code: protected static void loadProps() {
          PropertiesManager.props = new Properties();
          try {
              String pfile = System.getProperty(PORTAL_PROPERTIES_FILE_SYSTEM_VARIABLE);
              if (pfile == null) {
                  pfile = PORTAL_PROPERTIES_FILE_NAME;
              }
              PropertiesManager.props.load(PropertiesManager.class.getResourceAsStream(pfile));
          } catch (Throwable t) {
              log.error("Unable to read portal.properties file.", t);
          }
      }
docs: Load up the portal properties. Right now the portal properties is a simple .properties file
  with name value pairs. It may evolve to become an XML file later on.