Web Console Architecture/Goals/ etc...

[Joe Bohn <jo...@earthlink.net>]

There are a number of items that I think we need to spell out for the 
Web Console so that we can coordinate our efforts and ensure we are all 
singing from the same hymnal.  I think we need to recreate some 
information that was formerly included in the "WebConsole" wiki page 
(now in the obsolete list).   Some of this is covered in the new "Web 
Console" page,  but other items aren't.   In particular I think we need 
the following sections again:  Web Console overview with a clear 
statement of the purpose for the Web Console,   Architectural Goals for 
the Web Console and Portal Server, and finally the Feature List (in 
priority order) of items that we all agree need to be delivered (this is 
mostly there in the .

I'm thinking of stuff like the following:

Web Console Overview and Purpose:
The Geronimo Web Console is built upon Portal technology so that it can 
be easily extended and enhanced as new capabilities are added to 
Geronimo. The Web Console currently makes use of the Simple Portal 
project from Pluto. The Pluto technology is currently included in within 
the Web Console application itself. 
The Geronimo Web Console is a web management interface for the Geronimo 
Server.  It's purpose is to provide a lightweight and intuitive web 
application which can manage the internal operations of the server, its 
components, and any applications hosted on it.  Like the other 
management efforts in Geronimo, the Web Console makes heavy use of the 
JMX APIs to manage Geronimo and its components.

Architectural Goals:
Portlets were chosen to be the basic building block of web console 
components because they are in line with the goal to provide a flexible 
console that is easy to extend. 
- Insulate the console portlet capabilities (the view) from the business 
logic necessary to manage the system.  This is planned to be via a well 
structured management interface.
- Provide a role based user interface so that users with different roles 
are only authorized for and can only see items for which they are 
responsible.
- Provide a dynamic configuration structure such that additional console 
administrative functions can be included along with the appropriate 
functionality.   For example, we would like to be able to include EJB 
management portlets only when Geronimo has been configured to support EJBs.
- Place a priority on usability and the typical user (most like an 
administrator managing a set of applications on a day-to-day basis 
rather than configuring Geronimo directly).

Goals for the Portlet Container in Geronimo:
- Move the Portlet container and Portal Server from the Console Web 
Application to Geronimo itself.  This will be accomplished as part of 
some future effort to provide Portal Server capabilities in Geronimo for 
user exploitation.
- Upgrade to a more robust Portal Server implementation such as 
JetSpeed2 and provide this to host user portal applications.   This is 
essential to:
    - Stay competitive with other application servers that are hosting 
portlet applications.
    - So the the Web Console can be more dynamic, being extended and 
enhanced as various components are configured for the Geronimo Server 
(either at build time or runtime).
    - So that users (such as ISVs) can potentially use the Portal 
capabilities themselves to not only host their own applications but also 
extend the console management application with additional features 
necessary to manage their applications. 

Features:
- list of Portlets and Pages with descriptions that we feel need to be 
created as well as rankings such as "gotta have", "nice to have", 
"swinging for the fence"
- Introduce a role based user interface for the console so that it can 
meet the differing needs of various users.   This is both to prevent 
unauthorized use of particular functions as well as to eliminate 
clutter.   This should include creating custom roles to match the needs 
of the user environment.
- Provide extension capabilities such that users can integrate their 
application administration into the Geronimo Web Console.
- Provide customization capabilities for the user to change the look and 
feel of the Web Console.

Agree/Disagree?    Should I just make these types of updates directly to 
the Wiki page or should we agree upon them so that we're not 
contradicting each other as we modify the Wiki?   

Also, is the wiki the right place to store this type of information or 
should there be a more formal location (that can't be modified by 
anybody) off of Apache Geronimo?

-- 
Joe Bohn     
joe.bohn@earthlink.net

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."   -- Jim Elliot