MG65Migration-Planning and Setup
From MapGuide Best Practices Wiki
The initial phase of the process should be to plan the migration of the application. In this phase, a clear plan that establishes goals for the application, a list of custom functions that need to be created, development of the web interface design, selection of development platform, and identification of the server hardware configuration or architecture should be written. Responsibilities, timelines, and milestones can be included for project management purposes. Developing a written plan enables developers to successfully migrate the existing application without encountering major hurdles.
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Goals
Possible goals of the migration include the following:
• Enhance functionality
• Eliminate the plug-in viewer
• Streamline spatial data updates
• Reduce custom programming by using built-in Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise functions
• Upgrade server and application software
• Change application development platform
List of Functions
One of the key elements of Autodesk MapGuide 6.5 sites is the custom programming that is performed using the Autodesk MapGuide 6.5 Viewer API to develop advanced applications. The plan should take into account all custom programming functions that existed on the original application and any new functionality that should be integrated.
Creating a list of existing functions and then identifying how those functions will be duplicated with Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise helps identify the level of effort required to migrate the application. Furthermore, some functions that needed to be programmed using the API may be standard functions in Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise. For example, many Autodesk MapGuide applications have custom Zoom GoTo functionality that can be replaced with zooming/search functions that can be created using Studio.
Web Interface
The migration of the Autodesk MapGuide application could provide an opportunity to redesign the existing interface. Since Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise has additional functionality, much of the custom interface programming and design that was created for Autodesk MapGuide sites is no longer necessary. For example, with Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, a built-in Properties Pane enables users to click map objects and obtain attribute information. This functionality was not available out-of-the-box with Autodesk MapGuide 6.5, so many developers created custom functionality to perform these actions. Developers also created custom toolbars to allow for interaction with the map. With Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, these custom functions can be incorporated into the Task Pane, eliminating the need for a custom toolbar.
In some cases, developers may choose to leave the interface as is and integrate Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise into the existing web design. This could occur in a situation where users are comfortable with the existing design and changing it would adversely affect the usage of the application. In that case, it would be prudent to maintain the interface and eliminate programming that can be replaced with out-of-the-box functionality.
Selection of Development Platform
Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise supports the most common programming languages used to perform web development, .NET, PHP, and JSP. Developers can use these languages to access the robust API provided with Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise. Unlike Autodesk MapGuide 6.5, where the client-side APIs are browser and language dependent, Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise provides full compatibility between all three Web API Extensions. This means that application developers can use any of the development platforms or port from one application to another and be confident that the application will perform the same way.
The choice of development platform depends on the preference, experience, and skill of the programmers. Each platform has unique advantages and disadvantages.
Server Configuration
Migration of the Autodesk MapGuide 6.5 application requires the acquisition of a development server. Developers typically have at least one staging or development server for testing. With Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise, it is recommended that two servers be configured and dedicated to the software. One server is used for staging and the other for the deployment server. It is possible to install Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise on the same server as Autodesk MapGuide, but it’s not recommended.
The hardware required to run Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise depends on many factors, including the organization’s networking infrastructure, development platform standards, and developers’ capability. Since Autodesk MapGuide Enterprise can now run on Linux as well as the Microsoft® Windows® operating system, the role of the organization’s IT staff becomes more important in the decision-making process.
