From Harvard Law’s Dan Collis-Puro, a how-to on optimizing your WordPress MU install, using Nginx as a front-end proxy cache for WordPress:
We put an nginx caching proxy server in front of our wordpress mu install and sped it up dramatically – in some cases a thousandfold. I’ve packaged up a plugin, along with installation instructions here – WordPress Nginx proxy cache integrator.
Back in July we posted about the remarkable project that WNET (PBS of NYC) put together with Tierra to launch 50 sites in ten months using one CMS, WordPress.
Dan Goldman and Jamie Trowbridge who headed up that project, were kind enough to present a case study of how it was all done, at the recent WordCamp NYC:
I’ve received a good amount of feedback from folks asking me to generate case studies on the use of WordPress when it comes to large scale use or heavy modified development. I’d love to do these case studies to find out the particulars on how WordPress is used in certain situations but the problem is, I don’t know how to go about it. This idea has been circulating around thanks to John M when he made a thread about it in the forum. Personally, I would like to create a questionnaire that can be sent to these people but I’m not sure if that is the correct way to go. Furthermore, I don’t know which questions to ask when it comes to a case study. This is where I need your help. If you have ideas, questions, or anything of that sort, please post in that forum thread or here in the comments.
In their evaluation of various platform choices they concluded:
“Although Drupal is also extremely powerful, we found that WordPress’s interface was better suited to a workflow that would begin to allow non-technical reporters and editors to work within our CMS.”
You can read more details about this project on CoPress.org.
I’ve been chatting with the folks at Tierra Innovation and WNET.ORG (Channel Thirteen in New York) on their impressive collaboration utilizing WordPress MU as a CMS for WNET.ORG’s network of high-traffic websites:
Using WordPress MU’s built-in features along with custom themes and plugins such as WPDB Profiling, they made it easier and much cheaper for WNET.ORG to roll out multiple sites that provide a great user experience as well as editorial and creative flexibility. Before the new CMS, WNET.ORG could only launch 1-2 sites per month. Now, they have the capability of rolling out 5-10 sites per month for a fraction of the cost.
