Event Notification Mechanism for Web Portal Inter-Portlet Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current web portal systems lack a robust mechanism for inter-portlet communication, particularly in notifying remote portlets of events within the larger portal framework, which complicates the coordination of activities among different elements as web portals become more complex.
Innovation Solution
Implementing mechanisms and methods for improved event communications between producer and consumer systems, where event data structures within a portlet descriptor are detected and added to a service description, enabling communication of events between producer and consumer systems, allowing them to inform each other of transpiring events during interaction requests.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If WSRP standard is implemented for delivering functional applications from producer sites to consumer sites, then application delivery capability is improved, but inter-portlet communication mechanism becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an event notification mechanism that acts as an intermediary between producer portlets and consumer portlets. Event notifications serve as mediators that carry information from the portal framework or producer portlets to consumer portlets, enabling reliable communication without direct portlet-to-portlet interaction. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining the WSRP delivery capability while adding a reliable communication layer through event intermediaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the communication mechanism into distinct event types (portal framework events, producer portlet events, and consumer portlet events) with specific notification handlers for each. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the versatile WSRP application delivery while providing targeted, reliable communication channels for different event sources, resolving the insufficiency in inter-portlet communication.
2Adaptability or versatility
If web portals become more complex with multiple portlets, then functionality is improved, but coordination among portlet elements becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements an event notification feedback mechanism where consumer portlets can register to receive notifications about events occurring in the portal framework or producer portlets. This feedback loop enables automatic coordination responses without manual intervention, allowing complex multi-portlet portals to maintain coordination as portals become more complex while preserving enhanced functionality.
3Reliability
If event notification mechanism is added to WSRP, then inter-portlet communication is improved, but implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal event notification mechanism that handles multiple types of events (portal framework events, producer portlet events, consumer portlet events) through a single standardized interface. This multi-functional approach improves inter-portlet communication reliability while avoiding the need for separate implementation mechanisms for each event type, thereby controlling implementation complexity despite the added communication capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for improved event communications between producer(s) and consumer(s) of content to communicate regarding changes to a web portal framework. Methods and mechanisms providing improved event communications between producer(s) and consumer(s) can provide producers with the capability to detect event descriptions within a configuration of the portlet and add a description for the event to a web services descriptor for the portlet. The producer and consumer can then utilize the event description to communicate with the portlet. During an interaction request the consumer and producer can utilize the event description to inform one another of transpiring events.