Patent ID: 7577672

Claim:
A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform a method for providing a portal, the portal including a first portlet and a second portlet, the method comprising: receiving, at the portal, a first response from the first portlet, the first response including a first portion of information from an application, the first portion of information retrieved by the first portlet based on metadata describing the application; receiving, at the portal, a second response from the second portlet, the second response including a second portion of information from the application, the second portion of information retrieved by the second portlet based on metadata describing the application, the application comprising a first interface accessible by the first portlet and a second interface accessible by the second portlet, the metadata describing the application comprising a first name of the first interface, an input parameter associated with the first interface, an output parameter associated with the first interface, a second name of the second interface, another input parameter associated with the second interface, and another output parameter associated with the second interface, the first interface and the second interfaces being separate interfaces; and generating a page for the portal, the page including a first window presenting the first portion of information retrieved by the first portlet and a second window presenting the second portion of information retrieved by the second portlet from the application.