Portal Server Components

Portal Server deployment consists of the following components:

• Sun Java^TM System Access Manager

  Access Manager provides user and service management, authentication and single sign-on services, policy management, logging service, debug utility, the administration console, and client support interfaces for Portal Server. This consists of:

  • Java^TM Development Kit (JDK^TM)

    Java Development Kit software provides the Java run-time environment for all Java software in Portal Server and its underlying components. Portal Server depends on the JDK software in the web container.

  • Network Security Services for Java software

  • Sun Java^TM System Web Server

  • Java API for XML Processing (JAXP)

• Sun Java^TM System Directory Server

  Directory Server provides the primary configuration and user profile data repository for Portal Server. The Directory Server is LDAP compliant and implemented on an extensible, open schema.

• Web Containers

  • Sun Java^TM System Web Server

  • Sun Java^TM System Application Server Enterprise Edition

    The following web containers can be used in place of the Web Server and Application Server software:

  • BEA WebLogic Server

  • IBM WebSphere® Application Server

    See the Sun Java Enterprise System 2005Q5 Installation Guide for information on deploying Portal Server in various web containers.

See the latest Portal Server Release Notes for specific versions of products supported by Portal Server.

In addition to the components that make up the portal, your design should include (but is not limited to) the following:

• Contents from RDBMs

• Third-party content providers

• Custom developed providers and content

• Integration with back-end systems such as messaging and calendaring systems

• Role of the Content Management System

• Customer Resource Management

• Whether the portal runs in open or secure mode (requires Secure Remote Access)

• Usage estimates, which include your assumptions on the total number of registered users, average percentage of registered users logged in per day, average concurrent users that are logged in per day, average login time, average number of content channels that a logged in user has selected, and average number of application channels that a logged in user has selected.

Additionally, you need to consider how the following three network zones fit into your design:

• Internet. The public Internet is any network outside of the intranet and DMZ. Users portal server and securely access the Gateway and from here.

• Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). A secure area between two firewalls, enabling access to internal resources while limiting potential for unauthorized entry. The Gateway resides here where it can securely direct traffic from the application and content servers to the Internet.

• Intranet. Contains all resource servers. This includes intranet applications, web content servers, and application servers. The Portal Server and Directory Server reside here.

The logical architecture also describes the Portal Desktop look and feel, including potential items such as:

• Default page, with its default banner, logo, channels; total page weight, that is, total number of bytes of all the components of the page, including HTML, style sheet, JavaScript^TM, and image files; total number of HTTP requests for the page, that is, how many HTTP requests are required to complete downloading the page.

• Personalized pages, with channels that users can conceivably display and what preferences are available.

The logical architecture is where you also develop a caching strategy, if your site requires one. If the pages returned to your users contain references to large numbers of images, Portal Server can deliver these images for all users. However, if these types of requests can be offloaded to a reverse proxy type of caching appliance, you can free up system resources so that Portal Server can service additional users. Additionally, by placing a caching appliance closer to end users, these images can be delivered to end users somewhat more quickly, thus enhancing the overall end user experience.