Our first take-aways on Sitecore XM Cloud

Revolutionizing Content Delivery

One of the key differentiators between Sitecore XM and Sitecore XM Cloud is the introduction of Experience Edge, a cutting-edge content delivery network (CDN) and delivery endpoint. Experience Edge enables seamless headless content delivery, empowers the utilization of a GraphQL API, and facilitates real-time personalization. This shift eliminates the need for traditional content delivery servers with Sitecore XM Cloud.

Development Made Easy

Developing on top of Sitecore XM Cloud largely resembles traditional Sitecore development, with a few notable exceptions:

• Docker Windows Containers: At present, there is no Sitecore Installation Framework (SIF) or Sitecore Installation Assistant available for Sitecore XM Cloud. Consequently, the only viable option for setting up a complete local development environment is by employing containers. However, it's worth noting that running all Sitecore application instances within containers may impact performance. Once up and running, though, the development experience and responsiveness are comparable to a bare-metal Sitecore setup.

• Experience Edge: Developers have the flexibility to run all heads locally against Experience Edge, effectively eliminating the need for a local dockerized Sitecore environment. To achieve this, you must provision an XM Cloud project and publish your changes to Edge to ensure content visibility.

• Sitecore CLI: Since all infrastructure resides in XM Cloud, the provisioning and deployment of projects necessitate the use of either the XM Cloud Portal or Sitecore CLI. For DevOps pipelines, this entails replacing conventional deployment steps with script steps utilizing the Sitecore CLI to deploy build artifacts.

The Advantages of Developing on Sitecore XM Cloud

• Simplified Infrastructure Management: The cloud-based deployment model of Sitecore XM Cloud significantly simplifies infrastructure management, transferring responsibilities such as server setup, maintenance, and scalability to Sitecore's reliable cloud infrastructure.

• Scalability and Elasticity: Organizations can effortlessly scale their Sitecore environments based on demand. With the inherent advantages of cloud-based infrastructure, developers can leverage auto-scaling capabilities to handle increased traffic or usage spikes without the need to worry about provisioning additional servers or resources.

• Automated Updates and Maintenance: Sitecore XM Cloud takes care of automatic updates and maintenance for the underlying infrastructure and platform. This ensures that your environment remains up-to-date, incorporating the latest security patches, performance improvements, and feature enhancements.

• Global Content Delivery: Sitecore XM Cloud harnesses the power of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and Edge caching to guarantee swift and consistent content delivery across the globe.

In Conclusion

Sitecore XM Cloud offers a powerful cloud-based solution for organizations seeking to streamline their Sitecore environments. By offloading infrastructure management, providing scalability and elasticity, facilitating automated updates and maintenance, and ensuring global content delivery, Sitecore XM Cloud empowers businesses to focus on delivering exceptional digital experiences.

We look forward to working with Sitecore XM Cloud. As with all solutions there are always considerations, if you would like to know more please contact us ;-)