IBM WebSphere Portal Primer: Second Edition - Softcover

Iyengar, Ashok

Softcover

ISBN 10: 193118223X ISBN 13: 9781931182232

Publisher: MC Press (US), 2005

Synopsis

What makes the WebSphere programming model so compelling? Why is WebSphere Portal server fast becoming the world’s premier portal server in sales and functionality? What are portlets? What is the open Portlet API? How is it possible to secure and manage large Web portals that each have their own distinctive look? Does WebSphere Portal support B2B, or B2C, or B2E, or all of them? Which topologies does it support? Is it J2EE certified? This book answers these and many more such questions and covers everything from basic e-commerce concepts to advanced three-tier Internet topologies. Completely updated for V5.1.x, the authors systematically guide you through IBM’s WebSphere Portal product, which includes the Portal server, the Personalization server, Workplace Web Content Management, Document Manager, versatile search engine, collaboration component, new Virtual Portal and Business Process Integration, and Task Management features. Software developers who are creating simple portlets and JavaServer Pages (JSPs) or are well-versed in using JavaBeans will find this book’s contents relevant. It covers installation, configuration, administration, tuning, and usage of WebSphere Portal server software. It discusses portlets, servlets, security, single sign-on, transactions, session management, and scaling as it relates to WebSphere Portal server.

About this title

About the Author

Ashok Iyengar is a member of the WebSphere enablement team and the coauthor of WebSphere V3.5 Handbook and IBM WebSphere V4.0 Advanced Edition Handbook. He lives in Encinitas, California. Venkata Gadepalli is a member of the WebSphere enablement team. His current focus is enabling and consulting for WebSphere products with primary emphasis in the areas of WebSphere Application Server, portals, and personalization. He lives in Cary, North Carolina. Bruce Olson is a member of the WebSphere enablement team and has helped design and implement the IBM C++ User Interface Class Library. He is the coauthor of Power GUI Programming. He lives in Cary, North Carolina.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

IBM WebSphere Portal Primer

By Ashok K. Iyengar, Venkata V. Gadepalli

IBM Press and MC Press

Copyright © 2005 International Business Machines Corporation
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-931182-23-2

Contents

Title Page, 
Copyright Page, 
Acknowledgments, 
Foreword, 
Introduction, 
Chapter 1 - Enter the Portal, 
Chapter 2 - A Portal Blueprint, 
Chapter 3 - Installing the Portal, 
Chapter 4 - Customizing the Portal, 
Chapter 5 - Personalizing the Portal, 
Chapter 6 - Portal Building Blocks, 
Chapter 7 - Portal Gatekeeper, 
Chapter 8 - Portal and Beyond, 
Chapter 9 - Portal Content and, 
Collaboration, 
Chapter 10 - Portal Crossings, 
Appendix A - Installation Planning Worksheet, 
Appendix B - References and Portal-Related Web Sites, 

CHAPTER 1

Enter the Portal

A couple of years ago, a customer mentioned "integration at the glass" — a phrase that we had not heard before. Now, everybody in the IT world seems to talk about it, and we have Enterprise Portals to thank for that new phrase. What started off as simple Web-based interfaces are now powerful content management and collaboration centers. Portals in general have become the Web interface of choice to provide business users — and the emphasis here is on business users — rapid access to the information and services they need to be more efficient. "Integration at the glass" might seem superfluous, but that is hardly the case. Integration happens at all levels, and the real benefit of the portal stems from the fact that real integration takes place in the backend, and the results are aggregated and presented "at the glass."

So, if you want to be able to integrate with existing backend systems and have a Web interface that provides personalized content along with e-mail and collaboration functionality, you need a framework. IBM WebSphere Portal is one such portal framework that gives individuals the freedom to create virtual desktops and gives enterprises the ability to have "integration at the glass."

This chapter includes a technical introduction to IBM WebSphere Portal. For those who are already familiar with the WebSphere Portal product suite, Chapter 3 is where the in-depth technical discussions start.

The WebSphere Platform

Based on the Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition (J2EE), IBM WebSphere Application Server is firmly established as the premier platform in e-business computing. WebSphere scales well and provides enterprises with a comprehensive set of integrated e-business solutions. The current release of WebSphere Application Server is Version 6 but Version 5.1 supports WebSphere Portal V5.1. The three different facets of the WebSphere platform are shown in Figure 1.1. They are Business Portals, Business Integration, and Foundation & Tools. By utilizing each side of the WebSphere pyramid, you can create and operate a dynamic, reliable, and secure e-business.

Three elements make up the Foundation & Tools portion of WebSphere:

* IBM WebSphere Application Server

* IBM WebSphere MQ, the messaging middleware component

* IBM Rational Application Developer, the Eclipse-based pluggable application-development toolset that supercedes WebSphere Studio Application Developer

The Business Integration side of the product suite pyramid is also known as Business Process Management, or BPM. BPM deals with business modeling, B2B integration, process automation, and message integration. These products are geared to help businesses streamline their operations and save money.

Finally, the

Edition details

• Publisher: MC Press (US)
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 193118223X
• ISBN 13: 9781931182232
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 550