Comparing AEM as Cloud Service and AEM 6.5 | AEM 6.5 vs. AEM as a Cloud Service

 AEM 6.5 vs. AEM as a Cloud Service: What You Need to Know

When it comes to enterprise content management, Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) is a leading solution. However, businesses often face a crucial decision: Should they choose AEM 6.5 or AEM as a Cloud Service? This guide provides a clear comparison to help you make an informed choice, focusing on features, benefits, and use cases for both.

What is AEM 6.5?

AEM 6.5 is the traditional on-premises version of Adobe Experience Manager. It allows businesses to deploy and manage their content management system (CMS) in a private or hybrid cloud environment.

Key Features:

• Full control over infrastructure and deployment.
• Customizable architecture tailored to specific business needs.
• Extensive support for integrations with legacy systems.

Ideal For: Organizations that need strict standards or prefer on-premises infrastructure for more control.

What is AEM as a Cloud Service?

AEM as a Cloud Service is Adobe’s fully managed, cloud-native CMS. It offers continuous updates and scalability without the need for manual upgrades or maintenance.

Key Features:

• Fully managed by Adobe with automatic updates.
• Built-in scalability and high availability.
• Faster time-to-market with modern cloud infrastructure.

Ideal For: Businesses looking for a scalable, low-maintenance CMS with access to the latest features.

Key Differences Between AEM 6.5 and AEM as a Cloud Service

Benefits of AEM 6.5

1. Complete Control: You have full control over infrastructure and security.
2. Custom Integrations: Ideal for businesses with unique integration needs.
3. Requirement-ready: Meets strict data privacy and regulatory requirements.

Challenges:

• Requires significant IT resources for management.
• Manual upgrades can be time-consuming and costly.

Benefits of AEM as a Cloud Service

1. Continuous Innovation: Always up-to-date with Adobe’s latest features and improvements.
2. Scalability: Automatically adjusts to handle spikes in traffic.
3. Lower Maintenance: No need for manual upgrades or server management.

Challenges:

• Limited flexibility for highly customized use cases.
• Relies on Adobe’s infrastructure, which may not meet specific compliance requirements.

When to Choose AEM 6.5

• Your business requires full control over infrastructure and data.
• You need deep customization for complex workflows.
• Meeting strict rules is a top priority.

When to Choose AEM as a Cloud Service

• Your focus is on scalability and faster time-to-market.
• You want a low-maintenance CMS with continuous updates.
• Your team prefers a subscription-based pricing model with predictable costs.

Conclusion

Choosing between AEM 6.5 and AEM as a Cloud Service depends on your business needs. If you require complete control and customization, AEM 6.5 is the right choice. However, if you prioritize scalability, reduced maintenance, and access to the latest features, AEM as a Cloud Service is the way forward. Both options are powerful solutions—the decision lies in your organization’s goals and resources.

Launches and Page Lock/Unlock Adobe AEM

 

Launches

Develop a launch mechanism facilitating updates for future activation of new versions of current web pages. Launches enable you to efficiently develop content for a future release. A launch is created to allow you to make changes ready for future publication (while maintaining your current pages). After editing and updating your launch pages you promote them back to the source, then activate the source pages (top-level). Promoting duplicates of the launch content back to the source pages can be done either manually or automatically (dependent on fields set when creating and editing the launch).

Create Launch

• Select the page with the selection mode
• click on the Create button then Selec Launch.

• Add the title and select the options as per need (otherwise move forward with default options)
• Click on the Create button

Access All Launches

• Navigate to BASEURL/libs/launches/content/launches.html.(list of all created lunches)
• Select your lunch, click on the edit button,

• Select the page and click on the Save button
• Click on the  Open Button, page will be ready for edit 

• when all changes are done then click on the Promote button.

1. then select options according to your need and click Next. it will be synced with the main page in the AEM Author site console. After this, you can publish the page to move content to the Publisher.

Page Lock / Unlock

Once the page is locked, no alterations can be made to its content, and replication of the page is prohibited until the user who locked it chooses to unlock it again.

How to lock the Page

• Select the page with the selection mode
• Select the lock icon.

• so one can edit this page once it is locked.
• if another person tries to unlock this page he will get an error popup

How to Unlock the Page

• Select the page with the selection mode
• Select the Unlock icon.

