Session B05 Managing the Portal Deployment Best Practices Speaker(s): Michael Porter, Principal

Agenda Aspects of a successful portal deployment Holistic approach to portal Vision and Alignment Governance Training Methodology PM Best Practices Installation and Config Development Testing Deployment

Aspects of a successful portal deployment

Holistic approach to portal

Vision and Alignment

Governance

Training

Methodology

PM Best Practices

Installation and Config

Development

Testing

Deployment

Aspects of a Successful Deployment Does it meet the end user’s goals? Is it well used? Can you prove that you saved money? Can you prove that you increased revenue? Does your company or organization view it as a success? The Portal is a tool that gets you to the end goal. It’s the end result that matters!

Does it meet the end user’s goals?

Is it well used?

Can you prove that you saved money?

Can you prove that you increased revenue?

Does your company or organization view it as a success?

The Portal is a tool that gets you to the end goal.

Vision and Alignment Meet with Leaders Figure out their business needs Give them “Portal 101” Align portal to the business Prioritize the alignment By audience By what it will do

Meet with Leaders

Figure out their business needs

Give them “Portal 101”

Align portal to the business

Prioritize the alignment

By audience

By what it will do

Sample Vision Customers Prospects New Customers Existing Customers Partners Suppliers Employees The portal will drive sales Web Channel for SMB (sales, care, service) The portal will decrease costs through automation and access to information Customer, Partner, Employee The portal will improve and automate premium services Company A service differentiation Improved services to help encourage adoption of self service for elite customer The place for customers and partners to conveniently interact with Company A . Not the only place Will provide a positive customer & partner experience Constituents Strategies

Customers

Prospects

New Customers

Existing Customers

Partners

Suppliers

Employees

The portal will drive sales

Web Channel for SMB (sales, care, service)

The portal will decrease costs through automation and access to information

Customer, Partner, Employee

The portal will improve and automate premium services

Company A service differentiation

Improved services to help encourage adoption of self service for elite customer

The place for customers and partners to conveniently interact with Company A .

Not the only place

Will provide a positive customer & partner experience

Follow Through: Complete the Alignment Interactive workshops with the client Engages Line of Business and IT Mgmt. Identifies value in the context of the client’s business challenges Provides a high-level plan on where to begin and what can be delivered over a period of time. Define Priorities and Dependencies Three questions: Complexity Business Value Organizational Readiness Define the dependencies Project, Organization, Technology Create a roadmap

Interactive workshops with the client

Engages Line of Business and IT Mgmt.

Identifies value in the context of the client’s business challenges

Provides a high-level plan on where to begin and what can be delivered over a period of time.

Define Priorities and Dependencies

Three questions:

Complexity

Business Value

Organizational Readiness

Define the dependencies

Project, Organization, Technology

Create a roadmap

Sample Roadmap and Dependencies Timeline takes into consideration the client priorities, complexities, and critical Dependencies Roadmap is a living document that is continually reviewed and updated.

Timeline takes into consideration the client priorities, complexities, and critical Dependencies

Roadmap is a living document that is continually reviewed and updated.

Governance Organizations must understand the roles they fill Key standards need to be set Projects should not start from scratch Give them lines of communication A Foundation of standards and tools A knowledge store A place to interact with the project Give business and IT a way to interact Levels of Governance Strategic Tactical Operational Business Administration

Organizations must understand the roles they fill

Key standards need to be set

Projects should not start from scratch

Give them lines of communication

A Foundation of standards and tools

A knowledge store

A place to interact with the project

Give business and IT a way to interact

Levels of Governance

Strategic

Tactical

Operational

Business Administration

Sample Governance: Strategic

Training You cannot just give them a tool and let them go Groups to train Administrators Application Developers Content Developers Leadership Business Users Type of training IBM’s Portal Curriculum Portal 101 End User Content and Portal Admin Mentoring

You cannot just give them a tool and let them go

Groups to train

Administrators

Application Developers

Content Developers

Leadership

Business Users

Type of training

IBM’s Portal Curriculum

Portal 101

End User Content and Portal Admin

Mentoring

Methodology Portal is a loosely coupled, highly scalable technology Portal has many different pieces and parts It works best with iterations and “baby steps” It works best with frequent reviews and re-prioritizations Consider any iterative type methodology RUP UML SCRUM XP Crystal

Portal is a loosely coupled, highly scalable technology

Portal has many different pieces and parts

It works best with iterations and “baby steps”

It works best with frequent reviews and re-prioritizations

Consider any iterative type methodology

RUP

UML

SCRUM

XP

Crystal

Project Management: How to Fail How to fail when managing a portal project My job definition is to get a report and summarize it in another report My job is to make a list of all the risks and put them on a piece of paper My job is to make a list of issues and put them on a piece of paper My job is to hold a weekly meeting and present my pieces of paper My job is to have a developer tell me of an issue on Thursday and assign someone to address it when I create my status report on Monday I’m a Project Manager, it’s the process rather than the end goal or the technology that’s important. Aside from some spiffy PM tools and a cool certificate on the wall, a good admin could do my job………………………..

