Glossary for WebSphere Portal Server: WebSphere Portal Server

Glossary for WebSphere Portal Server

This glossary provides a list of definitions for terms related to WebSphere Portal Server.

access control: The process of ensuring that the resources of a computer system can be accessed only by authorized users in authorized ways. Access control is built into WebSphere Portal Server or can be implemented through a third-party, access-control server, such as SecureWay Policy Director.
advanced installation: A type of WebSphere Portal Server installation in which components of WebSphere Everyplace Suite are used to provide support for large portal configurations and wireless devices. Compare with a standard or development installation.
aggregation: The structured collection of data objects for subsequent presentation within a portal.
applet: A small Java program that can be downloaded and executed on a client.
authentication: The verification of the identity of a user or a user group to a portal.
authentication-proxy server: A server or component of a server that enables user or user group authentication for the portal.
authorization: The method that determines which portlets a user or a user group can access.

B2B: Business to business. A business model that supports electronic transactions between businesses. Portal Server provides the required software to build a B2B portal.
B2C: Business to consumer. A business model that supports electronic commerce between a business and a consumer. Portal Server provides the required software to build a B2C portal.
B2E: Business to employee. A business model that supports electronic communications between a business and its employees. Portal Server provides the required software to build a B2E portal.

cache: A buffer storage that contains copies of remote documents that are accessed by a portal. WebSphere Portal Server uses a caching system to improve the performance of remote content feeds and page rendering.
cards: WML documents that provide the user-interface and navigational settings to display content on mobile devices.
cascading style sheet: A template for elements that appear on many Web pages.
channel: A specialized Web application within a portal to which a user can subscribe. See also OCS channels.
cHTML: Compact hypertext markup language. A format for publishing hypertext information on wireless devices.
collaboration software: Software that promotes immediate communication between individuals. Features of collaboration software include instant text messages, chat sessions, and shared documents. Portal Server includes portlets that provide access to Sametime, an instant-messaging servers, and QuickPlace, a shared team room application.
collaborative filtering: Personalization technology that employs recommendation engines that use advanced statistical models and other forms of intelligent software to extract trends from the behavior of Web site visitors.
configuration: See portlet configuration.
connector: A servlet that provides a portlet access to external sources of content, for example, a news feed from a Web site of a local television station.
content management: Software designed to help businesses manage and distribute content from diverse sources.
content provider: A source for content that can be incorporated into a portal page as a portlet. See also IBM content partners.
crawler: A class of robot software that explores the World Wide Web by retrieving a Web document and following the links within that document. Based on the information gathered, a crawler creates indices for search engines.
CSS: See cascading style sheet.
customization: The modification of a portal page or portlet by a user. WebSphere Portal Server enables a user to customize a portal page by modifying the page layout and by selecting which portlets will display per device. Compare with personalization and portlet configuration.

DB2: Abbreviated name for IBM DB2 Universal Database. WebSphere Portal Server can use DB2 to store portal-specific data, such as portal-page settings and portlet settings.
deck: An XML document that contains a collection of WML cards. See cards.
default portal page: The page that displays to a user at initial portal deployment and before the user completes enrollment. Sometimes used as a synonym for home page.
development installation: A WebSphere Portal Server installation that uses a local directory to store user data. A development installation does not use an LDAP directory for user authentication. Compare with a standard and advanced installation.
Document Type Definition: The definition of a document type in XML.
DTD: See Document Type Definition.

enrollment

The process of entering and saving user or user group information in a portal.

Enterprise Information Portal

Software developed by IBM that provides tools for advanced searching, and content customization and summarization.

Extended Search

Search tool provided with WebSphere Portal Server that enables searches across multiple data sources and the Internet. Extended Search is the short name for Lotus Domino Extended Search.

Extensible markup language

An extensible method for representing structured data. A meta-language designed to allow definition of specialized markup languages.
A universal format for publishing documents on the World Wide Web.

Extensible stylesheet language

A language for expressing style sheets related to XML.

federated search: A search capability that enables searches across multiple search services and returns a consolidated list of search results.
FileServerPortlet: A portlet provided with WebSphere Portal Server that enables HTML documents to be served to the portal user.

home page: The top-level Web page of a portal. Sometimes used as a synonym for default portal page.
HTML: See hypertext markup language.
Hypertext markup language: A format for publishing hypertext information on the World Wide Web.

IBM content partners: IBM partners that provide syndicated content for portals. IBM content partners include Factiva, Hoover's, Inc., iSyndicate, Inc., and ScreamingMedia, Inc.
i-mode: An Internet service for wireless devices.

Java terms: For a list of terms associated with Java technology, see http://java.sun.com/docs/glossary.html
Jetspeed: The open-source portal on which WebSphere Portal Server is based. Jetspeed is part of the Jakarta project by Apache.

LDAP directory: Lightweight directory access protocol directory. The data store for user-specific data, such as the user ID, password, and user name. The LDAP directory, SecureWay Directory, ships with WebSphere Portal Server.
load balancing: Optimizing performance and scalability by deploying WebSphere Portal Server and other requisite software across multiple servers.

meta search: A search across one or more search engines. A meta search engine provides a meaningful subset of search functionality through an abstraction layer that is generic enough to support a wide variety of search services.
model-view-controller: A programming pattern that can be used in portlet development.

NewsML: News markup language. An XML-based format for publishing news-related information. WebSphere Portal Server supports portlets that render NewsML content.
NITF: News industry text format. An XML-based format that defines the structure and content of news articles. WebSphere Portal Server supports portlets that render NITF content.