Run Adobe AEM in Debug Mode | Debugger in AEM VsCode

 

Run AEM In Debug Mode

Using IntelliJ

Command 

Run the author instance in debug mode by executing the following command and Please make sure to replace aem-author-p4502.jar with the appropriate filename if necessary. This command starts the author instance with debugging enabled on port 8888.

java -Xmx2048M -agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,address=8888,
server=y,suspend=n -jar aem-author-p4502.jar

Configure IntelliJ for debugging:
 Open your project in IntelliJ.
 Navigate to the "Run" menu and select "Edit Configurations".
 Click on the "+" button to create a new configuration and choose "Remote JVM Debug" from the list.
 In the "Name" field, provide a name for your configuration (e.g., AEM Debug).
 In the "Debugger mode" section, select "Attach to remote JVM".
 Specify the following settings:
Host: The hostname or IP address of your Slack workspace's server where AEM is running.
Port: The port number where AEM is running in debug mode (in this case, 8888).
Optionally, you can configure other settings such as module filtering, breakpoints, etc., as per your requirements.
Click "OK" to save the configuration.

you can start a debugging session by selecting the created configuration and clicking the "Debug" button in IntelliJ.

Using VSCode
Command 
Run the author instance in debug mode by executing the following command and Please make sure to replace aem-author-p4502.jar with the appropriate filename if necessary. This command starts the author instance with debugging enabled on port 5000 (this port could be anything).
java -jar aem-author-p4502.jar -debug 5000

After running above command Now Configure VSCode for debugging
Click on  Debug Icon and make configuration in launch.json file according to project
Run your debugger by clicking on debugger green button debugger will be started




Now you can see debugger is telling you at which break point what is happening
Now you can see debugger is telling you at which break point what is happening
Now you can see debugger is telling you at which break point what is happening
Now you can see debugger is telling you at which break point what is happening
Add Breakpoints on any "sling model" that you want to debug. and after that refresh you page on aem author that is using this model.





Now Debugger is Telling you at which breakpoint what is happening

AEM OSGI Configuration with Run Modes

 In this article we will learn about OSGI Configuration with run modes in Adobe Experience Manager 

Create OSGIConfiguration InterFace

Go to your maven project  > Core and create an Interface

Create OSGIConfiguration Implementation 

we will create a class here that will implement this interface

package sa.com.stc.core.services.Impl;

import org.osgi.service.metatype.annotations.*;

import sa.com.stc.core.services.CxpOsgiConfig;

import org.osgi.service.component.annotations.Activate;

import org.osgi.service.component.annotations.Component;

@Component(service = CxpOsgiConfig.class,immediate = true)

@Designate(ocd = CxpOsgiConfigimpl.ServiceConfig.class )

public class CxpOsgiConfigimpl implements CxpOsgiConfig{

@ObjectClassDefinition(name="CXP - OSGi Configuration",

description = "OSGi Configuration demo.")

public @interface ServiceConfig {

@AttributeDefinition(

name = "Base Url",

description = "Enter Base Url.",

type = AttributeType.STRING)

public String baseURL() default "http://localhost:";

@AttributeDefinition(

name = "Port Number",

description = "Enter Port Number",

type = AttributeType.STRING)

public int portNumber() default 1234;

}

private String baseURL;

private int portNumber;

@Activate

protected void activate(ServiceConfig serviceConfig){

baseURL=serviceConfig.baseURL();

portNumber=serviceConfig.portNumber();

}

@Override

public String getBaseUrl() {

return baseURL;

}

@Override

public int getPort() {

return portNumber;

}

}

Annotations

@ObjectClassDefinition

In it we define the name of our OSGI Configuration with this name we can search this in aem console
http://localhost:4502/system/console/configMgr

Its is used create the fields on AEM instance 

@AttributeDefinition

it is used to define the type of type of field (it  will string or array or int) etc.

where it will save in CRXDLite

By default it will save in apps -> system -> config. and its values are coming from aem console.

but you can copy paste this in your project inside the different run mode folder also. if you not have run mode folders you can create them manually.

