Programmatic management of software resources in a content framework environment

• US 8,335,862 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fletcher, James C., Wanderski, Michael C., Wesley, Ajamu A., Lidquist, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US11/759,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5015 Service provider selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5038 considering the execution order of a plurality of tasks, e.g. taking priority or time dependency constraints into consideration scheduling strategies G06F9/4881 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/541 via adapters, e.g. between incompatible applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products are disclosed for dynamically integrating software resources (such as web services and other back-end software resources) using the services of a content framework (such as a portal platform). A portlet model is leveraged to allow programmatic portlets to serve as proxies for web services, thereby extending portlets beyond their traditional visual role. A deployment interface and a system interface are described for these portlet proxies. The deployment interface is used for composing new web services, and a composition tool is described. The system interface allows for run-time management of the web services by the portal platform. The service provider for a particular function may be bound to the portlet proxy at development time or at run-time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework, comprising:

locating in a registry, by the portal, a registered interface specification for the portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

invoking, by the portal, one of the defined operations of the located interface specification to inform the portlet of a unique identifier of the portal, such that the portlet can use the unique identifier of the portal to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, the registered interface specification of the portal defining one or more operations available from the portal, and then initiate communication with the portal by invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal;

receiving, at the portal, an operation invocation initiated by the portlet, the operation invocation invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal, wherein the invoked one of the defined operations comprises one of;

a quality of service reporting operation that enables the portlet to report quality of service information to the portal;

a billing information reporting operation that enables the portlet to report billing information to the portal;

an event notification operation that enables the portlet to report an event for logging by the portal; and

an operational message reporting operation that enables the portlet to report operating information to the portal; and

executing, by the portal, the invoked one of the defined operations.

2. A computer-implemented method of enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework comprising a portal and at least one portlet, comprising:

registering, in a registry, an interface specification for a portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

receiving, by the portlet, an invocation by the portal of one of the defined operations, wherein the invocation provides the portlet with a unique identifier of the portal;

using the unique identifier of the portal, by the portlet, to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, wherein the interface specification of the portal defines one or more operations available from the portal; and

initiating communication with the portal, by the portlet, by invoking one of the defined operations which are available from the portal according to the located interface specification of the portal, further comprising invoking, by the portlet, a selected one of the defined operations for communicating auditing information from the portlet to the portal, wherein the auditing information comprises at least one of (1) quality of service information, (2) billing information, (3) events for logging, and (4) operational messages.

3. A system for enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework comprising a portal and at least one portlet, the system comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform functions comprising;

registering, in a registry, an interface specification for a portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

receiving, by the portlet, an invocation by the portal of one of the defined operations, wherein the invocation provides the portlet with a unique identifier of the portal;

using the identifier of the portal, by the portlet, to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, wherein the interface specification of the portal defines one or more operations available from the portal; and

initiating communication with the portal, by the portlet, by invoking one of the defined operations which are available from the portal according to the located interface specification of the portal, further comprising invoking, by the portlet, a selected one of the defined operations for communicating auditing information from the portlet to the portal, wherein the auditing information comprises at least one of (1) quality of service information, (2) billing information, (3) events for logging, and (4) operational messages.

4. A computer program product for enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework comprising a portal and at least one portlet, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein, the computer readable program code configured for;

registering, in a registry, an interface specification for a portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

receiving, by the portlet, an invocation by the portal of one of the defined operations, wherein the invocation provides the portlet with a unique identifier of the portal;

using the identifier of the portal, by the portlet, to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, wherein the interface specification of the portal defines one or more operations available from the portal; and

initiating communication with the portal, by the portlet, by invoking one of the defined operations which are available from the portal according to the located interface specification of the portal, further comprising invoking, by the portlet, a selected one of the defined operations for communicating auditing information from the portlet to the portal, wherein the auditing information comprises at least one of (1) quality of service information, (2) billing information, (3) events for logging, and (4) operational messages.

5. A system for enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform functions comprising;

locating in a registry, by the portal, a registered interface specification for the portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

invoking, by the portal, one of the defined operations of the located interface specification to inform the portlet of a unique identifier of the portal, such that the portlet can use the unique identifier of the portal to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, the registered interface specification of the portal defining one or more operations available from the portal, and then initiate communication with the portal by invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal;

receiving, at the portal, an operation invocation initiated by the portlet, the operation invocation invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal, wherein the invoked one of the defined operations comprises one of;

a quality of service reporting operation that enables the portlet to report quality of service information to the portal;

a billing information reporting operation that enables the portlet to report billing information to the portal;

an event notification operation that enables the portlet to report an event for logging by the portal; and

an operational message reporting operation that enables the portlet to report operating information to the portal; and

executing, by the portal, the invoked one of the defined operations.

6. A computer program product for enabling a portlet to invoke operations of a portal in a portal framework, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code stored therein, the computer readable program code configured for;

locating in a registry, by the portal, a registered interface specification for the portlet, the interface specification defining one or more operations available from the portlet;

invoking, by the portal, one of the defined operations of the located interface specification to inform the portlet of a unique identifier of the portal, such that the portlet can use the unique identifier of the portal to locate a registered interface specification of the portal in the registry, the registered interface specification of the portal defining one or more operations available from the portal, and then initiate communication with the portal by invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal;

receiving, at the portal, an operation invocation initiated by the portlet, the operation invocation invoking one of the defined operations available from the portal, wherein the invoked one of the defined operations comprises one of;

a quality of service reporting operation that enables the portlet to report quality of service information to the portal;

a billing information reporting operation that enables the portlet to report billing information to the portal;

an event notification operation that enables the portlet to report an event for logging by the portal; and

an operational message reporting operation that enables the portlet to report operating information to the portal; and

executing, by the portal, the invoked one of the defined operations.