OCS channels: Open content syndication channels. An XML-based format for syndicated content. WebSphere Portal Server supports portlets that render content as OCS channels.

page markup

A component of PSML that describes which portlets are displayed for a user, how they are organized on the portal page, and how they should appear.

page transformation

The transcoding of portal content so that it is available to new devices. WebSphere Portal Server can use WebSphere Transcoding Publisher to transform the markup languages of portal pages to target new devices, as they become available.

PAR

See Portal Archive.

PDA

See Personal Digital Assistant.

persistence service

A feature of the portlet API that provides read and write access to portlet configuration data so that users can customize portlets.

Personal Digital Assistant

A small handheld computer that provides organizational features.

Personal Information Management

A collection of software that provides applications such as calendars, address books, to-do lists, mail, and memos.

personalization

Functionality provided to a portal by WebSphere Personalization. Personalization enables information to be targeted to specific users based on business rules and user profile information. Compare to customization.

pervasive computing

The use of a computing infrastructure that supports information appliances from which users can access a broad range of network-based services, including Internet-based e-commerce services.

PIM

See Personal Information Management.

portal

A single, secure point of access to diverse information, applications, and people, that can be customized and personalized. WebSphere Portal Server provides the required framework and functionality to develop and deploy many types of portals.

portal archive

A compressed software package that installs a portlet to WebSphere Portal Server.

portal structured markup language

An XML-based format that describes the structure of a portal, including available channel subscriptions, portlet configurations, and page layouts.

portlet

A Java application that is written to the portlet API and that runs within the portal server.
An area of content on a portal page that has a predefined role, such as retrieving the latest news headlines, driving a search engine, searching a database, viewing stock quotes, serving HTML files, or displaying a calendar.

portlet API

The set of interfaces and methods that are used by Java programs running within the portal server environment to obtain services. The portlet API is provided with WebSphere Portal Server.

portlet application

A collection of related portlets that can share resources with one another.

portlet configuration

Administrators configure portlets with system-wide or group-level settings.

portlet control

A portlet registry setting that renders the outer frame for a portlet.

portlet framework

The set of classes and interfaces that support Java programs running within the portal server environment.

productivity portlets

Portlets that enable the user to access productivity software, such as Lotus iNotes or Microsoft Exchange.

PSML

See portal structured markup language.

registry markup: A component of PSML that describes all available portlets.
relational database management system: A database where data and the relations between them are arranged in tables. WebSphere Portal Server can use a relational database, such as DB2, to store portal-specific data.
RSS: Rich site summary. An XML-based format for syndicated content.
rules-based personalization: Personalization technology that enables you to customize Web content based on user needs and preferences, and business requirements.

search: See Extended Search.
SecureWay Directory: An LDAP directory that can store user-related data, such as the user ID, the user name, and passwords. SecureWay Directory is shipped with WebSphere Portal Server.
self-care: The process of self-editing a user or user group account. WebSphere Portal Server can implement self-care so that a user can change user information in a portal.
servlet: Java application running on an application server that prepares markup language content for display on client browsers.
Short Message Service: A service that is used to transmit text to and from a mobile phone.
single sign-on: A mechanism to verify a user across multiple applications through a single authentication challenge. WebSphere Portal Server uses Java Authentication and Authorization Services to achieve single sign-on.
SMS: See Short Message Service.
spider: See crawler.
standard installation: An installation where WebSphere Portal Server is installed as an application server on WebSphere Application Server, and SecureWay Directory and a relational database are used as data stores for user-specific and portal-specific data, respectively. A standard installation does not include a configuration link with WebSphere Everyplace Suite. Compare with an advanced or development installation.

Tivoli Personalized Services Manager: A software component of WebSphere Everyplace Suite that provides subscriber management. WebSphere Portal Server uses TPSM for user enrollment if an advanced installation is performed.
TPSM: See Tivoli Personalized Services Manager.
transcoding: Content adaptation to meet the specific capabilities of a client device.

user group: A collection of users that enroll with a portal.

VisualAge for Java: Java-application development tool designed by IBM. A portlet developer can use VisualAge for Java as the program and test environment for portlets.

WAP: See Wireless Access Protocol.
WebSphere Application Server: Web-application deployment software. WebSphere Portal Server runs as an application on top of WebSphere Application Server.
WebSphere Everyplace Suite: Software suite that provides e-business infrastructure for enterprises and service providers. WebSphere Portal Server leverages WebSphere Everyplace Suite to provide support for large portal installations and pervasive devices.
WebSphere Personalization: Software that can target information for specific portal users. WebSphere Personalization is included with WebSphere Portal Server.
WebSphere Portal Server: Portal development and deployment software developed by IBM.
WebSphere Site Analyzer: Software that can measure the activity and effectiveness of a portal.
WebSphere Studio: Software for authoring and publishing Web application components, such as HTML, JavaServer Pages, and servlets. For portlet development, WebSphere Portal Server can use Web content designed with WebSphere Studio.
WebSphere Transcoding Publisher: Software that adapts and optimizes content for new mobile devices. WebSphere Portal Server can use Transcoding Publisher to optimize the deck structure of WML portals.
Wireless Access Protocol: An open, international specification for applications that are accessed by wireless devices. Portlets can be accessed by WAP-enabled devices provided that WebSphere Everyplace Suite or WebSphere Transcoding Publisher is configured with WebSphere Portal Server.
wireless markup language: A format for publishing and optimizing content on WAP-enabled devices.
WML: See wireless markup language.
WMLFilePortlet: A portlet provided with WebSphere Portal Server that can be used to serve WML documents to the user.

XML: See extensible markup language.
XSL: See extensible stylesheet language.