[aerogear-dev] AeroGear Connectivity

[Matthias Wessendorf]

AeroGear Connectivity

The connectivity part in AeroGear (name: *AeroGear Connectivity Server*?)
is responsible to deliver messages from the server to the client. It
contains two *different* components:

   - Device Push
   - Web Push

The *Web Push* offers a low-latency message deliver from the server to *
connected* clients, while the *Device Push* delivers notification-style
messages to an explict application, deployed on a mobile device.
<https://gist.github.com/matzew/17f793e4be11473423d2#device-push>Device Push

Push Notifications can be send to an explicit application (or even a
specific installation), deployed on a mobile device, wheter the application
is running or not. Push Messages are *not* intented to deliver large
messages, nor in a low-latency fashion. They are more notification-style
messages. The latency can not be controlled, since the actual message
delivery, to the phone, is controlled by the actual *Push Network*.

The AeroGear server submits messages, for a certain mobile app, to such a *Push
Network* (like APNs or GCM). Different*Push Networks* have different
limitations and restrictions, regarding message size, etc. Most *Push
Networks* queue the message for offline devices (e.g. no connection, no
roaming or device switched off). Once they are back online the message are
delivered. Since these messages can become *stale* the *Push Network* allow
to specify an expiry time.
<https://gist.github.com/matzew/17f793e4be11473423d2#supported-client-platforms>Supported
client platforms

Initially we are supporting the following platforms:

   - Android
   - iOS

*Note*: The above platforms includes hybrid containers, such as Apache
Cordova!

In the future we may add support for more platforms, such as:

   - Firefox OS
   - Blackberry
   - Windows

*NOTE*: One thing to have in mind, that there will be (eventually) a JS
API, which allows a server to deliver messages to a JS application,
deployed on any phone. *However*, it may take very long to get a unified
standard, that works accross the different devices. Platforms like Firefox
OS address this already, but only for one specific device type
<https://gist.github.com/matzew/17f793e4be11473423d2#web-push>Web Push

The *Web Push* allows a low-latency message exchange between *connected*
 (read: *online*) clients and the server. This is usually realized with
technologies like WebSocket (or robust fallbacks like SockJS). Once a
client application connects, it can exchange (receive and send) messages
with the server (and other clients). Messages have no restrictions in terms
of size of content (JSON, binary). While technoques like SockJS
provide a *socket
connection* between the client and the server, it is desired to have a more
high-level API, to be used for the communication (e.g. Stomp).

Initially, Clients that are offline are *NOT* receiving messages. Messages
are not persisted and stored, to be delivered later.
<https://gist.github.com/matzew/17f793e4be11473423d2#supported-client-platforms-1>Supported
client platforms

   - Android (Java client library)
   - iOS (ObjC client library)
   - JavaScript (JS client library, to be used in browsers and hybrid
   containers)


Thoughts? The original gist is store here:
https://gist.github.com/matzew/17f793e4be11473423d2

-Matthias
-- 
Matthias Wessendorf

blog: http://matthiaswessendorf.wordpress.com/
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