Distributed hosting of web application styles

• US 8,595,634 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Schneider, James P., Smith, Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hur, Ece
• Application Number:
  US11/998,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,188 Days
• Field of Search: 715/760, 715/235, 715/236, 715/234, 715/243, 707/E17.116
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method for facilitating distributed hosting of web application styles may include storing original style sheets at a first location, where the original style sheets pertain to a user interface (UI) provided by the service provider, and allowing a third party to customize a subset of the original style sheets and to store the customized style sheets at a second location. The method may further include causing the customized style sheets to be combined with the original style sheets when the user interface is presented to a user associated with the third party.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a service provider, comprising:

storing a plurality of style sheets of the service provider at a first location of the service provider, the plurality of style sheets of the service provider pertaining to a user interface (UI) provided by the service provider, wherein the service provider is a provider of a network monitoring service;

receiving, by the service provider, a request of a third party for a first subset of style sheets from the plurality of style sheets of the service provider;

providing, by the service provider to the third party, the first subset of style sheets for customization, the first subset of style sheets to be customized by the third party and stored at a second location of the third party;

receiving, from the third party, information identifying the second location storing the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party;

receiving a request of a user for a user interface page pertaining to the network monitoring service;

determining whether the user requesting the user interface page is associated with the third party; and

if the user is associated with the third party,

obtaining the user interface page comprising a first link to the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider and a second link to the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party, and

providing the user interface page to a user device of the user associated with the third party, the user interface page to cause the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to be combined with the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider, wherein providing the user interface page to the user device comprises sending the user interface page to a browser of the user device, the browser using the plurality of style sheets at the first location to provide a default layout of the user interface and using the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to override corresponding user interface elements when the user interface page is presented to the user associated with the third party.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first location is hosted by the service provider and the second location is hosted by the third party.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the user interface is part of the network monitoring service.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the third party is a service reseller or a partner of the service provider.

5. The method of the claim 1 wherein:

the UI page is an HTML document; and

the first and second links are included in a HEAD section of the HTML document.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a name and path in the second link defines a location at the third party that points to the second location.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new style sheet to the plurality of styles sheets at the first location; and

causing the UI to be presented based on the new style sheet.

8. A system comprising:

a storage device hosting a data store to store a plurality of style sheets at a first location of a service provider, the plurality of style sheets pertaining to a user interface (UI) provided by the service provider, wherein the service provider is a provider of a network monitoring service;

a processor, coupled to the storage device, the processor to cause;

a third party communicator to receive a request of a third party for a first subset of the plurality of style sheets, and to provide the third party the first subset of the plurality of style sheets for customization, the first subset of style sheets to be customized by the third party and stored at a second location of the third party, and to receive information identifying the second location storing the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party; and

a web page creator to receive a request of a user for a user interface page pertaining to the network monitoring service, to determine whether the user is associated with the third party, and if the user is associated with the third party, to obtain the user interface page comprising a first link to the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider and a second link to the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party, and to provide the user interface page to a user device of the user associated with the third party, the user interface page to cause the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to be combined with the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider, wherein providing the user interface page to the user device comprises sending the user interface page to a browser of the user device, the browser using the plurality of style sheets at the first location to provide a default layout of the user interface and using the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to override corresponding user interface elements when the user interface page is presented to the user associated with the third party.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first location is hosted by the service provider and the second location is hosted by the third party.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the user interface is part of the network monitoring service.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the third party is a service reseller or a partner of the service provider.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the UI page is an HTML document; and

the first and second links are included in a HEAD section of the HTML document.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein:

the data store is further to store a new style sheet added to the plurality of styles sheets at the first location; and

the web page creator is further to cause the UI to be presented based on the new style sheet.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method comprising:

storing a plurality of style sheets of a service provider at a first location of the service provider, the plurality of style sheets of the service provider pertaining to a user interface (UI) provided by the service provider, wherein the service provider is a provider of a network monitoring service;

receiving, by the service provider, a request of a third party for a first subset of style sheets from the plurality of style sheets of the service provider;

providing, by the service provider to the third party, the first subset of style sheets for customization, the first subset of style sheets to be customized by the third party and stored at a second location of the third party;

receiving, from the third party, information identifying the second location storing the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party;

receiving a request of a user for a user interface page pertaining to the network monitoring service;

determining whether the user requesting the user interface page is associated with the third party; and

if the user is associated with the third party,

obtaining the user interface page comprising a first link to the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider and a second link to the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party, and

providing the user interface page to a user device of the user associated with the third party, the user interface page to cause the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to be combined with the plurality of style sheets at the first location of the service provider, wherein providing the user interface page to the user device comprises sending the user interface page to a browser of the user device, the browser using the plurality of style sheets at the first location to provide a default layout of the user interface and using the first subset of style sheets customized by the third party to override corresponding user interface elements when the user interface page is presented to the user associated with the third party.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein:

the first location is hosted by the service provider and the second location is hosted by the third party;

the user interface is part of the network monitoring service; and

the third party is a service reseller or a partner of the service provider.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein:

the UI page is an HTML document; and

the first and second links are included in a HEAD section of the HTML document.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the method further comprises:

adding a new style sheet to the plurality of styles sheets at the first location; and

causing the UI to be presented based on the new style sheet.