IBM WebSphere Everyplace Access V5 Handbook for Developers and Administrators Volume IV: Advanced Topics

144 IBM WebSphere Everyplace Access V5, Volume IV: Advanced Topics

4.1 Overview of server-initiated actions

There are two ways of using the server-initiated actions (SIA) feature:

򐂰 Users want to synchronize their devices automatically when a particular mail

is received (for example, when they receive an urgent mail from their

manager). In such cases, only e-mail synchronization is requested.

򐂰 The administrator wants a given user, or group of users, to have their devices

synchronized (for example, the administrator wants a Device Manager

Services (DMS) job to run on their devices. The solicited synchronizations

are:

– DMS synchronization

– DB2e synchronization

– Offline synchronization

– PIM synchronization

– e-mail synchronization

– All synchronizations

4.1.1 Description of server-initiated actions

Server-initiated actions work on top of Intelligent Notification Services and

consist of the following:

򐂰 An SIA delivery channel. This special delivery channel receives notifications

from Intelligent Notification Services as a regular delivery channel. It then

feeds transformed SIA notifications back into Intelligent Notification Services.

This delivery channel has the following components:

– The SIA channel adapter receives regular Intelligent Notification Services

notification messages and translates them into the proper SIA format to be

sent to the device. This channel adapter is used as a normal channel

adapter in WebSphere Everyplace Access.

– The SIA user delivery channel portlet allows the user to configure the SIA

notification channels.

򐂰 An administrative portlet. This portlet allows an administrator to send SIA

notifications to users or group of users.

Note: The SIA function does not ensure delivery of the notification. If the

notification is not delivered, it is discarded and not retried.

Chapter 4. Server-initiated actions 145

SIA delivery channels

SIA sends Short Message Service (SMS) or Sametime notifications and relies on

the following companion products: WebSphere Everyplace Connection Manager

(to transport the SMS notifications) and Sametime Server (to transport Sametime

notifications). SIA supports Pocket PC devices for Sametime notifications and

SMS notifications using WebSphere Everyplace Connection Manager. Figure 4-1

illustrates the functional overview of SIA.

Figure 4-1 SIA functional overview

Note: A future release of WebSphere Everyplace Access is expected to

include Palm support.

Note: It is possible to use an e-mail delivery channel for SMS server-initiated

actions notification, provided that the SMS addressing is given by an e-mail

address.

Delivery ProvidersCriteria

SIA

INS

WECM

Domino

Server

WEA

Client

WEA

Client

PPC2002/2003

Phone Edition

Device

PPC2002/2003

Device

Exchange 2000

S

a

m

e

t

i

m

e

S

M

S

Notes

Content

Adapter

Exchange

Content

Adapter

Send

Action

Portlet

146 IBM WebSphere Everyplace Access V5, Volume IV: Advanced Topics

SIA data flow

Figure 4-2 illustrates the different data flows occurring during an SIA notification.

Figure 4-2 SIA data flows

The steps in this data flow are as follows:

1. The Intelligent Notification Services user configures the SIA channel adapter

using the SIA channel delivery portlet, which allows the setting of the SMS or

Sametime delivery channels that are used by SIA.

2. The SIA notification is triggered in the following ways:

– The WebSphere Everyplace Access administrator uses the SIA send

action portlet to trigger a solicited synchronization of the device.

Delivery ProvidersCriteria

INS

WECM

Sametime

Server

SIA Send

Action

Portlet

Exchange 2000

email

Content

Adapter

SIA

Content

Adapter

SIA

SIA Channel

Delivery

Portlet

SIA Gateway

Adapter

WEA Client

PPC2002 Device

Sametime

Client

SIA

PPC2002 Phone Edition Device

WEA Client

SMS Client

SIA Monitor

1

2

2

2

3

4

5

5

6

6

WECM SMS

Gateway

Adapter

Sametime

Gateway

Adapter

Note: The SIA does not need a subscription portlet to be configured (unlike a

regular subscription). All the information that SIA needs for a given user is set

inside the SIA channel delivery portlet. Thus, this portlet appears to be a

combination of the regular subscription portlet with a regular channel delivery

portlet.