ID506: Web 2.0, AJAX, and REST in IBM WebSphere Portal

2. ID506: Web 2.0, AJAX, and REST in IBM WebSphere Portal Thomas Schaeck, STSM Lead Architect Quickr and WebSphere Portal Web 2.0 Stephan Hesmer WebSphere Portal Web 2.0 Architect and Lead Developer

3. What is Web 2.0, AJAX and REST ?

4. What is Web 2.0 ? • A term coined by Tim O‘Reilly (seehttp://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html ) • Increasingly used for next generation World Wide Web Applications and Services • Web 2.0 has many aspects: Business Models that survived and have promise for the future Approaches such as services instead of products, the Web as a platform, ... Concepts such as folksonomies, syndication, participation, reputation, .... Technologies such as AJAX, REST, Tags, Microformats, ... And many others ...

5. How do Web 2.0 Sites differ from „Web 1.0“ Sites ? • Strict „Web 1.0“ site • „Web Master“ runs web site, users consume • Few content editors • Web site provides content and applications for users • View-only markup • Only human users • Accumulates relatively small amounts of information and content • Fixed categories / Taxonomy • Unidirectional • Modern „Web 2.0“ site • Users collectively contribute to the web site, they don‘t just consume • Every user is a content editor and rater • Web site provides content, applications, and collective contributions of all users • Semantically tagged markup • Humans and applications as „users“ • Accumulates huge amounts of information and content • FlexibleTagging / Folksonomy • Bi-directional App App Web Site Web Site App Data Data App

6. Observations • Web 2.0 consists of social and technical aspects • The social aspects of Web 2.0 are much more fundamental than the technologies • Web 2.0 Sites can derive huge value from their user community if they achieve critical mass Some Web 2.0 companies have achieved extremely high market captialization (Google ($109,66 bn) bought YouTube for $1,65 bn) • The Web 2.0 Site itself often only provides the infrastructure and guidelines for user participation • The community then adds value to the site, e.g. by writing articles, posting videos, sharing bookmarks, etc • Typically, these Web 2.0 sites have APIs for use by developers of mashup applications acting as multipliers • Web 2.0 user interfaces typically apply the AJAX technology in order to achieve more responsive UIs

7. What is AJAX ? • AJAX is the acronym for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML • The purpose is to create more dynamic and responsive web pages • It is also about building web clients in a Service Oriented Architecturethat can connect to any kind of server: J2EE, PHP, ASP.Net, Ruby on Rails, etc. • AJAX involves existing technology & standards: JavaScript and XML • Pattern: Page view displayed in a web browser retrieves data or markup fragmentsfrom a service and refreshes just a part of the page • AJAX is non-trivial, it requires deep and broad skills in web development ...... but the benefits to be gained can be huge compared to classic web applications • AJAX enables major improvements in responsiveness and performance of web applications, e.g. used at Yahoo! Mail, Google Maps, live.com, and others • AJAX is NOT hype – it is very real and very useful for highly interactive applications

8. AJAX compared to classic Web UIs service Server Browser Server Browser In the typical web application, each request causes a complete refresh of the browser page An Ajax application begins the same way. After the initial page loads, Javascript code retrieves additional data in the background and updates only specific sections of the page • Ajax forces you to think about discrete services. • It may drive requirements for new services from your IT department

9. What is REST ? • REST is the acronym for „Representational State Transfer“ • It is the architectural model on which the World Wide Web is based • Principles of REST • Resource centric approach • All relevant resources are addressable via URIs • Uniform access via HTTP – GET, POST, PUT, DELETE • Content type negotiation allows retrieving alternative representations from same URI • REST style services • are easy to access from code running in web browsers, any other client or servers very popular in the context of AJAX • can take full advantage of the WWW caching infrastructure • can serve multiple representations of the same resource • More info: http://www.ics.uci.edu/~fielding/pubs/dissertation/top.htm

10. Web 2.0 Concepts that are interesting for enterprise use • Self-establishing Communitiescollaborating around topics of common business interest • Support User Contribution, treat users as co-authors and leverages their skills better • Accumulation of user knowledge to make apps smarter the more people use them • Enable users to add value by adding meta data, e.g. rate, tag, bookmark, comment • Allow users toTake Control and let them make applications most useful to them • Separate User Interface from Servicesto make services re-usable • Fine grained access to data supporting mashups • Mashupscombining existing services into new, useful applications joining information • Situational Development of applications through line of business can help make businesses more agile • AJAXto enable rich, interactive, highly responsive Web UI • Use of Semantic Tags and Microformats to enable dynamic augmentation with contextual menus or information

11. Web 2.0 in WebSphere Portal

12. IBM WebSphere Portal is the User Interface to SOA Other Clients MS Office & Windows Presentation Services Web Browser Rich Clients Other Clients Mobile Client eForms Xforms

