Converting a JSP to a SharePoint webpart

Question

We have a large number of Java based servlets/portlets running in a BEA portal that we want to convert into SharePoint 2007 webparts. Many of the portlets use user preferences but the implementations are split between preferences being handled by the portlet directly and stored in a separate database from the portal. Others are using the BEA WebLogic API for user preferences.

Three questions:

1. Has anyone gotten a Java Servlet/JSP (compiled against JRE 1.4.2 and running on Tomcat 4.1) to run as a SharePoint 2007 webpart?
2. How large of an effort was it in general (as in, was it measured in days/weeks/months)?
3. Would it be easier to rewrite the portlet as native webparts at least as far as user preferences are concerned?

Answer 1

We have a slightly similiar project, where we're converting from a BEA portal to Sharepoint.

The difference is we do not have any java servlet's or JSP pages as webparts/portlets, instead all that code on our system is .net portlets (and now webparts.).

The Java servlet's are in popup windows, which are linked from Sharepoint using hyperlinks.

So I can't give you an answer to 1. As we've never done this.
However to convert form a BEA portal portlet to a SharePoint webpart can be a significant exercise, as you need to build them in a completely different way.

In terms of efforts, we've migrated roughly 100 gadgets to webparts/applications in 1 year, with 1 full time developer, and 1 sharepoint infrastructure/configurer.

And for 3... it depends how complicated your portlet's are. If you want to keep them as portlet's/webparts then a complete rewrite is required unless you use a hack like a page viewer webpart... but then you're not really migrating, you just encapsulating your existing system with SharePoint on top.

I would say this is a large project, which needs careful planning to succeed.
I hope this helps.