Improvements to automated build and deploy on VIP Go

This notice relates to the following platforms: VIP Go

We recently introduced a new feature for our VIP Go platform – automated build and deploy. Now we’re adding improvements to help make deployments even easier.

Automated PHP_CodeSniffer (PHPCS) scanning continues to be rolled out. Even more clients have enabled it for their GitHub repositories. This functionality enables us to more rapidly review code while maintaining our high quality and security standards.

We’ve also rolled out auto-approvals for specific file-types  — the file types are:

gif, jpg, jpeg, png, bmp, css, map, pdf

This means that if a Pull-Request is created that only alters files of these types, it will be automatically approved with no human intervention required.

These two new features are being enabled gradually for clients.

We’re continuously improving these new features. If you see any issues or anything that does not look correct, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will look into it.

Data Sync for VIP Go

This notice relates to the following platforms: VIP Go

We’re pleased to announce an automated data sync process which copies data between production and non-production environments.

Having up-to-date production data in test environments simplifies debugging, testing, and QA. Our aim is sync data between production and other environments fast and easily. Today we’re launching new sync functionality that syncs even the largest production databases within minutes. Plus, with our UnionFS integration, media library contents are always available across environments.

To run a data sync, please contact us and we’d be be happy to initiate it for you. Very soon, we’ll be releasing tools that will make data syncing self-service (if you would like to help us test new functionality like this, please let us know).

If you’re interested in learning more, our documentation covers how data sync works and how to customize/extend it.

Action Required: Mandatory Two-Step Authentication for VIP Admins

Important Notice: Beginning February 25, 2014, all site admins on WordPress.com VIP sites will be required to use Two-Step Authentication to login.

At WordPress.com VIP, we take security very seriously, and we see this as a critical next step in protecting your sites and content. While it’s important for all your users to proactively practice good password hygiene, Two-Step Authentication is absolutely necessary for site administrators.

In addition, the WordPress.com VIP team has released a new feature that allows you to enforce Two-Step Authentication across your site for all your users, and as an incentive, we’re happy to offer a complimentary one-year subscription to our Site & Security Monitoring Add-On to any VIP customer who enables Two-Step Authentication for all users across their sites. If you are interested in this, please get in touch.

Before Feb. 25, we encourage you to actively work with your site admins to enable Two-Step Authentication, or remove the admin role from anyone who does not need it. Two-Step Authentication requires a phone with either the Google Authenticator app, or the ability to receive SMS messages. Instructions on how to enable Two-Step can be found here. On Feb. 25, admins will not be able to access their VIP site without Two-Step.

As always, if you have any questions, please get in touch.

Switching Polldaddy logins to WordPress.com logins

We know that many of you VIPs are using Polldaddy to power your surveys, polls, and ratings for your sites.

On December 3rd, Polldaddy will require logging in using a WordPress.com username to access the Polldaddy Dashboard. Your account owners should have received an email in the past week or two with information and links to facilitate the switch. (Note: this does not impact polls and ratings managed from your WordPress.com sites. Those will continue to work as-is.)

If you haven’t done the switch yet, please make sure you do it before December 3rd so the transition to the new system is seamless for you.

If you need any help connecting your account, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to write to us in VIP Support or contact Polldaddy Support at support@polldaddy.com.

vip-helper-wpcom Now Loaded Everywhere

For all themes using our vip-init loader, we’ve pushed a change that will automatically load vip-helper-wpcom.php in all environments. The file contains functions to relate to specific plugins, filters, and actions that are enabled across all of WordPress.com.

This means that you no longer need a function_exists check or a custom fallback when referencing these functions.

If you run into any issues, please let us know.

VIP Developer Workshop Survey

As many of you know, in the past year we’ve been conducting developer and systems administrator training for our VIP partners as part of our new VIP Services program. Speaking to many of you at VIP events and in meetings, we’ve received consistent feedback that a larger group workshop would be something of great interest.

We’d like to gauge interest for a group developer training in the fall of 2011. We envision a two day intensive workshop pairing our developers and systems folks who work on WordPress.com and other Automattic services, with your in-house developers.

The goal? To provide a huge boost in skills and know-how to your in-house developers, allowing them to take your sites to the next level and get the most out of WordPress.

Below is a quick, 1-page survey with 5 questions that will help us understand who’s interested and how to better tailor the program to them.

If the fall timing doesn’t work for you, just let us know and we can start planning an alternative. And as always, we’re available for private, customized developer or editorial training as needed throughout the year – just contact us for more information.

Update: please click through to the site to see the embedded survey or click this direct link to answer the survey.

Second Week of July

We, Automattic, have a new service VaultPress in private beta for self-hosted WordPress sites.

We already have a tested, comprehensive backup and recovery strategy in place for WordPress.com VIP Hosting partners, but are in the loop and on the look out for any new insights that come out of our VaultPress offering.

If your organization has self-hosted WordPress sites, and would like to check out VaultPress, please sign up. Let us know, and we should be able to get your ticket pulled.

Doc Updates

Just a couple of doc updates this week, as we focused on moving your info to a custom WordPress based CRM.