How to fail when managing a portal project

My job definition is to get a report and summarize it in another report

My job is to make a list of all the risks and put them on a piece of paper

My job is to make a list of issues and put them on a piece of paper

My job is to hold a weekly meeting and present my pieces of paper

My job is to have a developer tell me of an issue on Thursday and assign someone to address it when I create my status report on Monday

I’m a Project Manager, it’s the process rather than the end goal or the technology that’s important.

Aside from some spiffy PM tools and a cool certificate on the wall, a good admin could do my job………………………..

Project Management Different Philosophy A good project manager is worth his or her weight in gold: pay accordingly A good project manager Sits with architects and developers over lunch Understands the technology well enough to understand the dependencies Can you create a page on the portal? Can you set security? Can you place portlets? Do you know the general approach to integration? Do you know the general approach to content management? Acts immediately on issues with dependencies Is forward looking and ensures deliverables and key technology is ready before developers start working on them. Can translate a developer issue to a business language Isn’t afraid to act like a Business Analyst if the need is there Uses the collaboration tools, project spaces, etc. to their best advantage

A good project manager is worth his or her weight in gold: pay accordingly

A good project manager

Sits with architects and developers over lunch

Understands the technology well enough to understand the dependencies

Can you create a page on the portal?

Can you set security?

Can you place portlets?

Do you know the general approach to integration?

Do you know the general approach to content management?

Acts immediately on issues with dependencies

Is forward looking and ensures deliverables and key technology is ready before developers start working on them.

Can translate a developer issue to a business language

Isn’t afraid to act like a Business Analyst if the need is there

Uses the collaboration tools, project spaces, etc. to their best advantage

Project Management Tools Team Space Use it religiously Give it some structure IT and Business need access Consider newer collab tools that are more agile Project Work Plan Update it Use it to get in front of issues Risks and Issues Jira, spreadsheets, part of team space Great tools but only to give the PM something to do Reports Important but only as part of the end result A PM Cannot spend all of his or her time creating reports. Remember: the tools are only used to get you to the end result

Team Space

Use it religiously

Give it some structure

IT and Business need access

Consider newer collab tools that are more agile

Project Work Plan

Update it

Use it to get in front of issues

Risks and Issues

Jira, spreadsheets, part of team space

Great tools but only to give the PM something to do

Reports

Important but only as part of the end result

A PM Cannot spend all of his or her time creating reports.

User Experience Objective testing to make sure your UI works Consider Visualization IBM’s Portal Experience Modeler iRise Let users see the solution early Capture requirements in that context User experience type testing can user iterations like portal development Make it part of the project and not some separate activity that has nothing to do with the project More easily cut from the project (not a good thing if you are focused on the end result and not just launching a portal) More expensive Worse results Embed UX in your process. Involve the users early and often

Objective testing to make sure your UI works

Consider Visualization

IBM’s Portal Experience Modeler

iRise

Let users see the solution early

Capture requirements in that context

User experience type testing can user iterations like portal development

Make it part of the project and not some separate activity that has nothing to do with the project

More easily cut from the project (not a good thing if you are focused on the end result and not just launching a portal)

More expensive

Worse results

Development: Foundation and Standards Follow the Enterprise Standards If they don’t exist, then set them Development tools Eclipse RAD Portlet Factory MVC (Struts, JSF, Spring) Simple portlets don’t need an MVC Other standards and scenarios Caching DB access UI standards (based on those User Experience best practices) Bottom line is that developers are more productive when you’ve defined the tool set and use them on multiple projects

Follow the Enterprise Standards

If they don’t exist, then set them

Development tools

Eclipse

RAD

Portlet Factory

MVC (Struts, JSF, Spring)

Simple portlets don’t need an MVC

Other standards and scenarios

Caching

DB access

UI standards (based on those User Experience best practices)

Bottom line is that developers are more productive when you’ve defined the tool set and use them on multiple projects

Development: Developer Types Visual Designer Don’t spin wheels having other developers do this Content Developer Simple programming like jsp’s and javascript Templating Configuration Portlet Developer Front end, not as deep as the integration or application developer Must be familiar with MVC for more complex portlets Integration Developer Creates integration services to back end Usually the most experienced

