Config Files & Registry

Configuration for a Smartsite iXperion site is quite complex, in particular when you compare it with Smartsite 5.x for which the configuration is concentrated within the site's registry. Within iXperion, the cms manager configuration is still present within the site's registry, but that's not the only place.

The publication engine also makes heavy use of typical .NET configuration files to configure specific facets, such as the Smartsite.Data.config and Smartsite.Security.config. And of course, there's also the web.config.

The Config Editor

The Config Editor tries to make the various configuration files and registry settings a little bit more accessible. It also provides options to validate the configuration, as well as validating the operational status of your site.

When the Config Editor is started, it inspects the (local) server and creates a list of all the sites. Then, for each site the appropriate configuration files and the registry are read. This information is then "translated", interpreted and displayed within the Config Editor. Sites which have been disabled within the regsitry are shown greyed-out.

Of course, there's no way the Config Editor is able to validate every available configuration setting or provide means to adjust everyone of them, so only the most important settings are available. However, the Config Editor will suffice in 95% of the time when you want to adjust a specific setting or you need to find out why your site isn't running as it should be.

The image shown above displays the Config Editor. On the left, all sites available on the (in this case) local server are shown. To give you a better picture of what kind of information can be edited and/or validated using the Config Editor, the nodes of the displayed EmptySix-12 site have been expanded.

On the right side, various settings belonging to the selected category on the left are displayed. Of course, this right pane is updated and other settings will be displayed when the selection in the left pane is adjusted.

Furthermore, the text box directly below the right pane gives information about the (also in the right pane) selected setting.

When you open a site by selecting it in the left pane, it will be locked and you will not be able to change any configuration setting. To be able to change any setting, you need to click the Unlock button.

For advanced users, there's also an Advanced Mode available within the View menu, which gives you access to even more (advanced) configuration settings. 

Validate your site

The Config Editor has two ways of validating (the configuration of) your site. The Validate button checks the configuration of your site against a set of internal rules.

The bottom pane displays a list of the results. When a specific setting doesn't comply with the corresponding internal rule, an error or warning is displayed within this list.

To get more information for a specific error or warning (new in 1.2), right-click the line and select View Error Details on Support Site.

Double-clicking an error or warning will select the corresponding configuration setting (if any) in the upper pane.

Validate Operational Status

The Validate Operational Status is another way of validating your site. It executes http requests to the configured addresses of your site and checks whether or not it can communicate with the various configured WCF services, using the specified address for each service. It also checks if the correct folders (on disc) have been specified.

Your site should at least pass every check executed within Validate Operational Status. If not, you need to check IIS or you should adjust the configuration.

Tools

The Config Editor also provides you direct access to several frequently used tools.