I have always tried to stay informed about new modules that enter the market. I do this for a couple reasons. Primarily, I just like to see what kind of new and unique modules are entering the market. My other reason would of course be for business purposes, but on various levels. I usually find myself going through the same process regardless of the reason. Recently I have also been looking for other modules that can integrate with our products, which means I’m going to take much closer look. This is a process that I have done many times, but have never really documented. I felt it was finally time to document this and evaluate ourselves.
This process is broken down by phases. Phase I is going to cover the basic information and answer your general information needs. Phase II is actually evaluating the module from more of an architecture level. The value for each of these questions will depend on your needs and situation. In regards to Phase II, the value is completely going to depend on your level of expertise. There is actually a third phase that is more about performance and server utilization which I will cover at a later date.
I’m posting this list knowing that there are items where Active Modules could improve, which was my original purpose. I also think this could help others in the community. Before you go out and spend $49.95 on that brand new module, take a few minutes and evaluate the total package. Even though it might only be $49.95 or even free, look at your total DotNetNuke investment. Installing one bad module could end up costing you much more.
Please feel free to leave a comment if there is something you want to add or would like further clarification.
Phase I – The Basics
1. Vendor information
a. Do they have any history in the DotNetNuke market?
b. Do they have any history in software development?
c. How can they be contacted?
d. Is this a part-time or full-time developer/organization?
2. Website information
a. How much effort did they put into the site?
b. Is contact information published?
c. Do they have a blog/forums/news section?
i. Is there any activity?
d. Do they offer a knowledge base/help desk?
e. How is their material written?
f. When was it last updated?
g. Do they sell directly from their site?
3. Product/Module information
a. What does this product do?
b. How long has it been around?
c. Are there any others like it?
d. Are there any others outside of DotNetNuke?
e. How is the product priced?
f. How is it licensed?
g. How is the product supported?
h. What’s the upgrade policy?
i. Is there a trial version/on-line demo?
j. Is documentation available?
k. Where can I buy it?
Phase II – The Test Drive
It’s probably a good idea to make sure you do this on a test installation that has been backed-up. I would also suggest getting a baseline for comparison with some of the items below. For example, how many objects are in the bin directory and how many tables are in the database now.
1. Installation Package – Unzip the file and see what is going to be installed.
a. What is the size of zip file?
b. How is it structured?
c. Does it follow DotNetNuke recommendations?
d. How many files?
e. How many SqlDataProvider files?
f. Are there any other zip files? If so, what’s in them?
g. What assemblies (.dll files) are going to be installed?
i. Does anything look questionable?
ii. Any DotNetNuke core assemblies?
h. Is there an Uninstall.SqlDataProvider?
2. Installing the Module
a. Do I have to do anything other than upload the module?
i. Any changes to DotNetNuke?
ii. Any changes to web.config?
iii. Anything else I really don’t want to do?
b. How long does the install take? (not setup and configuration—actual upload of module)
c. Are there any errors?
d. How many modules have been installed?
e. Can I read the full module name in the Module drop down list?
f. In the case of multiple modules, does the documentation tell me what to add to the page first?
3. Basic setup
a. What happens when I add the module to a page for the first time?
b. How do I configure the module?
i. Module Settings?
ii. Admin/Edit pages? (items appear in module actions menu)
iii. Control Panel?
c. Can I easily determine the proper setup steps?
d. Can I easily make changes?
e. What happens when I move the module to another page?
f. What happens when I delete the module from the page?
g. Does it support localization?
4. Taking a closer look – What did I really install?
a. Database Objects
i. How many tables?
ii. How many stored procedures?
iii. How are the objects named? Are there inconsistencies?
iv. Does anything look questionable?
b. Module Directory - /DotNetNuke/DesktopModules/MODULENAME
i. How is the folder structured?
ii. Any non-standard file types?
iii. Any files that can be accessed outside DotNetNuke?
1. .aspx,.html,.htm,.asp,.txt,.xml, etc.
2. Do any of the pages contain sensitive information or allow access to information?
iv. Open a few of the files in notepad.
1. Do I understand what I see?
2. If so, do I see any issues?
c. Uninstall
i. Are there multiple modules? Do they have to be removed in any particular order?
ii. Any problems during uninstall?
iii. Any files remaining in module directory?
iv. Any objects left in the database?
Will Morgenweck
Active Modules, Inc.
www.activemodules.com
Office: 843-769-9877