Provincie Utrecht: multiple websites using a single codebase

Another important requirement is working with sub-sites. The province currently has about ten websites and wanted all websites to have the same functionality and look and feel. To do this as efficiently as possible, we set up an architecture of one codebase with a multisite setup. This way, updates and optimisations only need to be adjusted in one place and are immediately available for all sub-websites.

A new sub-site within a day

Each website does have its own database, which means that the content of the various websites is separated. This is not only more convenient, but it is also easier to search and manage permissions for each website. With the new architecture, we can set up a new sub-site with all the functionality of the other websites within a day. Through Single Sign-On, all authorised employees have access to the CMS of all websites and the image bank.

Searching for images, trimming them to size, compressing them and uploading them used to take up a lot of time. Images had to be saved in different formats on a separate website. In addition, the metadata accompanying an image was not always relevant. Therefore, we developed a solution in which photographers can upload their images directly to an image bank integrated into the website. Here they can add meta information to the images, which makes searching for images a lot easier! On the corporate website, editors can place images directly on the website without first downloading and then uploading them. Drupal scales and compresses images automatically, which saves a lot of time.

Curious to see the result?

Check out the new website and sub-sites:

• Corporate website Province of Utrecht

• Green Heart administrative platform

• Environment Act Province of Utrecht

• Richelleweg Business Park

• Regiotram Utrecht