Web.unc.edu initially launched in 2009 with the goal of providing an easy-to-use self service blogging platform for UNC's students, faculty and staff. Today, that simple idea has expanded to thousands of websites and is now a collaborative initiative between ITS Web Services and the College of Art and Sciences Information Services (OASIS). This presentation discusses the rewards and challenges of managing and supporting a large WordPress multisite installation, including overseeing security, support, multi-site updates and the task of staying current in a rapidly changing and evolving web landscape.

1. 8,000
Sites and Counting
Running a HUGE WordPress Service
Billy Hylton, Miles Fink, William Earnhardt | #UNCCTC

2. Who We Are
Billy Hylton
Manager
Also pretends to be a surfer
and skateboarder.
Will Earnhardt
Web Developer
Can code almost as well as
he can fish.
Miles Fink
Web Developer
Likes his rock classic.
#UNCCTC

4. WordPress at Carolina
Web.unc.edu
Self service web publishing for
Carolina faculty, staff, and students.
Sites.unc.edu
Enterprise web platform for divisions,
departments, schools, and more.
#UNCCTC

5. WordPress at Carolina
Collaborations
Student Organizations
Greek Community
DH Press
Instructional Resources
Services
Faculty CVs
Portfolios
Much More!
Homepage
Departments
Divisions
Schools
Campus Units
Centers & Institutes
Research Labs
Programs
Student Government
#UNCCTC

6. WordPress at Carolina

7. WordPress at Carolina

8. WordPress at Carolina

9. WordPress at Carolina

10. A Few Numbers

11. Pageviews: 2013-2014
50 Million
#UNCCTC

12. sites.unc.edu
Sep 20, 2013 – Oct 20, 2014
#UNCCTC

13. web.unc.edu
Sep 20, 2013 – Oct 20, 2014
#UNCCTC

14. Pageviews: Sept. – Oct.
6 Million
#UNCCTC

15. Pageviews by Day
150,000-200,000
#UNCCTC

16. Multisite Makes it Happen

17. Single Site vs Multisite
#UNCCTC
Single Site Multisite
One WordPress Install ✓ ✓
One Database ✓ ✓
Supports Themes ✓ ✓
Supports Plugins ✓ ✓

18. Single Site vs Multisite
#UNCCTC
Single Site Multisite
Number of Websites 1 Unlimited*
*Only limited by system resources

19. Pros & Cons of Multisite
Pros:
Updates
Reusability of code
Shared Database
Security
Shared System Resources
Messaging
Single Sign-On
#UNCCTC
Cons:
Updates
Reusability of code
Shared Database
Security
Shared System Resources
Single Point of Failure

20. Security
#UNCCTC

21. Network Administration
#UNCCTC

22. Network Administration
#UNCCTC

23. Going Forward. Together.

24. Introducing Heelium

25. Heelium Theme
Built on Roots Theme
Bootstrap-enabled
Flexible sidebars
Fully responsive
UNC-branded
Default web.unc.edu
New UI components
New Shortcode options
#UNCCTC

26. Unique Similarity

27. Next Steps
“Refresh” web.unc.edu
More solutions w/ WordPress
App development
Mobile
Development workflow
Security
Collaboration
Your Ideas…
#UNCCTC

28. Thank You!
E-mail
You can contact us at
webdotunc@groups.unc.edu
On the web
web.unc.edu
twitter.com/webdotunc
facebook.com/webdotunc
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