Portal server that provides a customizable user interface for access to computer networks

Abstract

A portal server presents an HTML page that comprises a plurality of modules that are formatted in a predetermined layout. Each module represents a network resource that can be accessed by a user through the portal. Some of the modules can be user-selectable, whereas others may be mandatory elements of the portal. Similarly, some aspects of the layout may be user-controllable, while others are fixed. The modular nature of the portal enables the various resources to be readily and independently updated by the entities who provide them, without affecting other features of the portal. The portal server includes an administration interface that enables an administrator to select from various layout styles, as well as control access to site information and services. A variety of customizations can be done to the portal without requiring programming skills. As a result, individual businesses and other entities can exercise complete ownership of their portals, from a hosting, branding and design perspective.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A portal server framework for a computer network, comprising: 
 a class of objects that define modules that each display information about a particular type of network resource to a user within a portal that provides access to the computer network; and    layout objects that encapsulate selected ones of said modules for display of their associated information within a portal page that is presented to a user.    
     
     
         2 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein said layout object defines the configuration of the selected modules that are displayed on said page.  
     
     
         3 . The portal server framework of  claim 2 , wherein said configuration is definable by the user, to thereby personalize the appearance of the page to the user's desires.  
     
     
         4 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the modules that are displayed within the page are selectable by the user.  
     
     
         5 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the modules have associated permissions that determine user capabilities relating to use of the module.  
     
     
         6 . The portal server framework of  claim 5  wherein one of said capabilities is whether the user can edit information that is displayed within a module.  
     
     
         7 . The portal server framework of  claim 5 , further including a class of user objects that enables users to be classified into different groups, and wherein respective groups of users have different sets of said permissions.  
     
     
         8 . The portal server framework of  claim 7 , further including a layout template object that forms a pattern for the creation of a portal layout.  
     
     
         9 . The portal server framework of  claim 7 , wherein each module has a plurality of views associated with it, wherein a first view displays the corresponding information for that module within a portal page, and other views provide capabilities relating to the use and/or operation of the module.  
     
     
         10 . The portal server framework of  claim 9 , wherein said capabilities include selection of categories of information that can be displayed in the module's first view.  
     
     
         11 . The portal server framework of  claim 9 , wherein one of said capabilities is whether the user can minimize the information displayed in the module's first view.  
     
     
         12 . The portal server framework of  claim 9 , wherein one of said other views displays attributes of the module that can only be edited by an administrator.  
     
     
         13 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein each module has a plurality of views associated with it, wherein a first view displays the corresponding information for that module within a portal page, and other views provide capabilities relating to the use of the module.  
     
     
         14 . The portal server framework of  claim 13 , wherein said capabilities include selection of categories of information that can be displayed in the module's first view.  
     
     
         15 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , further including an object that is registered in an object registry and that serves as a single point of access to all other objects in the framework for calls that originate external to the framework.  
     
     
         16 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said modules comprise building block modules that capture certain information for use in the construction of a portal site.  
     
     
         17 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules captures a specific element from a page in a markup language for inclusion of only that element in a module.  
     
     
         18 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules captures the entirety of a page in a markup language for inclusion in a module.  
     
     
         19 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules retrieves XML data and displays it as the content of a module.  
     
     
         20 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules employs a script to obtain filtered data from a network location for display in a module.  
     
     
         21 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules executes a Java Server Page and displays the contents of the page in a module.  
     
     
         22 . The portal server framework of  claim 16 , wherein one of said building block modules comprises a Java class which can include multiple Java Server Pages to present the module's content.  
     
     
         23 . The portal server framework of  claim 22 , wherein said Java Server Pages include pages that provide for editing of attributes of a module.  
     
     
         24 . The portal server framework of  claim 23 , wherein said attributes can be edited by at least one of an end-user and an administrator.  
     
     
         25 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , further including a class of services that are resolved at the run-time of the framework to provide specific service implementations within the framework.  
     
     
         26 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein the modules of a portal page are contained within a plurality of layout groups.  
     
     
         27 . The portal server framework of  claim 26 , further including a group template which forms a pattern for the creation of a user-specific grouping of modules.  
     
     
         28 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , further including a content parser that transforms information from different network resources into structured content for display within a module.  
     
     
         29 . The portal server framework of  claim 28 , wherein said content parser transforms said information by translating it into XML data.  
     
     
         30 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein said modules perform tasks for the retrieval and display of content independently of one another in a multithreaded manner.  
     
     
         31 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , wherein said modules are arranged in pages which are published by an administrator to an end-user.  
     
     
         32 . The portal server framework of  claim 31 , wherein said pages can be ordered by the administrator.  
     
     
         33 . The portal server framework of  claim 31 , wherein said pages define templates for specific portions of the page display.  
     
     
         34 . The portal server framework of  claim 33 , wherein said templates include styles that define a single portion of the display.  
     
     
         35 . The portal server framework of  claim 34 , wherein said styles can be defined and contributed to the portal server by administrators.  
     
     
         36 . The portal server framework of  claim 34 , further including a class of user objects that enables users to be classified into different groups.  
     
     
         37 . The portal server framework of  claim 36 , wherein one of said user groups can be designated as a primary user group.  
     
     
         38 . The portal server framework of  claim 37 , wherein said primary group is used to select said styles within said pages.  
     
     
         39 . The portal server framework of  claim 31 , wherein sets of modules within said pages are specific to a user group.  
     
     
         40 . The portal server framework of  claim 5 , further including a framework for said permissions, and wherein said modules include delegated administration modules.  
     
     
         41 . The portal server framework of  claim 40 , wherein administrators can assume the role of a given user for the purpose of viewing that user's portal site.  
     
     
         42 . The portal server framework of  claim 26 , wherein the page contains cells determining where modules can be placed.  
     
     
         43 . The portal server framework of  claim 42 , wherein the arrangement of cells within a page can be visually communicated to an administrator during editing.  
     
     
         44 . The portal server framework of  claim 42 , wherein modules can be added to specific cells.  
     
     
         45 . The portal server framework of  claim 26 , wherein the order of modules within a layout group can be controlled.  
     
     
         46 . The portal server framework of  claim 26 , wherein specific modules can be “required”, so they cannot be removed from the page by end users.  
     
     
         47 . The portal server framework of  claim 42 , wherein an entire cell's module contents can be “locked” to prevent changes by the end user.  
     
     
         48 . The portal server framework of  claim 9 , wherein one of said other views is an edit view which enables users to edit attributes associated with their uses of a module.  
     
     
         49 . The portal server framework of  claim 1 , further including an object-oriented data storage technology that combines dynamic schema extension, document storage, and caching.  
     
     
         50 . The portal server framework of  claim 49 , further including an API that provides object-based access to said data storage technology.  
     
     
         51 . A portal server system that displays portal pages that each comprise a plurality of modules, where each module includes a first view that displays to users information about a particular type of resource on a computer network, and at least one other view that provides capabilities relating to the use and/or operation of the module.  
     
     
         52 . The portal server framework of claim  51  wherein said capabilities include selection of categories of information that can be displayed in the module's first view.  
     
     
         53 . The portal server framework of claim  51 , wherein one of said other views displays attributes of the module that can only be edited by an administrator.