Lesson 6.6: Capstone, a multisite launch with a newsletter #

An invented organization adds a second site to its installation and launches it with a newsletter. The learner sets up the siteaccess, keeps search working for both sites, and runs the first newsletter cycle, entirely to files.

At a glance #

Learning objectives #

Learners who pass this capstone have shown that they can:

• add a public siteaccess for a second site with its own content root and host name;
• prove which siteaccess answers which host;
• keep search results correct for both sites;
• run a newsletter launch with double opt-in and a first edition, without sending mail;
• write a launch checklist that covers DNS, certificates, mail sender and consent.

Trainer's notes #

How to run it #

1. Before: one training installation per learner with the newsletter extension and its tree, all transports file (set by you), no crontab. Decide whether learners create the second siteaccess by hand or from a multisite site package your course used (Site packages).
2. Checkpoints: day 1 midday (second siteaccess answers its test host), end of day 1 (search and the newsletter list with confirmed test subscribers).
3. Presentation: the learner shows both hosts with curl, a search on each site, the newsletter files and the launch checklist.

Pitfalls #

• A transport left at sendmail. Check all transports yourself before day 1; a learner's check is the second safeguard, not the first.
• Search mixing both sites. Learners may need the course's material on limiting search to a subtree; accept any documented way.

Hands-on exercise #

The brief, as handed to learners.

The Lakeside Arts Festival (an invented festival) runs its main site on your installation and now launches a second site for its youth program, with a newsletter for parents.

1. Check every mail transport (site and newsletter) and write the values down. Do not continue unless all are file.
2. Create a content root for the youth site with five items.
3. Add a public siteaccess for it, with its own SiteURL, and host matching for www.festival.test (main) and youth.festival.test (youth), keeping URL matching as a fallback.
4. Prove with curl and the Host header which siteaccess answers each name and an unlisted one.
5. Make search on the youth site find the youth content, and check that a new item is found on both sites as it should be.
6. Create a newsletter list for parents; subscribe three test subscribers at example.invalid and confirm them from the mail files.
7. Write and send the first edition through the two cron steps run by hand; read the edition files.
8. Unsubscribe one subscriber and note the state.
9. Write the launch checklist for going live for real: DNS, web server or Velocity host names, certificate, the newsletter's real transport and sender domain with SPF, consent records, bounce handling, cron lines, monitoring.
10. Restore the installation's original matching settings at the end, or leave them as your trainer instructs.

Expected result #

• Notes with all transports at file; curl outputs showing the right siteaccess per host.
• Search results correct on both sites.
• The parents list with two confirmed and one removed subscriber; edition files in the mail directory.
• A launch checklist that would let an administrator go live safely.

Scoring rubric #

Pass: 14 of 21 points or more and Mail safety at 3.

Quiz #

Debrief questions after the presentations.

1. Which three things must know a new host name besides the settings?
2. Which newsletter transport is sendmail as shipped?
3. Why does the launch checklist name SPF for every address family the server sends from?
4. What does a parent's double opt-in protect?

Further reading #

• Multisite, practical task and Newsletters, practical task
• Mail consent and bounces
• New customer site go-live checklist

Related pages #

• Module 6: Capstone projects
• Assessments and practical exercises: course overview
• Trainers: start here
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.