Contacting a Pocket PC from a server

[LJ]

Hi,

I'm stuck developing an application where a a client application running on
a PDA needs to be updated by a server. This client application can easily
pull information from the server using a webservice running on the server.
But how can the server push information to the client Pocket PC without
resorting to polling techniques on the client.


Thanks, LJ

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

The client will have to have some sort of a connection (server), endpoint
open. You can do that with sockets, you might run an FTP or HTTP server on
the device, etc.

Paul T.

 

[LJ]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.
As far as I know there is no way to run a Webservice on the Pocket PC itself
using the Compact Framework without coding all the plumbing myself and that
seems like a daunting task. The app has to go through a tightly secured
(wireless) network that is firewalled at several places so I would love to
be able do two-way initiated communication using port 80 using technolgies
like SOAP and XML. Has anyone come up with something that is able to do this
or will I have to create my own protocols in order to do so?

Thanks for responding,

LJ

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

Not with released pieces, no. You didn't say anything about running a Web
service. It's not a daunting task, generally. You simply have total
control over the 'protocol' for the communications. You could say that the
client just opens the socket, sends an XML file, and disconnects. Not very
difficult. You could be listening on port 80, if you wanted to. You'd have
to process HTTP requests from the other end, of course.

Paul T.

 

[LJ]

I was hoping that MS had already done the tedious work for me. Processing
the HTTP requests is probably not that difficult (maybe a bit slow when done
in the CF), it is the security stuff hat bothers me most.

Thanks for your reply,

LJ

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

You're on the server end. Why would you have to deal with security? You're
just sitting there waiting for something to happen. If the desktop machine
can't get a packet to you, that's its problem. On the desktop side, you
have a lot more code sitting under you to handle that stuff...

Paul T.

I was hoping that MS had already done the tedious work for me. Processing
the HTTP requests is probably not that difficult (maybe a bit slow when
done in the CF), it is the security stuff hat bothers me most.

Thanks for your reply,

LJ

Not with released pieces, no. You didn't say anything about running a
Web service. It's not a daunting task, generally. You simply have total
control over the 'protocol' for the communications. You could say that
the client just opens the socket, sends an XML file, and disconnects.
Not very difficult. You could be listening on port 80, if you wanted to.
You'd have to process HTTP requests from the other end, of course.

Paul T.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.
As far as I know there is no way to run a Webservice on the Pocket PC
itself using the Compact Framework without coding all the plumbing
myself and that seems like a daunting task. The app has to go through a
tightly secured (wireless) network that is firewalled at several places
so I would love to be able do two-way initiated communication using port
80 using technolgies like SOAP and XML. Has anyone come up with
something that is able to do this or will I have to create my own
protocols in order to do so?

Thanks for responding,

LJ

"Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]" <ptobey no spam AT no instrument no spam DOT com>
wrote in message The client will have to have some sort of a connection (server),
endpoint open. You can do that with sockets, you might run an FTP or
HTTP server on the device, etc.

Paul T.

Hi,

I'm stuck developing an application where a a client application
running on a PDA needs to be updated by a server. This client
application can easily pull information from the server using a
webservice running on the server. But how can the server push
information to the client Pocket PC without resorting to polling
techniques on the client.


Thanks, LJ

 

[LJ]

Unfortunately not. I am responsible for programming both ends, the server
and the Pocket PC. Both these ends can be contacted by the other so security
will definitely be an issue.

Thanks LJ

You're on the server end. Why would you have to deal with security?
You're just sitting there waiting for something to happen. If the desktop
machine can't get a packet to you, that's its problem. On the desktop
side, you have a lot more code sitting under you to handle that stuff...

Paul T.

I was hoping that MS had already done the tedious work for me. Processing
the HTTP requests is probably not that difficult (maybe a bit slow when
done in the CF), it is the security stuff hat bothers me most.

Thanks for your reply,

LJ

Not with released pieces, no. You didn't say anything about running a
Web service. It's not a daunting task, generally. You simply have
total control over the 'protocol' for the communications. You could say
that the client just opens the socket, sends an XML file, and
disconnects. Not very difficult. You could be listening on port 80, if
you wanted to. You'd have to process HTTP requests from the other end,
of course.

