JBoss portal server is a leading provider of an open source portal framework, enriched with content management functionality. It provides a robust and rich features set, compliant with the industry standards JSR-168 and JSR-286. These specifications facilitate a pluggable architecture for modules, including security and workflow, WSRP, and so on, for easy integration with the platform. JBoss portal server is provided under the business?friendly LGPL license, and optimized to run on the widely popular open source JBoss Application Server.
There are other portal framework providers in the industry today that offer a standards compliant features-set, but JBoss provides value through a zero-cost, feature?rich, quality portal server combined with a robust and scalable underlying application server platform.
Features
The features that JBoss portal server provides are a combination of its compliance with the specification, the support of the underlying JBoss application server, and its own value-add set.
The following categorization is only to list the salient features of the software as of version 2.7.0, the version used throughout the book. A detailed list can be found on the JBoss portal web site at http://www.jboss.com/products/platforms/portals.
Technology and Architecture
Standards-based implementation: Platform compliant to the JSR-168, JSR?286, and Portlet 2.0 specification
JEMS: Leverages the power of JBoss Enterprise Middleware Services — JBoss application server, JBoss cache, JGroups, and Hibernate
Scalability: Provides support for clustering portal states for all instances
Security and Single Sign On
Out-of-the-box support for SSO
JAAS Authentication: Custom authentication via JAAS login modules
LDAP Integration: Easy integration with LDAP servers
User Management: Easy user registration, management and access controls
Supported Standards
Portlet Specification (JSR-168, JSR-286)
Java Server Faces 1.2, 2.0 (JSR-252, JSR-314)
Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) 1.0
J2EE 1.4 with JBoss Application Server
Portal and Portlet Container
Multiple Portal Instances: Ability to have multiple portal instances running inside one portal container
Inter-Portlet Communication (IPC) API: Allows portlets to create links to other objects such as a page, portal, or window
Application Development Framework Support: Struts, Spring MVC, and MyFaces
Internationalization: Ability to use internationalization features at a granular level
Page-based Architecture: Allows grouping of portlets on a per-page basis
Content Management System
Full Directory and File Support: Creates, moves, deletes, copies, and uploads entire directory trees or files
Full-featured WYSIWYG HTML editor: HTML Editor contains WYSIWYG mode, preview functionality, and HTML source editing mode
Versioning support: All content, either edited or created, is auto-versioned with a viewable history
Internationalization Support: Content can be attributed to a specific locale and then served to the user based on his or her browser settings
Basic Workflow Support: Submission for review and approval process