Visual Designer

Don’t spin wheels having other developers do this

Content Developer

Simple programming like jsp’s and javascript

Templating

Configuration

Portlet Developer

Front end, not as deep as the integration or application developer

Must be familiar with MVC for more complex portlets

Integration Developer

Creates integration services to back end

Usually the most experienced

Development: Estimation Rule of Thumb: Take whatever the architect or developer gave you and double it. If you use the really good ones to estimate, they forget they are probably 50-75% more efficient than your average developer Use a ranking system: Low, Medium, High Nothing EVER takes less than 4 hours After you get the development estimate, then add in everything around it Requirements Design (if developer didn’t take that into account) All kinds of testing (more on that later) Deployment and launch Time to migrate or create the content

Rule of Thumb: Take whatever the architect or developer gave you and double it.

If you use the really good ones to estimate, they forget they are probably 50-75% more efficient than your average developer

Use a ranking system: Low, Medium, High

Nothing EVER takes less than 4 hours

After you get the development estimate, then add in everything around it

Requirements

Design (if developer didn’t take that into account)

All kinds of testing (more on that later)

Deployment and launch

Time to migrate or create the content

Administration Allocate Portal and System Admin time They help developers resolve issues They get the environments up and running They prep for post launch monitoring Do not forget Release Management If not setup correctly, this leads to disaster and a lot of wasted time DBA Allocation Light for just the portal Heavier when creating custom apps surfaced on the portal The more complex your project(s), the more important Administration

Allocate Portal and System Admin time

They help developers resolve issues

They get the environments up and running

They prep for post launch monitoring

Do not forget Release Management

If not setup correctly, this leads to disaster and a lot of wasted time

DBA Allocation

Light for just the portal

Heavier when creating custom apps surfaced on the portal

Testing Good architecture the first step in the process Define load and critical applications If Prod is clustered then Test must be clustered Don’t cut the testing because you are behind Involve QA team early Types of Testing Unit: Developers must do it System: How does everything work together User Acceptance: important but it better not be the first time users see it Load or Stress: extremely important. Do baseline and then keep doing it. Hit it hard Hit it over an extended period Hit it with different users Use multiple scenarios Content, application, search, login, etc A portal has many moving parts. One part cannot take down the portal

Good architecture the first step in the process

Define load and critical applications

If Prod is clustered then Test must be clustered

Don’t cut the testing because you are behind

Involve QA team early

Types of Testing

Unit: Developers must do it

System: How does everything work together

User Acceptance: important but it better not be the first time users see it

Load or Stress: extremely important. Do baseline and then keep doing it.

Hit it hard

Hit it over an extended period

Hit it with different users

Use multiple scenarios

Content, application, search, login, etc

Deployment Portal Installation All environments setup and running Portal Themes and Skins Portal Configuration Portlets Content Templates Migrate the actual content Rules Workflow Database Setup tables and base data Services layer ESB, EAI, App Servers Connectors Search Servers LDAP Servers Setup users Setup security Identity and Authorization Management TIM/TAM, OIM/OAM, Siteminder Legacy Systems Code changes Config changes Again, Portal has many moving parts, deploying means you have to prep all those parts………………

Portal Installation

All environments setup and running

Portal

Themes and Skins

Portal Configuration

Portlets

Content

Templates

Migrate the actual content

Rules

Workflow

Database

Setup tables and base data

Services layer

ESB, EAI, App Servers

Connectors

Search Servers

LDAP Servers

Setup users

Setup security

Identity and Authorization Management

TIM/TAM, OIM/OAM, Siteminder

Legacy Systems

Code changes

Config changes

Deployment Identify all the systems that need to be launched or that have modifications Identify all the people in charge of it Identify who’s on site and who’s on call Important: Do whatever you can before launch Migrate themes and skins Run database scripts and setup db’s Create rules for workflow engines Etc Setup back out procedures If the worst happens, can I return to my previous product ready state? 6 weeks before launch, start weekly planning meetings Remember that a PM’s job is to get in front of it. DBA’s, Sys Admins, Architects, and developers will let it slide if you do. Push them more than once a week in a meeting

Identify all the systems that need to be launched or that have modifications

Identify all the people in charge of it

Identify who’s on site and who’s on call

Important: Do whatever you can before launch

Migrate themes and skins

Run database scripts and setup db’s

Create rules for workflow engines

Etc

Setup back out procedures

If the worst happens, can I return to my previous product ready state?