Paul T.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.
As far as I know there is no way to run a Webservice on the Pocket PC
itself using the Compact Framework without coding all the plumbing
myself and that seems like a daunting task. The app has to go through a
tightly secured (wireless) network that is firewalled at several places
so I would love to be able do two-way initiated communication using
port 80 using technolgies like SOAP and XML. Has anyone come up with
something that is able to do this or will I have to create my own
protocols in order to do so?

Thanks for responding,

LJ

"Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]" <ptobey no spam AT no instrument no spam DOT
com> wrote in message The client will have to have some sort of a connection (server),
endpoint open. You can do that with sockets, you might run an FTP or
HTTP server on the device, etc.

Paul T.

Hi,

I'm stuck developing an application where a a client application
running on a PDA needs to be updated by a server. This client
application can easily pull information from the server using a
webservice running on the server. But how can the server push
information to the client Pocket PC without resorting to polling
techniques on the client.


Thanks, LJ

 

[Tarundeep Singh Kalra]

Think of the problem from other dimension.
You can not it from server side becuase of lot of security issuues as
diccussed from previuos mails.

BUT , you can always poll @ server at certain time frames whether the
updated version is there or not.

also, why dont you take a look @ Click Once provided in VS2005 (.NET 2.0).

but yes you cannot push from server unless you have your own listener
socket.

--
Regards
Tarundeep Singh Kalra

www_dot_tarunsadhana_dot_com.

www.tarunsadhana.com
tarun_at_removeAT_tarunsadhana_dot_com.remove_dots

 

[Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]]

Fine, but your question was: How do I use the Pocket PC as the server and
have the desktop machine go around and update PPC devices. In that case,
you don't care about security on the PPC side, as you don't have to do any
security negotiations from that end. Presumably, in the other case, (you
said that the PPC can, "easily pull information from the server using a
webservice"), you've already got it done...

Paul T.

Unfortunately not. I am responsible for programming both ends, the server
and the Pocket PC. Both these ends can be contacted by the other so
security will definitely be an issue.

Thanks LJ

You're on the server end. Why would you have to deal with security?
You're just sitting there waiting for something to happen. If the
desktop machine can't get a packet to you, that's its problem. On the
desktop side, you have a lot more code sitting under you to handle that
stuff...

Paul T.

I was hoping that MS had already done the tedious work for me. Processing
the HTTP requests is probably not that difficult (maybe a bit slow when
done in the CF), it is the security stuff hat bothers me most.

Thanks for your reply,

LJ


"Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]" <ptobey no spam AT no instrument no spam DOT com>
wrote in message Not with released pieces, no. You didn't say anything about running a
Web service. It's not a daunting task, generally. You simply have
total control over the 'protocol' for the communications. You could
say that the client just opens the socket, sends an XML file, and
disconnects. Not very difficult. You could be listening on port 80, if
you wanted to. You'd have to process HTTP requests from the other end,
of course.

Paul T.

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.
As far as I know there is no way to run a Webservice on the Pocket PC
itself using the Compact Framework without coding all the plumbing
myself and that seems like a daunting task. The app has to go through
a tightly secured (wireless) network that is firewalled at several
places so I would love to be able do two-way initiated communication
using port 80 using technolgies like SOAP and XML. Has anyone come up
with something that is able to do this or will I have to create my own
protocols in order to do so?

Thanks for responding,

LJ

"Paul G. Tobey [eMVP]" <ptobey no spam AT no instrument no spam DOT
com> wrote in message The client will have to have some sort of a connection (server),
endpoint open. You can do that with sockets, you might run an FTP or
HTTP server on the device, etc.

Paul T.

Hi,

I'm stuck developing an application where a a client application
running on a PDA needs to be updated by a server. This client
application can easily pull information from the server using a
webservice running on the server. But how can the server push
information to the client Pocket PC without resorting to polling
techniques on the client.


Thanks, LJ