13. WebSphere Portal Extend • Instant messaging • Team Rooms • Electronic Forms • Workflow Builder WebSphere Portal Enable • Web Content Management • Portal Document Manager • Workflow Engine WebSphere • Presentation • Customization • Application aggregation • Java Portlet API • Use of 100’s of portlets • WSRP support • Admin • Single sign on • Search • Personalization • Portlet Generation Tool (Portlet Factory) • Composite Applications • Cluster Support • Application Server • Database • LDAP Directory Server Portal Server WebSphere Portal 6 Overview

14. WebSphere Portal – An Example • w3 portal for all IBM employees • > 300,000 users • Portlets provide essential information • Highly personalized - displays the right info to the right users at the right time • End-user customizable - users can create custom pages • Has become a key tool for every IBMer • Major productivity gain • Targeted info delivery to users • Users can easily find the apps they need

15. composite applications role-based process- driven in context Portals are the way to provide governed business mashups combining public information, enterprise apps and data Rich Clients Thin Clients Security-Rich Composite application or view, that assembles and delivers services in the form of portletsin the context of a business process Mobile Clients Critical enabler: Openness Standards based access to integration and innovation

16. Web 2.0 / AJAX / REST in WP and related Products - Today • WP 6 allows User Contribution to portal sites through both WCM and PDM • WP 6 enables Situational Development through Composite Application Templates and through Lotus Designer / Portlet Factory / Forms Designer • WP 6 allows users Taking Control of their pages and choose content (if allowed by admin) • Custom AJAX Portlets can be written today to run on WebSphere Portal,e.g. using the Dojo framework and widgets or the AJAX support in RAD • WP 6.0 exploits AJAX for context menus, search menu, and some admin portlets • WebSphere Portlet Factory can generate AJAX Portlets with incremental update and autocomplete • IBM is strongly engaged in Dojo (see http://dojotoolkit.org/ ) as major contributor

17. The following includes material that is directional in nature and does not imply any product plan commitment on the part of IBM. Screenshots in this presentation are from prototypes and likely to change significantly by the time products are released Disclaimer Eyebrow /breadcrumb (text below business unit or product name): 14pt Arial Regular, lightgray R128 | G128 | B128 Singe quote on page: 28pt Arial Italic, tealR204 | G 255 | B153 Reference: 20pt Arial, Regular black Text slide with singlequote or statement

18. New Web 2.0 Work under development for WebSphere Portal • REST Servicesto open up portal for mashup applications – services for server persistence, portlet settings and user profile access to simplify Web 2.0 application development • AJAX Portlet Programming Model Extensionsbased on Dojo+IBM Extensions • Client Side Aggregation and Customization using REST Services for better UX and improved performance • AJAX Client Side Feed Consumption to enable highly efficient integration of information through feeds (Atom and RSS) • Semantic Tagsto allow smart markup to enable value add by portal, e.g. dynamic menus • Client Side C2A/Property Broker and Drag & Dropbased on Semantic Tags integrated with server side property broker and C2A support to enable cross-portlet interaction locally in the browser as well as with server side code • Sample AJAX Portlets with source showcasing the new capabilities to demonstrate and give samples to customers for how to exploit all the above • Integration, Aggregation and Customization of Google Gadgets

19. REST style Web Services exposing Portal to Mashups • Goals: • Separate portal user experience from portal data • Expose relevant data separately for use by other apps ( Mashups) • Public REST style Web services for • Access to Navigation Node Hierarchy • Access to Page Definitions • Access to User Profiles • Access to generic Content Persistence • Access tomarkup fragments of individual portlets • Mashups can use these services to implement custom applications leveraging portal infrastructure services • WebSphere Portal’s Web 2.0 Client Side Aggregation uses these services as well

20. Emerging WPLC Services&Feeds and Application Examples Domino Calendar Services Product: Common PIM Portlets for Mail and Calendar Access Mail Services Sametime IM Service Custom Situational Application: Simple AJAX Mail / Cal summary views with awareness Conference Service Awareness Service Connections Activity, Blog Services Geneva Portlets, Notes Plugin, Sametime Plugin, Desktop Integration Persona, Community Services Quickr Team Space Services Documents Services Custom Situational Application: Problem tracking application allowing to see author presence and location in map and contact via IM WebSphere Portal Search Service Contacts Service Persistence Service Product: WebSphere Portal Client Side Aggregation Portal Services Portlet Service User Service Internet Services Maps …

21. Web 2.0 Fragment Model • Simple and extensible Web 2.0 fragment programming model • Agnostic of how fragments are generated, may be • generated by portlets on WebSphere Portal • generated by PHP code on Web.0 or PHP servers • generated by .NET servers • Can start simple, with option to grow more sophisticated • Basic fragments – HTML only • Slightly more advanced – add use of Semantic Tags • More advanced – add use of Dojo and custom JavaScript • Fragments can use public JavaScript interfacesto conveniently invoke WebSphere Portal’s REST-style Web services

