerings like Joomla and Wordpress which are built on the LAMP technology stack. These organizations also need a full featured Web CMS that provides features beyond blogging.

Can DotNetNuke run on MySQL backend?

DNN support Microsoft SQL Server out of the box. Third party providers for other databases are available and developers can create their own providers.

ASPHostPortal.com offers the reliable and affordable DotNetNuke hosting. This great opportunity is provided for all our new and existing customers. DotNetNuke is an open source and widely used Web Content Management System (CMS). This is because DotNetNuke has many useful features. The following article will describe all the best features of DotNetNuke web application.

DotNetNuke Features

• Easy to Install – You can have the DotNetNuke web content management system (WCM or CMS) and application development platform up and running within minutes. Just download the software and follow the simple installation instructions. In addition, several hosting companies offer DotNetNuke-specific hosting packages, which include the tools and support to make project set-up even easier.

• Easy to Use – The DotNetNuke content management system makes it easy for administrators, content editors, developers, and designers to manage all aspects of their web assets. Wizards, content-sensitive help, and a well-researched user interface provide a smooth user experience.

• Powerful – The DotNetNuke content management system can support multiple web sites from a single application installation. By dividing administrative tasks between host level and individual site level, administrators can manage an unlimited number of websites – each with its own unique appearance and content.

• Feature-rich – The DotNetNuke application comes loaded with a set of built-in features that provide exceptional functionality.  Site hosting, web design, content management, security, and membership options are all easily managed and customized through simple, browser-based tools.

• Localized – DotNetNuke includes a multi-language localization feature that allows administrators to easily translate their sites into any language. And with an international group of hosts and developers working within the DotNetNuke ecosystem, native support is always close at hand.

• Leading-edge – The DotNetNuke web content management system and application development platform gives developers the opportunity to leverage best-practice software development concepts and leading-edge technologies like ASP.NET 2.0, Visual Studio, SQL Server, Windows Server, and IIS.

• Flexible and Extensible – The DotNetNuke web content management system and application development platform fits easily into existing computing environments. The core framework includes a series of open APIs that make integration with existing applications simple and straightforward, allowing businesses to focus on extending features and functionality rather than troubleshooting installations. And, DotNetNuke is flexible enough to be used for anything — new applications, minor site modifications, major overhauls, and swap outs.

• Recognized – The DotNetNuke web content management system and application development platform  is widely recognized and respected in the open source community, with hundreds of thousands of applications in use. DotNetNuke Corp. and DotNetNuke community members continue to evolve the software through rigorous development, testing, community participation, real-world trials, and end-user feedback.

Backing up and restoring a DotNetNuke site is actually pretty easy, so there should be no excuse for not doing it more often.

If you are looking for a reliable yet affordable DotNetNuke hosting provider, you may consider ASPHostPortal.com. You can always start from our Portal ONE plan to get this web application installed on your website. This great opportunity is provided for all our new and existing customers.

There are two parts of your site: the website files and the website database.  Both parts must be included when backing up and restoring.
 
1. Backup

Files: Simply make a zip file of your /website directory.  Download it using FTP if you are on a hosted server.  
Database: Use either your hosting control panel or SQL management studio to backup your database.  Select the "overwrite" option, so that you only have one database backup per file.  Zip the backup and download it.

Save these two zip files to a secure and separate location - not on the same computer as the website.  A rewriteable CD/DVD is a good option.

2. Restore

Files: Unzip the files backup and copy or FTP them to your website directory.  Overwrite existing files.
Database: Use either your hosting control panel or SQL management studio to backup your database.  Select the "overwrite" option.

See it is not too hard, so make sure to backup often to avoid the risk of losing vital data.  Many hosting companies have automatic backups, but charge you a service fee if you need to have a backup restored.  By doing your own backups you can avoid this.

DotNetNuke 5 application offers so many benefits. This article will describe in details about the benefits of DotNetNuke 5 application. If you need a place to host your DotNetNuke 5 application, you can always consider ASPHostPortal.com, just start from our Portal ONE hosting plan. You can install DotNetNuke 5 application directly from your control panel within 1 (ONE) minute. So easy!

Benefits of DotNetNuke 5 application

Dotnetnuke is open source content management system which provides various kind of functionality for content management and modular development. It provides a very good platform based Microsoft.net technologies to create web portals on the fly. You can create portal and subportals on a fly. Within some minutes. 

