Method and system for web management

• US 20030217117A1
• Filed: 01/29/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: 3565 Acquisition Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Albert C., Dan, Noah
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A web management system including a database having a directory structure associating each web page of a web site with attributes thereof. The web site management system may include a web server for displaying each web page, and a server-side front end daemon communicatable with the web server and the database. The front end daemon may identify the attributes of any user-changed web page and store the attributes of any user-changed web page in that database. The identifying and/or the storing may be automatic or user-initiated. In addition to, or in the alternative, the web management system may include a file system caching all web pages in a web site. The web pages so cached may be static. The web management system may include a server-side back end daemon communicatable with the database and the file system. The back end daemon may parse the attributes to generate the at least partially static web pages and store the generated, at least partially static web pages in the file system.

Claims

1. A web management system comprising:

a file system caching all web pages in a web site, the web pages so cached being at least partially static; and

a web server communicating with said file system for retrieving the cached web pages from the file system.

2. The web management system according to claim 1, further comprising a database having a directory structure associating each web page of a web site with attributes thereof.

3. The web management system according to claim 2, further comprising a server-side front end daemon communicatable with said web server and said database, said server-side front end identifying the attributes of any user-changed web page and storing the attributes of any user-changed web page in said database.

4. The web management system according to claim 3, further comprising a server-side back end daemon communicatable with said database and said file system, said back end daemon parsing the attributes to generate the at least partially static web pages and store the generated, at least partially static web pages in said file system.

5. The web management system according to claim 3, wherein said front end daemon includes at least one of:

a user manager for creating a hierarchy of at least one of group access and user access to at least one of the web pages and available editing options for the web pages;

an asset manager for at least one of finding, uploading, and organizing at least one asset including a binary file;

a page manager for one of creating new web pages, modifying existing web pages with available web page attributes, and tying the web pages to web site architecture and navigation;

a sub-directory navigation manager for displaying the web pages in one of a collapsible, indented, and tabular directory;

a forum manager for at least one of creating, attaching, and managing at least one interactive posting environment;

a help manager for at least one of creating, modifying, attaching, and managing at least one local help link to one of a command and field name;

a utilities manager including at least one management utility;

a knowledge base manager for addressing user problems;

a preferences manager for at least one of defining site-wide configuration defaults, and applying a desired object to the entire web site;

an object manager for one of creating and modifying at least one of a definition of an object and an instance of the object;

a code table manager for at least one of creating at least one code table, in said database, having at least one entry and one of creating and deleting one of the at least one entry, wherein said directory structure includes said at least one code table; and

an error report manager for reporting any error in intended user changes to a requested web page.

6. A web management system comprising:

a database having a directory structure associating each web page of a web site with attributes thereof; and

at least one of;

a) a web server for displaying each web page, and

a server-side front end daemon communicatable with said web server and said database, said front end daemon identifying the attributes of any user-changed web page and storing the attributes of any user-changed web page in said database, at least one of the identifying and the storing being one of automatic and user initiated; and

b) a file system caching all web pages in a web site, the web pages so cached being at least partially static, and

a server-side back end daemon communicatable with said database and said file system, said back end daemon parsing the attributes to generate the at least partially static web pages and store the generated, at least partially static web pages in said file system.

7. The web management system according to claim 6, wherein said front end daemon includes at least one of:

a user manager for creating a hierarchy of at least one of group access and user access to at least one of the web pages and available editing options for the web pages;

an asset manager for at least one of finding, uploading, and organizing at least asset including a binary file;

a page manager for one of creating new web pages, modifying existing web pages with available web page attributes, and tying the web pages to web site architecture and navigation;

a sub-directory navigation manager for displaying the web pages in one of a collapsible, indented, and tabular directory;

a forum manager for at least one of creating, attaching, and managing at least one interactive posting environment;

a help manager for at least one of creating, modifying, attaching, and managing at least one local help link to one of a command and field name;

a utilities manager including at least one management utility;

a knowledge base manager for addressing user problems;

a preferences manager for at least one of defining site-wide configuration defaults, and applying a desired object to the entire web site;

an object manager for one of creating and modifying at least one of a definition of an object and an instance of the object;

a code table manager for at least one of creating at least on code table, in said database, having at least one entry and one of creating and deleting one of the at least one entry, wherein said directory structure including said at least one code table; and

an error report manager for reporting any error in intended user changes to a requested web page.

