Motivation
My Project manager told me that he doesn't want to poll the server frequently to get the updated data. Probably he wants to come up with a solution that doesn't drains user pocket (due to Network Connection on Mobile operator's GPRS) and device battery.
Googled net a lot and found that Google Android Team has already come up with a solution Android Cloud to Device Messaging framework for Android 2.2 to resolve the above issues by using server push mechanism to send updates to devices.
Thanks Google.
So what's this Cloud to Device Messaging Framework.
Android Cloud to Device Messaging Framework
Android Cloud to Device Messaging (C2DM) is a service that helps developers send data from servers to their applications on Android devices. The service provides a simple, lightweight mechanism that servers can use to tell mobile applications to contact the server directly, to fetch updated application or user data. The C2DM service handles all aspects of queueing of messages and delivery to the target application running on the target device.
Architectural Overview : Working
This table summarizes the key terms and concepts involved in C2DM. It is divided into these categories:
* Components — The physical entities that play a role in C2DM.
* Credentials — The IDs and tokens that are used in different stages of C2DM to ensure that all parties have been authenticated, and that the message is going to the correct place.
Components
Mobile Device
The device that is running an Android application that uses C2DM. This must be a 2.2 Android device that has Market installed, and it must have at least one logged in Google account.
Third-Party Application Server
An application server that developers set up as part of implementing C2DM in their applications. The third-party application server sends data to an Android application on the device via the C2DM server.
C2DM Servers
The Google servers involved in taking messages from the third-party application server and sending them to the device.
Credentials
Sender ID
An email account associated with the application's developer. The sender ID is used in the registration process to identify a Android application that is permitted to send messages to the device. This ID is typically role-based rather than being a personal account—- for example, my-app@gmail.com.
Generally while registering the account at c2dm servers only test quota is given . To get production quota a discussion with c2dm server maintainers is needed. Production quota is not free.
Application ID
The application that is registering to receive messages. The application is identified by the package name from the manifest. This ensures that the messages are targeted to the correct application. Important to keep the package name same.
Registration ID
An ID issued by the C2DM servers to the Android application that allows it to receive messages. Once the application has the registration ID, it sends it to the third-party application server, which uses it to identify each device that has registered to receive messages for a given application. In other words, a registration ID is tied to a particular application running on a particular device.
Google User Account
For C2DM to work, the mobile device must include at least one logged in Google account.
Sender Auth Token
Auth token that the sender has already got from Google servers using ClientLogin.
Below it the php code to get AuthToken using Client Login
$userName=$_REQUEST['userName'];
$passWord=$_REQUEST['passWord'];
$userName="email add";
$passWord="password";
$auth = exec("curl https://www.google.com/accounts/ClientLogin \
--data-urlencode Email=".$userName." --data-urlencode Passwd=".$passWord." \
-d accountType=GOOGLE \
-d source=Google-cURL-Example \
-d service=ac2dm");
echo $auth;
$realAuth = substr($auth,5);
echo "
".$realAuth;
echo "
".strlen($realAuth);
mysql_connect("localhost","root","success") or die ('error connecting to mysql');
mysql_select_db("ctodm") or die('error connecting to database');
// put here logic where first id is determined if found values will be updated
// else new row would be inserted
$authorizeAccount=$userName;
$query = "TRUNCATE TABLE `tokendet`";
$query = "INSERT INTO tokendet (tokenid,senderemail) VALUES ('$realAuth','$authorizeAccount')";
mysql_query($query) or die ("Error updating database");
echo 'database updated';
After getting the authtoken store it in a database table.
Now get the client code modify it and use it
Client Code : https://sites.google.com/site/androidosbeginning/C2DM.zip?attredirects=0&d=1
If issues in using it ... wait for the next post I will be back.
Thanks
