Non-Production Cascade Servers

In addition to our production Cascade CMS server we also have 2 non-production Cascade CMS servers: Cascade TEST and Cascade DEV.

Non-Production Server Details

• We periodically (a few times a year) re-clone these servers from the production Cascade CMS.
  • Cloning destroys anything on the server that is not on the production server.
• Content on these servers will NEVER automatically appear in production.
  • You would need to cut-and-paste manually and re-perform any other actions.
• For these reasons:
  • You typically won't use non-production Cascade servers for developing new websites or new content within an existing website unless it's worth doing everything twice.
  • Please submit a request if you have a project you'd like to try out on a non-production server.

Cascade TEST

• As a Cascade Manager, you can visit Cascade TEST at cascadetst.wm.edu
  • You will have the same permissions and content you had on the production server at the time we last cloned — often a few months old.
• Cascade TEST publishes to an associated non-production web server
  • Web server URLs look like: https://tst-[yoursite]/path
    e.g., https://tst-law.wm.edu/about
• The associated non-production (published) web server requires this specific login:
  • User = reweb
  • Password = Oceans31
  • This is not a secret; it simply keeps Google bots out.
• Usage
  • Web & Design frequently uses TEST to build new page types, row types & other features.
  • Occasionally we'll build a proof-of-concept for a new website, or an extensive overhaul of an existing website.
• Cascade Managers
  • We may ask you to preview or test a new or revamped feature or website.
    • In these cases, we'll send you a link to either cascadetst.wm.edu or test-{Site}.wm.edu
  • You may utilize Cascade TEST on your own
    • You could try out a new feature or row type to see how it works.
    • You could test out a series of changes to your content or folder structure that you want to make sure behave as you expected.
    • If you plan to work on something for days or weeks, please submit a request so we don't schedule a refresh and destroy your work mid-project.
  • We inform Cascade Managers when we plan to refresh Cascade TEST.

Cascade DEV

• Cascade DEV is more volatile than Cascade TEST, as we use it for:
  • testing new upgrades/versions of Cascade CMS
  • testing updates to the underlying Linux/Apache server running in Amazon's cloud
  • attempting an overhaul of a whole Site, or a substantial portion of a Site, to make sure it works without unintended consequences.
• Please do not use Cascade DEV for your own testing and trials.
  • We do not inform Cascade Managers when we plan to refresh Cascade DEV.