Deploy DFFS from one location

[Travis Goodman]

Hello,

I have an enterprise license, and I am wondering if I can have DFFS and the files live on a single site collection, and deploy it to lists on other site collections. I would like to not have every site collection have DFFS library on it with the license code just out there. I also don’t want people snooping around the site and finding that site collections SPJS library. I’d prefer to have 1 main location, and deploy it from there.

Is that possible?

[Brett]

This is a good idea Travis.
Would be good to keep all DFFS files in the one location.

Alexander, Further to Travis’s point:
Has there also been any consideration for hosting DFFS files in a CDN repository?

[Alexander Bautz]

Hi,
You cannot have the DFFS files in a local site collection and use them from other site collections, but I added a CDN installer option in November 2021.

I had only documented it in the change log, but have now updated the installation manual with a short description: https://spjsblog.com/dffs/dffs-installation-manual/#CDN_Installer

Look at it and let me know if you have any questions.

Alexander

[Travis Goodman]

So my question would be what kind of solution can be done for users with enterprise licenses that want to manage from a single location? Currently, if I have like 10-15 site collections, I have to go to each one individually to upgrade the DFFS version, then I also have to maintain 10-15 custom CSS/JS files, and then I also have the license code out there 15 different times where someone snooping around could just happen upon it. There’s just a lot of risk and a lot of redundancy I’d like to eliminate if at all possible. Do you have any thoughts on this, or just straight up it won’t be possible?

[Alexander Bautz]

I guess you could use the CDN installer to load from a dedicated SharePoint site – just point to it in the CDN Folder path field of the DFFS Installer for CDN.

Please note that all users must have read access to this site – and must have a “single sign on” so that they can access it without any login prompt.

If you check the DFFS_Loader_CDN.html file is loaded from CDN checkbox in the DFFS Installer for CDN and follow the instructions to upload the completed file you can centralize this also – including the license code if you supply it in the License code field in the installer.

You should save the SPJS/DFFS/Installer/DFFS_Installer_CDN.html file (after it has been updated from saving the installer changes) also in your local “CDN” and set up the DFFS installer web part page in all site collections pointing to this file. This way you don’t need any local files in your site collections.

Please note that I haven’t actually tested this myself, but I think it should work – let me know if you have any issues.

Alexander

[Travis Goodman]

Ok, running into some issues here that may be due to my never having done the CDN method.

So I’ve got the files on my “centralized” site collection, what files (if any) do I need on my target site collection that will reference DFFS from the centralized site?

If you check the DFFS_Loader_CDN.html file is loaded from CDN checkbox in the DFFS Installer for CDN and follow the instructions to upload the completed file you can centralize this also.

For this quoted piece above, what instructions to upload what completed file, and where am I uploading it to?

Lastly, will this method automatically save configurations to the centralized site for me as I make updates, just like it does currently when I have it installed locally on each site? Or how does it work with updates being made? Like say I add a new rule to a list, does that automatically get saved to the centralized site location?

I will definitely be sending you a tip once this is all setup, I really appreciate your assistance with this.

[Alexander Bautz]

You can prepare all files in your centralized site. Use the CDN installer to create the file DFFS_Loader_CDN.html file (it will be created when you click the Update the local installer and loader file button in the CDN installer (after you have checked the DFFS_Loader_CDN.html file is loaded from CDN and filled in the license code field).

When this is done you should only need to copy the link to your /SPJS/DFFS/Installer/DFFS_Installer_CDN.html file and set up a web part page in your target site collections that points to that file.

Now you can use the installer web part page in your target site collections to install DFFS in lists in that site collection.

This will not save configs in the centralized location – they will be saved in each site that uses DFFS (all your target sites).

The option to Load DFFS and vLookup configurations from CDN that you can check in the CDN installer cannot be used in your scenario as it would not allow for changes being made in each of the target sites. It would only apply if your target sites all were an exact copy of your “centralized” site and you wanted to have the config centralized.

Alexander

[Travis Goodman]

This will not save configs in the centralized location – they will be saved in each site that uses DFFS (all your target sites).

The option to Load DFFS and vLookup configurations from CDN that you can check in the CDN installer cannot be used in your scenario as it would not allow for changes being made in each of the target sites. It would only apply if your target sites all were an exact copy of your “centralized” site and you wanted to have the config centralized.

I’m ok with the form configurations being saved in the target site collection, and I prefer that. I’ll try this out tomorrow.

To make sure I understand, I do NOT want to check to load DFFS and vLookup configs from CDN, right? And it’ll know to use the configurations library on the local site?

[Alexander Bautz]

Yes, do not check the load DFFS and vLookup configs from CDN checkbox – and yes, it will automatically save the config locally in the site your form is located in.

Alexander

[Travis Goodman]

So I’m running into an issue. When I copy the link to the DFFS_Installer_CDN.html file to my CEWP in my target site, the CEWP throws back the following error: Cannot retrieve the URL specified in the Content Link property. For more assistance, contact your site administrator.

I assume it’s being blocked because it’s cross-site. Not sure how to get around this. It’s definitely not permissions, because I have the centralized site set to everyone.

[Travis Goodman]

I can’t believe I forgot to mention this before, but I’m using SharePoint Online. Pretty important detail I failed to mention.

[Alexander Bautz]

You are unfortunately correct – I have tested it now and SharePoint online blocks links to other site collections – even if it’s in the same domain.

I’m afraid this basically leaves you with just the option to use a CDN like Azure (SharePoint allows content links to Azure). You might be able to use another external location that can serve your files – if your company has some kind of webpage that can host the files.

You can use the same approach and upload all files as described above to your CDN.

You find instructions in the file /SPJS/DFFS/installer/DFFS_Installer_CDN_ReadMe.txt

Alexander

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