prog_doc

CONTENT DELIVERY TO WIRELESS HANDSETS: eCare

Program Documentation

Lalitha Suryanarayana

SBC Technology Resources

9505 Arboretum Blvd.

Austin, TX 78759

lalitha@tri.sbc.com

Abstract

This document is intended to provide high-level documentation about the eCare application developed for wireless handsets. The implementation has been carried out using a combination of HDML (a variation of WML) and cgi-scripts served to the client (a micro-browser simulating real-life wireless handsets) from Netscape's enterprise web server. At the back-end, the server connects to an Oracle Relational Database System, which simulates the carrier's billing system. The database access has been implemented using Java applications at the server with JDBC thin-client driver from Oracle. The system requirements as well as steps necessary to configure the system have been documented. The program flow is best illustrated by the output (screen captures) of the user interface and the associated flowchart of the back-end implementation.

Introduction

Assumptions

System Requirements

Installation Instructions

Introduction

ECare application is a cost savings application for the carriers who can offer wireless data services to their subscribers over transports such as CDPD, circuit-switched data or SMS channel. With eCare the subscriber can, in theory, view account information such as amount and due date of the last bill, minutes of use pertaining to unbilled calls since the last billing cycle and access to customer service without the need to remember the telephone number, and at the touch of a button.

Assumptions

To run this application, the prior knowledge in the following areas is assumed:

The user is familiar with WAP architecture, as well as the concept of micro-browsers in thin-client devices such as wireless handsets
The user is familiar with navigation on a Mitsubishi or cpsi phone.
The user also has knowledge of setting up and configuring web server, Java development kits as well as Oracle RDBMS.

System Requirements

To run the UP.Phone simulator on the client side, a computer running Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 (or later) is required.

an HTTP-compliant web server from Netscape Suitespot Enterprise 3.5.1 required to test the application. The web server allows for testing local URLs within the corporate firewall.

On the server side, an Oracle relational database system is required (including applications such as sqlnet, sqlplus, svrmgrl, etc).

JDK version 1.1.4 or higher.

Oracle JDBC drivers (version 1.2) For the purpose of this project, Oracle's Type 4 JDBC driver (thin JDBC), which is completely written in Java and is fully compliant with the JDBC standard is used.

Installation instructions

Download and install UP SDK 2.0.2 on the PC (client) from UP Web site (http://www.uplanet.com)

Download and install the latest version of JDK from Sun Java web site (http://www.sun.java.com)

Download and install JDBC drivers onto the web server from Oracle web site (www.oracle.com)

Download and install Netscape Enterprise Suitespot 3.5.1 from Netscape web site (www.netscape.com)

Install Oracle RDBMS version 7.3.2.3 or higher (need license).

Configuration

The following are some of the actions that need to be performed in order to successfully execute the application.

The simulator must be configured to request and receive HDML directly from the web server (use the Direct HTTP mode).

The following environment variables need to be set

CLASSPATH and LD_LIBRARY_PATH variables must be set for JDK as well as JDBC

ORACLE_HOME to point to the Oracle directories.

The web server must be configured to serve HDML files by adding the following MIME type:

Content	MIME type	filename extension
HDML	text/x-hdml	.hdml

The web server needs to be configured to run CGI applications ( this configuration is set via the server admin. interface).

For a new client (and subscriber) that accesses the eCare application, the server database must be provisioned with the UP_SUBNO string (stored as the ip_addr field in the billinfo table in the database)

run the sql files after logging on to sqlplus: this will enable

creating tablespaces

creating table

inserting sample data

Table billinfo (subscriber database for eCare):

Mobil-tn	mobil_pin	ip_addr	Amount_due	due_date	minutes_used	minutes_left	card_type	card_num	exp_date
char[10]	char[4]	char[20]	char[5]	date	int	int	varchar2[10]	char[16]	date

UI Flows and Output

This section outlines the user interface and navigation flows of the eCare application. Screen displays of the simulator running the application have been captured for illustration purposes.

In a nutshell, the application enables the user to view data pertaining to his or her account. Specifically, the amount of the last bill, the due date, and minutes of use for unbilled calls since the last billing cycle are displayed. The user is also provided with the ability to call customer service without the need to remember the phone number.

Program Flow

The following figure is self-explanatory. With the actual code as a reference, the overall flow of the program can be understood quite succinctly. The application consists of a set of hdml files, cgi (shell) scripts for dynamic hdml generation and a couple of Java applications for database queries and updates. The billinfo.out file is used to store the data queried from the database to optimize the performance of the application (instead of multiple queries into the database) is needed. Security is implemented by obtaining the ip_address (HTTP_X_UP_SUBNO cgi variable) from environment and the prompting the user for the password. The authentication is then done against the database. The main menu prompt is displayed only after the validation is successful.

Although perl scripts for enabling dynamic HDML have been provided with the UP SDK, the libraries were not used in the current implementation. The application has been kept as simple as possible, and with the intention of minimizing the keystrokes from a usability standpoint.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Miranda Capra and Bach Hoang for their consultation and to Don Schuerholz from Unwired Planet for co-ordinating the awareness workshop at UP headquarters. Acknowledgments are also due to Abha Divine, my Director for her appreciation of my efforts in this regard.