• Easy Web site administration: While working on this framework no programming knowledge is required. Clients can generate, supervise and publish web content without requiring any technical skill level.
• Ready to use: DotNetNuke is user-friendly framework and is built in such a way as to allow users to deal with all parts of their projects. A well worked out user interface allows an easy operation.
• Advanced Features: The advanced features in DotNetNuke exceed the features in your homegrown applications. Moreover it is a constantly evolving with multi-functionality to cater end-user requirements. It also saves development time.
• Strength: The administrative options are skillfully divided between host level and individual portal level. In one hosting account the administrator at DotNetNuke supports multiple portals or sites- each with its own look.
• Powerful Tools: DotNetNuke comes with a set of powerful tools. These built in tools provide multi-functionality for security, site designing, hosting, site membership options etc. There are various other features that can be manipulated as per your needs with these tools.
• Network of Support: A Core Team of developers is always there to support DotNetNuke. Online Forums, blogs, online help and various websites give DotNetNuke a dedicated network of support.
• Easy Installation: DotNetNuke.com provides the free download software and an install.pdf with install instructions for the latest version of DotNetNuke. DotNetNuke can be made running within minutes.¼LI>Multi-Language Localization: DotNetNuke supports a multi-language localization that allows the websites built on it, to be translated into any language.
• Licensed Open Source Software: DotNetNuke 3.0 is available for free download. The full application source code and sub-projects are distributed under a standard BSD open source license; providing the maximum freedom in both non-commercial and commercial environments.
• Increase Profits Opportunities: DotNetNuke is module based. So you can build up various unique modules and sell them to your clients. Besides this, you can also go commercial with site templates, database options etc.
• Latest Technology:  The working of DotNetNuke utilizes modern day technology- ASP.NET 2.0, Visual Web Developer, Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005, thus giving the users a hands on to the latest technology.
• Advanced CMS: DotNetNuke has built-in tools to create the most complex content management systems. Moreover, many options of extending and customizing the site are also available.
• Established: DotNetNuke is a now a trademark in web designing. It is a popular brand in the open source community.  With over 250,000 registered users and a talented team of developers. Through end-user feedback and real world trial DotNetNuke continues to grow.
• Easy to integrate: With its flexible infrastructure, DotNetNuke is easy to integrate within your conventional processes.
• Priority on security: Emphasis placed on validation, encryption, “bug” tracking and potential threats provides a secure way to build websites.
• Fully customizable:  Changes can be made to portals at all levels – from basic stylesheet elements like font type, color, and bullet points, to overall site appearance.  New skins and module containers can be easily applied to the site with no repercussion on content.

ASPHostPortal.com offers the latest DotNetNuke 5 application to all our new and existing customers. This application is readily available via our control panel and you can install it within 1 (ONE) minute. It just requires several click on your mouse and moreover, it is provided FREE of charge!

You can always start from our Portal ONE hosting plan (from @$5.00/month) to get this application installed on your website. Should your requirement changes in the future, you can always request for an upgrade without causing any downtime. Remember, everything is just one-click away from your mouse! So, why wait longer? Please register your interest here.



What is DotNetNuke?
DotNetNuke is an open-source content management system ideal for creating and deploying projects such as commercial websites, corporate intranets and extranets, and online publishing portals. DotNetNuke is built on a Microsoft ASP.NET (VB.NET) platform, and is easily installed and hosted with all of our Windows Hosting Plans.

Some benefits that the DotNetNuke content management system includes are greater site consistency, improved site navigation, streamlined authoring process, faster turnaround time for new pages and changes, increased site flexibility, support for decentralised authoring, increased security, reduced duplication of information, greater capacity for growth, and reduced site maintenance costs


DotNetNuke Management
With DotNetNuke, you will find that it is quite easy to build and manage dynamic websites. You can perform nearly all of your DNN site building with a web browser and do not require any special development tools. To learn more and see a step-by-step guide to using DNN, please see our DNN Guided Tour


DotNetNuke 5.0 as WebSite Content Management System
Unlike 4.9.1, DNN 5.0 was a massive change that involved hundreds of bug fixes, changes and enhancements. A large number of the bug fixes and a few of the changes were back ported to the 4.8.x and 4.9.x branches, however there are still many bug fixes and enhancements which are only available in DNN 5

DotNetNuke 5.0 is the culmination of over a year of development and testing. Without a doubt this is the most tested version of DotNetNuke ever releasedZ