22. Web 2.0 Fragment Programming Model Web 2.0 Fragment Semantic Tags Dojo Widget Markup JavaScript Functions REST Calls to Portal Services User Profile Access Settings Access Persistence Service Access REST Calls to other Services, e.g. other WPLC services Weather Info, News, Sports, … CRM, HR, … Services etc

23. Web 2.0 Client Side Aggregation • Browser-side Aggregation, Navigation and Customization • Superior user experience • Highly reactive and direct user interface • Many actions possible without server roundtrips • Avoids page flickering • Accesses and manipulates portal information through REST services • Renders XML obtained from the server on the browser side • Implemented using AJAX, XML, Dojo, and JavaScript • Improved performance and scalability through • Reduced server side processing - offloads rendering to browser • Reduced bandwidth requirements between server and browser • Reduced client-side processing – mostly fragment reloads, few page reloads • Improved cachability, all artifacts can be cached independently

24. AJAX based Client Side Aggregation in the Web Browser REST-accessible Markup Fragments from WP Portlets or any other URL Atom / RSS Feeds Services created with Google Gadgets WSRP Services

25. Semantic Tags, Context Menus and Drag&Drop Conference Participants ... IBMST Thomas SchaeckST 5 Technology Park Dr 555-5555ST Westford, MAST GroupST LocationsST‘ Click to dial D&D D&D • Extensible set of tag types such as person, address, phone number, document, ... is used to mark content elements with types (semantic tagging) • Behaviours like e.g. context menus, annotations, highlighting, drag & drop, etc can be applied to everything that is semantically tagged

26. Semantic Tags (Portal-Independent Technology)

27. AJAX based RSS/Atom Feed Consumption • Allow simple consumption and display of Feeds in portal pages • Atomfeeds • RSS feeds • Implemented using AJAX, Dojo and JavaScript • Gets settings defining the feed to display from portal • Retrieves feeds from origin servers via AJAX proxy • Renders feeds in the browser rather than causing server load

28. AJAX RSS/Atom Feed Consumption directly from Origin

29. Google Gadget Integration • Enable customers to easily integrate Google Gadgets into portal pages From an end user perspective, Google Gadgets integrated in WebSphere Portal behave just like local portlets: viewable and customizable like any local portlet • If allowed by admin, users can drag Generic Gadget Portlets on their pages and select Gadgets to display from the Gadget Catalog • Gadget Portlet initially lets user select the Gadget to display from the Gadget Catalog • Gadget Portlet then displays the selected Gadget • User can view and customize the selected gadget like any local portlet • Administrators can pre-define Gadget Portlets for the portlet palette • Generic Gadget Portlet is pre-configured by the admin to connect it to a certain gadget, e.g. an admin could create a “Map Portlet” by creating a Gadget Portlet and connecting it to the Google Maps Gadget • Users can then select such pre-configured Gadget Portlets from the palette and drag them onto their pages like any local portlet

30. Google Gadget Integration – A Gadget integrated in WebSphere Portal as a portlet

31. Google Gadget Integration – Selecting a Gadget to integrate into WebSphere Portal as a portlet

32. IBM Portlet for Google Gadgets Architecture Google RSS Feed listing available gadgets IBM Portlet for Google Gadgets Configuration Mode Google Gadget Customize Mode Customize Mode View Mode View Mode

33. AJAX Portlets using Dojo

34. Web 2.0 Portal Architecture Quickr (Wikis, Blogs, Lists, Doc Libs, Discussions) Connections (Activities, Blue Pages, Social Bookmarks, Blogs) HTML+Dojo+JS Fragments (from J2EE,.NET,PHP, HTTP or other Server) Feed Service WSRP Service Connections Portlets MyPlaces Portlet WSRP Consumer AJAX enabled JSR 168 Portlets Classic JSR 168 Portlets AJAX Feed Consumer AJAX Fragment Consumer AJAX Programming Model Extensions (Dojo Framework & Widgets + AJAX.0 + REST accessor JS functions + Semantic Tags + Client Side Click-2-Action) REST style Portal Services (Persistence, User Profiles, Portlet Settings, Navigation, Pages, etc) WebSphere Portal Foundation WebSphere Application Server

35. Conclusion • Web 2.0 is important for the enterprise • AJAX and REST are important technologies related to Web 2.0 • IBM uses Web 2.0 concepts and technologies sucessfully in its intranet • WebSphere Portal already today in WP 6 provides Web 2.0 capabilities and leverages Web 2.0 technologies such as AJAX • Future releases of WebSphere Portal will add more Web 2.0 features and expand use of AJAX and REST • WebSphere Portal will integrate with Lotus Connections and Lotus Quickr