DotNetNuke is a full featured open source content management system built on the .NET framework technology and targeted to provide an unprecedented enterprise quality content management solutions to businesses worldwide. 

DNN as it exists today originated from the IBuySpy (IBS) Portal released by Microsoft Corporation in 2002. IBS Portal was intended to provide developers with an initiative to use ASP.NET technology to create dynamic data-driven web applications. Later that year IBS Portal was modified with the VB.NET version and released as an open source application under the name IBuySpy Workshop. 

Dot Net Nuke framework has grown tremendously since that time and now is virtually unidentifiable with the former IBuySpy product. Developed and supported by a dedicated management team and an active community of nearly 500,000 registered users, Dot Net Nuke framework was vastly improved, enhanced, and stabilized by employing the latest development and open source standards set by the industry. 

Let’s consider the architecture of the DotNetNuke CMS solution to better illustrate why Logic Spectrum team recommends this framework to their clients and how all the flexible on-demand functionality can be attained with the added effectiveness and efficiency. 

DNN framework is essentially built on the N-Tier logical architectural model incorporating three distinct logical layers: Presentation Layer, Business Logic Layer, and Data Access Layer.

Presentation Layer is responsible for the “look and feel” of the Content Management System. This is where the buttons, the text boxes, images, icons (or any other objects that the end user can directly interact with) are managed. Dot Net Nuke uses concepts like skin, container and user control to provide fully extensible and feature rich template model. The framework populates the templates at runtime with the data from the user controls and in this way completes the circle, rendering the pages to the client. Business Logic Layer is the brain of the CMS framework. It contains all the intelligence that enables the application to perform any functionality defined within the system. 

Business Logic Layer in DotNetNuke is designed to incorporate components such as Abstract Classes and Custom Business Objects that empower DNN to provide independence from the actual database type. Dot Net Nuke provides logic for custom and prebuilt modules. This substantially extends the functionality of the framework allowing third party components to coexists and function on plug and play basis. The representation and communication of the custom business objects is done through a Controller class and an Info class responsible for methods and property definitions respectively.

Data Access Layer (DAL) is comprised of the Abstract Data Provider (Factory), Concrete Data Providers (custom designed for MS SQL Server, Microsoft Access, Oracle, etc.), and Data Access Application blocks. The Abstract Data Provider gives the flexibility for the implementers to use the data providers of their choice and ensure that the CMS system can connect and work with any database platform.