1. A computer implemented method comprising: invoking a deployed portlet included in a portlet application by a server running a plurality of local portal applications, wherein the deployed portlet is running inside a portlet container and the plurality of local portal applications are running independently from the portlet container, further wherein the portlet application includes a portlet module that includes the deployed portlet and a set of elements including a portlet deployment descriptor and a class file of the deployed portlet; providing information to the portlet container about the invoked deployed portlet related to a runtime environment of a portal application from the plurality of local portal applications, wherein the information includes a name of the portlet application to which the deployed portlet belongs and a set of rendering parameters to be used by the deployed portlet in a subsequent rendering request; and modifying the provided information from the portal application to customize the deployed portlet.