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Introduction
This paper describes how to build and deploy Web Parts to distribute mission-critical
information from a variety of business applications. This paper includes information about
how to architect a Web Part for business applications, the tools and skill sets needed to build
them, and the challenges that a developer must overcome in the process.
This paper describes the architecture that was used to create the Microsoft-Avanade Siebel
and SAP Toolboxes. A toolbox is a collection of Web Parts and related technologies. In this
case, the related technologies included COM components and installers).
You can download and install the SAP and Siebel Toolboxes from the Microsoft Web Part
Gallery at http://www.microsoft.com/business/dd/.
Readers of this paper should be familiar with the following technologies:
• Active Server Pages (ASP).
• Microsoft® Visual Basic®.
• COM+ components.
• Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server
• The digital dashboard framework.
• Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Extensible Stylesheet Language
Transformations (XSLT).
• Certificates and Public Key Interoperability (PKI).
Meeting Challenges
Authentication
Most business and legacy business applications use separate usernames and passwords for
authentication into the system, and these are not based on Windows authentication. This
becomes a challenge for the Web Part builder. Users should not have to enter a user name
and password to view each different Web Part on a single page. A user's login information
should be requested only once for each business application, especially if multiple views
against the data are needed.
To give the user a single sign-on experience, another component should be supplied to
translate a user's authenticated user name (NTLM) and map it to the business application
user name and password. A signed digital certificate is required to keep the process secure
by encrypting the transfer of user name and password. After a user is authenticated against
the business application, other Web Parts requesting data from the same business
application should not have to be re-authenticated.
A handy utility designed to solve such a problem is the Avanade Security Broker. The
Avanade Security Broker stores encrypted data mapping NTLM user names to business and
legacy application security authorization schemes. All communications between this utility,
the user name/password database, and the calling XML Generator are encrypted using PKI
standards to ensure security.
Conclusion
The release of Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server and the digital dashboard offers the
enterprise a powerful, yet simple and cost-effective platform on which to easily deliver
business and legacy application information. In addition, third party vendors are building
Web Parts that allow companies to pick from pre-built components that quickly plug into a
digital dashboard, providing quick, powerful solutions.
Visit the online Web Parts Gallery for the latest versions of Web Parts and tools including the
Microsoft Avanade SAP and Siebel Web Parts. The link to the gallery can be found at:
http://www.microsoft.com/business/dd/.
More information about creating Web Parts can be found in the Digital Dashboard Resource
Kit 3.0, which includes the Web Parts Development Kit.
For more information: http://www.microsoft.com/sharepoint/ and
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sharepoint/default.asp.
This is a preliminary document and may be changed substantially prior to final commercial
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and events depicted herein are fictitious. No association with any real company,
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Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual
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