what's the possible solution to build a app host(such as wordpress.com or google group) in java?

Question

Hi All,

I'm wondering how wordpress.com or google group host multiple applications for different party. For wordpress, I guess it will create a subdomain for each user and configured a virtual host in Apache for this installation. Of course, a database is installed for this user (or tables with prefix). Will the wordpress application need to be copied? So each blog is independent and they don't have to do anything in the blog application (I guess).

In java, life is not easy. I think the multiple applications instance has to be implemented programmingly. Almost every domain object need to add an attribute, for example, A Post need to be identified by a blog attribute.

This leave the database design more work to do. There might be three solutions:

1. add one more column. For example, the table post need to add "blog_id". Posts from all blogs are stored in one table. This solution add extra work in SQL query since you have to add "where blog_id=1" almost in every query.

2. Table prefix, such as blog1_post.

3. New database. "blog1.post"

I would use spring+hibernate in this project. What do you think I might miss?

Answer 1

Wordpress is probably running multiple installations for each blog, and using something like puppet to rollout the codebase into production, and to manage updates etc.