Technical Architecture - Optimizely CMS 12

Exam Area: Content Area 1 – Product Knowledge (15%)
Reference: https://docs.developers.optimizely.com/content-management-system/docs/technology-stack

1. Technology Stack

Backend:

Layer	Technology
Web Framework	ASP.NET Core 6.0+
Language	C# (.NET 6 / .NET 7)
Database	Microsoft SQL Server 2016+
Search	Optimizely Search & Navigation (Elasticsearch)
BLOB Storage	File System or Azure Blob Storage

Frontend (CMS UI):

Component	Technology
UI Framework	Dojo JavaScript Framework
Rich Text Editor	TinyMCE
Module System	AMD (Asynchronous Module Definition)

2. Content Model Architecture

IContent (interface)
  ├── PageData (web pages)
  │     └── SitePageData (custom base class)
  │           └── ArticlePage, StartPage, etc.
  ├── BlockData (blocks)
  │     └── TeaserBlock, HeroBlock, etc.
  └── IContentMedia
        ├── ImageData (images)
        ├── VideoData (videos)
        └── MediaData (files)

3. Request Pipeline (CMS 12)

HTTP Request
    │
    ▼
ASP.NET Core Middleware Pipeline
    │
    ▼
Routing (MapContent, MapControllerRoute)
    │
    ▼
CMS Content Routing (ContentRoute)
    │
    ▼
Template Coordinator (ITemplateResolver)
    │
    ▼
Controller / View Component
    │
    ▼
IContentRepository → Database
    │
    ▼
Response (HTML / JSON)

4. Core Architectural Components

4.1 IContentRepository

The central service for CRUD operations on content
Injected via DI

private readonly IContentRepository _contentRepository;
public MyController(IContentRepository contentRepository)
{
    _contentRepository = contentRepository;
}

4.2 Template Coordinator

Finds the appropriate template for each content type
Uses the TemplateDescriptor attribute for registration

4.3 Episerver Framework

Provides core services: caching, events, DI, etc.
ServiceLocator.Current (legacy) → prefer DI instead

4.4 Initialization System

IInitializableModule runs at application startup
Registers services, event handlers, etc.

5. Database Schema

CMS uses multiple SQL Server tables:

Key Table	Description
`tblContent`	Primary content data
`tblContentLanguage`	Language-specific content
`tblContentProperty`	Property values
`tblContentType`	Content type definitions
`tblAccess`	Access control entries
`tblBigTable`	Dynamic Data Store

6. Content Versioning

Draft (CheckedOut)
    │
    ▼
Published (Published)
    │
    ▼
Previously Published (PreviouslyPublished)
    │
    ▼
Archived (Rejected/Expired)

States:

VersionStatus.CheckedOut – Draft
VersionStatus.CheckedIn – Checked in
VersionStatus.DelayedPublish – Scheduled
VersionStatus.Published – Live
VersionStatus.PreviouslyPublished – Old version
VersionStatus.Rejected – Rejected

7. Multi-Site Architecture

CMS Instance
├── Site 1 (example.com)
│   ├── Start Page
│   └── Pages...
├── Site 2 (example.co.uk)
│   ├── Start Page
│   └── Pages...
└── Shared Content (Global Assets)
    ├── Shared Blocks
    └── Shared Media

8. Security Architecture

Authentication: ASP.NET Core Identity or OpenID Connect (Azure AD)
Authorization: Role-based (WebAdmins, WebEditors)
Content Access: Access Control Lists (ACL) per content item
Permissions to Functions: Controls access to CMS functions

Review Questions

Which .NET version does CMS 12 require? (.NET 6+)
Which database is supported? (Microsoft SQL Server)
Which framework is used for the CMS UI? (Dojo)
What is the default rich text editor? (TinyMCE)
Which interface is central to retrieving content? (IContentRepository)
What BLOB storage can be used in a cloud environment? (Azure Blob Storage)