 

How you can run you instance with different run mode

stop your aem local server and type the mode in which you want to run it (no need to write author bcoz it is main run mode it will be auto selected)

java -jar aem-author.p4502.jar -r prod

you can check via bottom link which runmode is working

Important Points

when we will run simple author so it will use the OSGIConfiguration that you paste in author run mode

when we will run stage or other so it will come to  the OSGIConfiguration of author first, and will pick all values, then it will go to stage runmode, if it found here is some new values he will override only that value that is change here 

now you can use your osgi congiguration in backend in any module like (sling model , servlet etc)

How we can use OSGIConfiguration in sling model

Adobe aem workflow

Workflow in Adobe AEM

 
Workflow

AEM Workflows allow you to automate a series of steps that are performed on (one or more) pages and/or assets. Workflow allows us to keep track of who made modifications to the pages and when or what they were changed., The workflow created the versions of the pages so any time we can compare our new and old changes on pages and we can revert the versions if required.

It's the finest method AEM offers for maintaining content/assets in an automated manner.


Creating a Workflow

To create a workflow first you should create a workflow model,

Create Workflow Model:
You create a workflow model to define the series of steps executed when a user starts the workflow. To create a new workflow with the editor:

1. Open the Workflow Models console; via Tools, Workflow, Models, or, for example, https://localhost:4502/aem/workflow

2. Select Create, then Create Model.

3. The Add Workflow Model dialog appears. Enter the Title and Name (optional) before selecting Done.

4. The new model is listed in the Workflow Models console

Select your new workflow, then use Edit to open it for configuration:

6. When you first create a new workflow model it contains:

• The steps, Flow Start and Flow End.
  These represent the beginning and end of the workflow. These steps are required and cannot be edited/removed.

• An example Participant step is named Step 1.
  This step is configured to assign a work item to the workflow initiator. Edit or delete this step, and add steps as required.

• Now we are deleting all steps between Flow Start and Flow End.

• Drag the appropriate step(s) that is required to the required location in the model. You can add unlimited steps.

• I will add two steps one participant step, and the Second, create a version.

• when anyone will make changes on that page where we will apply this workflow model then the participant step will notify that user that we will add in the participant step about changes on pages.

•  After approval of the participant creates version step will create the version of the page with new changes.

• 
  

Configuring a Workflow Step

You w model and select Configure from the component toolbar.

• Double-click on the step.

Configure the Step Properties as required; the properties available Configure and customize the behavior of a workflow step using the Step Properties dialogs.

1. To open the Step Properties dialog for a step either:

• Click/tap the* *step in the workflow

2. le depend on the step type,
   * In my case I am adding the user to the participant setup that will approve this step.

1. Confirm your updates with the tick.

2. Confirm the changes with Sync (editor toolbar) to generate the runtime model

Apply Workflow model on Project:

Luncher :

In Luncher we will select the project on which we want to apply our workflow model.

The Workflow Launcher monitors changes in the content repository.

So I am going to configure Launcher in such a way that my workflow will be initiated on any changes in my project.

Launcher Configuration

1. Navigate to the Workflow Launchers console using Tools, Workflow, then Launchers.

2. Select Create, then Add Launcher to open the dialog:

3. Configure the Luncher according to the bottom Image
   

In Launcher you will find Luncher is applied to the required project

Working on Project to Test Applid Workflow.
I am logged in AEM as Developer and I have done some changes on any page of the Project.

• I the bottom Image you can check page analytics the page is modified by the Developer

• On the Left side under the Timeline you can check Test Modal is initiated, 
  
  

Participating in Workflows

According to Our workflow model, it required admin approval first, then the model will create the page version, Let’s login with the Admin account and check is he has any notification about approval.

• I logged in as Admin and I have a notification about the Approval 

• By clicking on Payload Admin can check what changes are done on which page,

• Click on the Complete Button there will be a popup, admin can add his comment here and can check what will be the next setup of this workflow modal and Click Ok
  
   

• According to our workflow modal, the new version of the page will be created after admin approval.

• I logged in again as a developer and if you check in the bottom image the Approval setup is completed and the New Version of the page is created.

 

Run Workflow on specific Page Manually.

We can run a workflow manually on any page in Project.
Follow the bottom image:

Next click on create button then in the timeline you can check the workflow started by the developer on a specific page.

Login in as Admin you will find a notification there will be the same payload and complete button next you can follow (Participating in Workflows)  I already have explained at the top.

 

Check the History of Workflow Models

Instances:
In instances, the admin can check all the workflow models that are in a running state yet and not completed.

Archive:
In Archive, the admin can check the list of all the workflows that are successfully completed 

Failures:
In Failures, the admin can check all the workflows that are failed.