Multiple Sites

In Sitecore, a "site" is just another content item in the content tree. Using configuration settings in the web.config, you can associate a <site> with, for example, a hostName (i.e. mysite.com), a startItem (i.e. /sitecore/content/mysite) and many other settings which are described in the web.config. Configuring multi-site solutions is described on the Sitecore Developer Network (SDN) (http://sdn5.sitecore.net/Articles/Administration/Configuring%20Multiple%20Sites.aspx). Sitecore also provides a user interface for configuring multi-site solutions that may be appropriate for certain environments (http://sdn5.sitecore.net/SDN5/Resources/Shared%20Source/Modules/Multiple%20Sites%20Manager.aspx).

A representative content tree may look like this:
1. Sitecore
  a. Content
    i. Site A
    ii. Site B
    iii. Site n

When managing large numbers of sites with a single instance of Sitecore, consider creating an organizational structure for your sites. This is discussed in greater detail in the "Massive Branches" section of this blog.

It exceeds the scope of this posting to fully discuss the benefits and pitfalls of managing multiple sites with a single instance of Sitecore. Suffice it to say that there are many important considerations to take into account. Most of these considerations do not affect the organization of the content tree and, as such, are not discussed herein. The reader is encouraged to consult the SDN or an experienced solution partner prior to implementing a multi-site solution.

A common requirement in creating multi-site solutions is to share content between sites. There are several approaches to this requirement:

1. Reference global items.
2. Copy items.
3. Use proxy items or reference items.

In the first approach, referencing global items, create a global folder at the same level as your sites:

1. Sitecore
  a. Content
    i. Global Content
    ii. Site A
    iii. Site B
    iv. Site n

Under the Global Content item, include all of the items that are used across sites. Examples may include a privacy policy, legal notices, a mission statement, or an entire branch of content that will be mirrored in your other sites. The advantage to this approach is content reuse – i.e. global content can be updated in one location and changes will be reflected on all sites that reference the content.

In the second approach, items are copied from one site (or from the Global Content folder) to another site. The advantages here are simplicity and transparency – the global content items are essentially starting points or stub items that take on a life of their own once copied. The primary disadvantage is the loss of content reuse. An additional disadvantage is that a power user will most likely be required to copy a branch from the source to the target location, an operation outside of the scope of typical business user activities.

The third approach, using proxy items or reference items, will discussed in my next blog entry.