6 weeks before launch, start weekly planning meetings

Remember that a PM’s job is to get in front of it. DBA’s, Sys Admins, Architects, and developers will let it slide if you do. Push them more than once a week in a meeting

Post Launch Success Setup a help desk Train them on identifying the issue “ The portal is down” is the most common error but usually it’s not the portal but some back end system Setup monitoring Server System Process The actual portal itself Allocate time for your developers to be a level of support until help desk and other support processes are in place Create a feedback portlet and act on feedback Make it part of the governance process Once a portal is launched, you have to maintain it

Setup a help desk

Train them on identifying the issue

“ The portal is down” is the most common error but usually it’s not the portal but some back end system

Setup monitoring

Server

System

Process

The actual portal itself

Allocate time for your developers to be a level of support until help desk and other support processes are in place

Create a feedback portlet and act on feedback

Make it part of the governance process

Additional Information and Resources WebSphere Portal – IBM Site http://www-3.ibm.com/software/genservers/portal/ WebSphere Portal Business Solutions Catalog http://catalog.lotus.com/wps/portal/portal Websphere Portal Developer’s Zone http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/zones/portal/ Product Documentation and WebSphere Portal Wiki http://www-3.ibm.com/software/genservers/portal/library/ http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/portalwiki.nsf Education http://www-01.ibm.com/software/lotus/training/portalofferings.html WebSphere Portal Blog https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/WebSpherePortal/

WebSphere Portal – IBM Site

http://www-3.ibm.com/software/genservers/portal/

WebSphere Portal Business Solutions Catalog

http://catalog.lotus.com/wps/portal/portal

Websphere Portal Developer’s Zone

http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/websphere/zones/portal/

Product Documentation and WebSphere Portal Wiki

http://www-3.ibm.com/software/genservers/portal/library/

http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/portalwiki.nsf

Education

http://www-01.ibm.com/software/lotus/training/portalofferings.html

WebSphere Portal Blog

https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/WebSpherePortal/

Please take a few minutes to fill out the session survey. Thank you Session ID: B05 Session: Managing the Portal Deployment Project: Best Practices Presenter(s): Michael Porter

© IBM Corporation 2009 All Rights Reserved. The information contained in this publication is provided for informational purposes only. While efforts were made to verify the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in this publication, it is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In addition, this information is based on IBM’s current product plans and strategy, which are subject to change by IBM without notice. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise related to, this publication or any other materials. Nothing contained in this publication is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM or its suppliers or licensors, or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement governing the use of IBM software. References in this presentation to IBM products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be available in all countries in which IBM operates. Product release dates and/or capabilities referenced in this presentation may change at any time at IBM’s sole discretion based on market opportunities or other factors, and are not intended to be a commitment to future product or feature availability in any way. Nothing contained in these materials is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, stating or implying that any activities undertaken by you will result in any specific sales, revenue growth or other results. All customer examples described are presented as illustrations of how those customers have used IBM products and the results they may have achieved. Actual environmental costs and performance characteristics may vary by customer. IBM, the IBM logo, WebSphere, Lotus , Lotus Notes , Domino , Quickplace, Sametime , Workplace and Quickr are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. All references to Renovations Inc. refer to a fictitious company and are used for illustration purposes only.

© IBM Corporation 2009 All Rights Reserved.

The information contained in this publication is provided for informational purposes only. While efforts were made to verify the completeness and accuracy of the information contained in this publication, it is provided AS IS without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In addition, this information is based on IBM’s current product plans and strategy, which are subject to change by IBM without notice. IBM shall not be responsible for any damages arising out of the use of, or otherwise related to, this publication or any other materials. Nothing contained in this publication is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, creating any warranties or representations from IBM or its suppliers or licensors, or altering the terms and conditions of the applicable license agreement governing the use of IBM software.

References in this presentation to IBM products, programs, or services do not imply that they will be available in all countries in which IBM operates. Product release dates and/or capabilities referenced in this presentation may change at any time at IBM’s sole discretion based on market opportunities or other factors, and are not intended to be a commitment to future product or feature availability in any way. Nothing contained in these materials is intended to, nor shall have the effect of, stating or implying that any activities undertaken by you will result in any specific sales, revenue growth or other results.

All customer examples described are presented as illustrations of how those customers have used IBM products and the results they may have achieved. Actual environmental costs and performance characteristics may vary by customer.

IBM, the IBM logo, WebSphere, Lotus , Lotus Notes , Domino , Quickplace, Sametime , Workplace and Quickr are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Java and all Java-based trademarks are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States, other countries, or both.

Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

All references to Renovations Inc. refer to a fictitious company and are used for illustration purposes only.