8. The web management system according to claim 7, wherein said user manager is capable of assigning at least one access specification to at least one web page in a web site.

9. The web management system according to claim 8, wherein said asset manager is capable of at least one of:

browsing existing assets in the web site;

creating a new asset;

creating a new asset folder; and

listing, via an asset panel, all files containing a user-specified asset.

10. The web management system according to claim 8, wherein said assets include at least one of a text file, a graphical image, a video image, data and an audio file.

11. The web management system according to claim 9, wherein said page manager is capable of at least one of:

listing, via a page panel, every web page in hierarchical order;

providing a form for updating content of a selected, listed web page;

adding a new web page;

viewing the selected, listed web page;

deleting the selected, listed web page; and

cloning the selected, listed web page.

12. The web management system according to claim 7, wherein said sub-directory navigation manager is capable of one of:

creating a new sub-directory navigation template;

modifying an existing subnavigation template; and

switching between a previous sub-directory and a successive sub-directory navigation template, if more than one subnavigation template exists, so that one of all web pages having the previous sub-directory navigation template will have the successive sub-directory navigation template, and all web pages in a selected hierarchy and having the previous sub-directory navigation template will have the successive sub-directory navigation template.

13. The web management system according to claim 11, wherein the object includes one of:

a global object, applicable to an entire web site;

a page-specific object applicable to a user-specified web page; and

a widget being user-designed and applicable to one of the entire web site and the user-specified web page depending upon user determination.

14. The web management system according to claim 7 wherein said at least one web site management utility includes at least one of:

a calendar for coordinating work and availability among a website management team;

a clone utility for cloning one of a web page, a plurality of web pages, and an entire web site;

a color calculator for aiding a user in selecting one of a background color and a text color;

an info utility for tracking version numbers of a web site configuration;

a multiple edits command for transferring one of the web page, the plurality of web pages, and the entire web site into a text file downloadable to a word processor;

a regenerate utility for regenerating the static web pages *in the file system by user-initiation;

a regenerate navigation utility for the directory structure of the web site;

an upgrade administrative directory utility for one of periodically and aperiodically one of upgrading existing managers and introducing new managers.

15. The web, management system according to claim 11, wherein said knowledge base manager includes at least one of a listing of past user problems and solutions therefor, and a user-entry for posting a new problem.

16. A method of managing a web site comprising:

caching in a file system all web pages in a web site, the cached web pages being at least partially static;

reading at least the web page of the cached web pages by a web server; and

displaying the read web page by the web server via a web browser.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

identifying attributes of each web page; and

storing the attributes in a database having a directory structure associating each web page with the attributes thereof,

wherein said caching step includes passing the identified attributes for the each web page from the database.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

determining whether a user has requested attributes form;

submitting to the user the attributes form, if requested, for editing the web page attributes;

determining whether the user has edited any attributes; and

determining whether the user is authorized to change the attributes sought to be edited prior to said identifying step.

19. A management system comprising:

a file system storing static portions of substantially all data pages in a data site;

a server communicatably connected to said file system, retrieving the static portions of at least one data page stored by said file system and transmitting to a site user the static portions of the at least one data page.

20. The management system according to claim 19, further comprising a data page generator generating the static portions of the substantially all data pages based on the data site for storage in said file system.

21. The management system according to claim 19, further comprising a dynamic data transmit device to transmit dynamic data to be cooperatively presented with the static portions as the at least one data page to the site user.

22. The management system according to claim 20,

wherein the data page generator generates the static portions of the substantially all data pages and provides corresponding indexes therewith, and

wherein the server transmits the static portions to the site user responsive to the corresponding index associated with the at least one data page.

23. A method of managing a data site comprising the steps of:

storing static portions of substantially all data pages in a data site, using a file system;

retrieving the static portions of at least one data page stored by the file system, using a server communicatably connected to the file system; and

transmitting to a site user the static portions of the at least one data page, using the server.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

generating the static portions of the substantially all data pages based on the data site for storage in the file system, using a data page generator.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of:

transmitting dynamic data to be cooperatively presented with the static portions as the at least one data page to the site user, using a dynamic data transmit device.

26. The method according to claim 24,

wherein the data page generator generates the static portions of the substantially all data pages and provides corresponding indexes therewith, and

wherein the server transmits the static portions to the site user responsive to the corresponding index associated with the at least one data page.