MS Domain mapping vs multiple MS
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Hi there,
We are currently debating wether to have one huge multisite installation with all sites, or multiple multisites with each site separate (though with multiple blogs).
One installation (option A):
- Site A
- Site A, blog 1
- Site A, blog 2
- Site A, blog 3
- Site A, blog 4
- Site B
- Site B, blog 1
- Site B, blog 3
- Site B, blog 4
- Site C
- etc
Multiple installations (option B):
- Ins1: Site A
- Ins1: Site A, blog 1
- Ins1: Site A, blog 2
- Ins1: Site A, blog 3
- Ins1: Site A, blog 4
- Ins2: Site B
- Ins2: Site B, blog 1
- Ins2: Site B, blog 3
- Ins2: Site B, blog 4
- Ins3: Site C
- etc
To use one huge installation we have to use Domain mapping (or similar).
Trying to explain the situation here. We currently have about 10-ish major websites. Most of them have a couple of blogs, some of them only have a few. There are more than 100 blogs in total. Sites have pretty high traffic.
Option A:
+ Less databases and files to keep track on. Update one installation and you are done. Easier to copy to dev and stage environment.
– Before you can update, you need to make sure that all themes are compatible, as well as plugins etc.
– If something breaks, everything breaks.
– Domain mapping slows things down.
– More data in WordPress usually slow things down as well.
– Security, all eggs in same pocket. (refering to db)
– Have to create methods to see which blogs belongs to which sites.Option B:
+ Check compatibility for one theme (with child themes) and you are done.
+ If something breaks, it’s isolated to current major site.
+ Faster as domain mapping etc is not needed.
+ No need to create homebrewed methods to find which blogs belongs to which sites as database only contain each sites blogs.
– More databases and more files. More time spend on upgrading when you are upgrading (have to update on multiple places). Also more to copy to dev and stage environment.So a long time ago, each site was running on one installation. People working thought it was pretty much hell to work with this, and things never got updated. Please notice that this isn’t really option B, as blogs were separate installations as well.
Currently things are running under option A. People working haven’t had the time to check all themes and plugins for compatibility, so things aren’t upgraded since they moved sites to multiinstallation. Actually there are two different multiinstallations…
Right now there are a pretty hot debate about this. So how do you guys think? Why?
Mostly we are interested in how different option will affect time spend on maintaining as well as performance.
I will try to keep my personal opinion out of it, I’m just interested in why one way is better than the other.
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