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Umbraco Courier

As Umbraco’s popularity as a primary Content Management System (CMS) grows, so too does the myriad of features that are available to Umbraco users. Let’s delve into Umbraco Courier and explore this package in depth.

To put it simply, the objective of Umbraco Courier is to move the functioning items of one site to another. But due to the unique way that Umbraco CMS is built, this is a process in itself. This is because there are a whole host of dependencies that go into moving an item from site to site.

What Umbraco Courier Can Do

Umbraco Courier is a user-friendly, multiple-faceted system. You can simply tell Umbraco Courier to deploy a feature or item from one site to another. From here, it will figure out all the logistics and dependencies of what is needed for that feature to function optimally on the site you are transferring to.

Once Umbraco Courier has determined the back-end logistics, the selected item is exported into a file as XML along with any images and other elements. From here, Umbraco Courier will build a deployment graph to make sure that all file elements are installed onto the site in the correct order. The final step is installation.

So, in short, Umbraco Courier:

  • Gathers the items you specify
  • Accumulates the dependencies of the items
  • Compares both items and dependencies to your target website
  • Stores the collection of files and data
  • Curates a graph of the deployment which will outline the order in which files and data will be installed
  • Sends these to your target site
  • Installs them

Why Umbraco Courier is Necessary

The number of dependencies that go into moving a document--which includes the document and its data, Property Editors, data type, files, setting and content (such as RTE), the template, etc--makes Umbraco Courier indispensable. Umbraco Courier transfers and installs all dependencies in order and correctly, so the site functions optimally without any guesswork.

The Deployment Process

Since Umbraco Courier adds additional data as needed to convert files to a transferable format and then identifies which can and cannot be transferred, it transfers your site data in batches.

When deploying an entire site, use your normal process, then let Umbraco Courier handle the more headache-inducing transfers of features and files, guaranteeing a safe installation.

Umbraco Courier is an efficient deployment system, but if it seems out of your budget, check out Umbraco uSync as a free alternative. The uSync package takes elements of Umbraco currently stored in a database and saves them to disk, allowing you to copy, source control, and move your Umbraco site between servers and computers. Although uSync does have its limitations, it is a great starting point.

If you are looking for more in-depth information regarding Umbraco Courier, check out the user forum through Umbraco HQ. You can purchase Umbraco Courier from Umbraco Apps. And stay updated about other important elements available to Umbraco Users, such as Umbraco Cloud, here.

About the author

David Armitage

.Net MVC Developer
.Net Core Developer
Umbraco Certified Master
Recruitment Professional

Hey Peeps,

I'm an entrepreneur and web developer with a passion for coding. I absolutely love working with Umbraco CMS and appreciate the Umbraco community even more.

I've got 10 years+ .Net experience and 7 years+ experience working in the recruitment industry, both coding and marketing job websites. I wanted to use my skills to help give something back to this awesome community and so I decided to build UmbraJobs.com.

My vision & fundamentals

I want this website to be a place where Umbraco Professionals and Umbraco Partners can advertise their services but at the same time I want to filter out all the under-qualified freelancers & agencies that take up the biggest part of other job & freelancer websites. We've all worked hard to gain our Umbraco certifications, partnership status, and help build the Umbraco community to what it is today. I want to see everyone get rewarded for their efforts.

Follow me on social media

If you're an Umbraco professional, partner, employer, recruiter or a passionate Umbraco community builder then I'm more than happy to hear from you. Follow me on my social media channels and please reach out if you have any needs, want help or consultation with anything Umbraco related or just want a general chat.

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