AEM Franklin #1 | What is Edge Delivery Services or AEM Franklin or Helix

Summary

Edge Delivery Services is a cutting-edge Adobe platform that simplifies content creation and delivery for websites using a serverless, microservice-based architecture. It enables rapid site authoring through document-based content creation, supporting tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Content is processed and delivered via a CDN, ensuring fast, scalable performance. The system integrates with GitHub for code management and offers a flexible, composable infrastructure. While easy to use, adapting existing sites requires Adobe's assistance. With its high impact and speed, Edge Delivery Services is designed to enhance engagement and conversion by streamlining content management and site delivery.

Takeaways

• 😀 Edge Delivery Services is a feature of Adobe Experience Cloud that allows for fast and efficient content delivery and site development.
• 😀 The service provides a streamlined authoring process for creating and publishing content rapidly, improving conversion rates and reducing costs.
• 😀 Edge Delivery Services is not dependent on Adobe's Author or Publish tiers; it can run a website independently using a simplified approach.
• 😀 Document-Based Authoring enables content creation through commonly used tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Word, without needing the full Adobe Authoring Suite.
• 😀 Although Edge Delivery Services can work independently, Adobe's help is required for integrating existing sites with the service due to its reliance on a minimalistic, CSS and JavaScript-based approach.
• 😀 The architecture of Edge Delivery Services is built on a serverless microservices model, with different individual services that work together to provide overall functionality.
• 😀 The service operates with three primary layers: Client Infra (customer CDN), Edge Delivery Services (the microservice-based infrastructure), and the Authoring Layer.
• 😀 Content for Edge Delivery Services can be created through various methods, including Adobe Authoring, third-party tools like Google Docs, and Microsoft products like Word or Excel.
• 😀 The infrastructure includes three types of CDNs: Customer CDN, Outer CDN, and Inner CDN, with specific roles for caching and delivering live or preview content.
• 😀 The system also involves a pipeline service (Helix Pipeline) that transforms document-based content into HTML or hypermedia, ready for rendering and delivery via CDN.
• 😀 Code, content, and configurations are stored in different repositories (code bus, content bus, and media bus), and integrated development workflows rely on GitHub for version control and collaboration.

Q & A

What is Edge Delivery Services and how does it improve content authoring?

Edge Delivery Services is a cloud-based solution within Adobe Experience Cloud that helps deliver high-impact digital experiences quickly. It improves content authoring by allowing authors to rapidly create and publish content, enabling faster website launches and improving conversion rates. It uses a streamlined process for content authoring and development.

Is Edge Delivery Services an entirely new product from Adobe Experience Cloud?

No, Edge Delivery Services is not an entirely new product. It is a module within the Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as a Cloud service. It can function independently without requiring AEM Author or Publish tiers, but it can also integrate with AEM for content creation and management.

What is document-based authoring and how does it work in Edge Delivery Services?

Document-based authoring is a content creation process where authors use tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Word to create content. These documents are then transformed into hypermedia or HTML format through Edge Delivery Services, enabling fast rendering and publishing without the need for Adobe's AEM Author tier.

Can existing AEM websites be used with Edge Delivery Services?

Yes, existing AEM websites can be used with Edge Delivery Services. However, the content needs to be adapted for compatibility with Edge Delivery, which requires specific tools and Adobe’s help, especially for converting existing websites to the simplified architecture that uses only CSS and vanilla JavaScript.

What is the architecture of Edge Delivery Services?

Edge Delivery Services follows a serverless microservice architecture. It has three layers: client infrastructure (for CDN), Edge Delivery Services (the microservice-based cloud infrastructure), and the authoring layer (where content is created using tools like Google Docs or Microsoft Word). This architecture enables composable services that work together for efficient content delivery.

How does Edge Delivery Services handle content storage and processing?

Edge Delivery Services uses a Content Hub for storage, which is divided into three sections: media, content, and code buses. These sections store assets, structured/unstructured content, and code/configuration respectively. Content processing is handled by pipeline services that transform documents into hypermedia, ready for rendering on the web.

What are the three types of CDN used in Edge Delivery Services?

Edge Delivery Services uses three types of CDN: Client CDN (BYO CDN, where customers can integrate their own CDN), Outer CDN (for live content), and Inner CDN (for preview content). The Inner CDN is not used for caching, while both the Client and Outer CDNs can be used for caching purposes.

What is the role of pipeline services in Edge Delivery?

Pipeline services are responsible for transforming documents created through Google Docs or Microsoft Word into hypermedia or HTML. The main pipeline service, Helix Pipeline, uses frameworks like Helix HTML to render and filter content for delivery on the web. It ensures content is processed efficiently and delivered correctly.

How does Edge Delivery Services integrate with third-party tools?

Edge Delivery Services integrates with third-party tools like Slack for communication with Adobe during the implementation of client projects. It also supports using Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Google Drive, and SharePoint for content creation. Third-party systems such as Sidekick can be used for managing content publication and deletion.

What is the difference between the Outer CDN and Inner CDN in Edge Delivery Services?

The Outer CDN in Edge Delivery Services is used for live content, serving the final version of the website to end users, while the Inner CDN is used for preview content. The Outer CDN can also be used for caching, whereas the Inner CDN is used solely for preview purposes and does not perform caching.