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Oracle® Communications Converged Application Server Technical Product Description
Release 5.0

Part Number E17655-03
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2 Developing SIP Applications with Converged Application Server

This chapter describes the environment for developing applications with Oracle Communications Converged Application Server.

Overview of Developing SIP Applications with Converged Application Server

JSR 289: SIP Servlet API extends the basic concept of the Servlet, originally introduced as a programming model for implementation of applications which handle HTTP and the programmatic generation of HTML. The Servlet model is one of the most widely-known and used programming models in the Java community.

The SIP Servlet API specification describes not only the programming API but also the Servlet container function. The container is the Server (software) that hosts or “contains” applications written using the API. The SIP Servlet container hosts SIP applications. The container performs a number of SIP functions as specified by various RFCs, thus taking the burden off of the applications themselves. At the same time, the container exposes the application to SIP protocol messages through the SIP Servlet API. In this way, the application can perform various actions based on the SIP messages it receives from the container. Different applications can be coded and deployed to the container in order to provide various telecommunication or multimedia services.

Goals of the SIP Servlet API Specification

The sections that follow describe the primary goals of the SIP Servlet API specification.

SIP Protocol Support

The SIP Servlet API enables applications to perform a complete set of SIP Signaling functions. The SIP Protocol specification defines different types of high level SIP roles, namely User Agents (UAs) which include UA Clients, UA Servers, and Back to back user agents (B2BUAs). The SIP protocol also defines the roles of Proxies, Registrars, and Redirect Servers. The SIP Servlet API is a allows any of these roles to be coded as SIP Servlet application.

SIP is an extensible protocol, which is one of its strengths. Applications can extend the base protocol to add new features as necessary. In fact, there are a number of RFCs that define extensions to the base IETF RFC 326 SIP: Session Initiation Protocol. The SIP Servlet API is also designed to allow developers to easily extend functionality. This is accomplished by dividing up the SIP processing between the container functions the applications. Most of the base protocol processing is performed by the container, leaving some of the higher level tasks for the applications to perform. This clever division is what lends a great deal of power and flexibility to the SIP Servlet API.

Simplicity and Ease of Use

The SIP Servlet container handles “non-application-specific” complexity outside of the application code itself. Concerns like network connectivity, protocol transactions, dialog management and route processing are required by virtually all applications, and it would be enormously wasteful and error-prone to require each application to implement this support. With the SIP Servlet API, all of these tasks are managed by the container, leaving applications to provide higher level functions.

As an example, consider a SIP Proxy component:

  1. A SIP Servlet within the SIP Servlet container receives a SIP request object and proxies it. A SIP Proxy must add its own Via header to the request; the header is required by the base SIP protocol to indicate which entities were traversed by the request. The Via header also stores the branch identifier which acts as the transaction identifier.

    Because the maintenance of transactions and their associated state machine is maintained by the containers, it is the container that actually inserts the via headers to the Request.

  2. The downstream SIP entity which next receives the request sends the response back along the path built up by the SIP entities in the path of the request that have inserted themselves into the via or record-route headers.

  3. The container gets the response, removes the via header it inserted in the original request and then processes the response. The application code does not need to manage the Via header at all, which makes the life of application developer much easier.

There are many cases in which the SIP Servlet container handles this sort of mundane, but essential, protocol detail.

Converged Applications

The SIP Servlet API specification is closely aligned with the Java EE specifications, and it is expected that containers that host SIP Servlet applications also make Java EE features available to developers. The most notable of these features is the HTTP Servlet container. There are many use cases in which a converged application, using both SIP and HTTP functions, is required, from conferencing and click-to-call applications to Presence and User Agent Configuration Management applications. Converged applications can also combine other protocols such as Diameter to perform advanced functions such as modifying subscriber profile data.

Figure 2-1 illustrates that javax.servlet.http and javax.servlet.sip converge in the SIP Servlet API.

Figure 2-1 HTTP/SIP Convergence in the SIP Servlet API

Surrounding text describes Figure 2-1 .

Application Composition

The SIP Servlet API enables multiple applications to execute on the same request or response, independently of one another. This is another very powerful feature of the SIP Servlet API. The promise is that application developers are able to write applications providing features that are independent of each other, but can be deployed to the same host SIP Servlet container. The applications can be “composed” (or sequenced) to provide a service on a call. This composition is facilitated by the container. See Appendix A, "SIP Servlet API Service Invocation," for more information.

Highly Reliable Implementation

Application data stored in container-managed session objects can benefit from replication and failover. Almost all applications that perform some useful functions require some state between different Requests and Responses. Some state information is mandated by the SIP protocol itself, such as the transaction state machine with its Server and Client Transactions, and the Dialog state machine.

The container also has a notion of message context which encapsulates the SIP level state, and the concept of Sessions, which are the SIP Servlet API constructs. Applications can save their own state in the Session objects maintained by the container. A carrier-grade container will replicate this state such that the call becomes fault tolerant of a container instance, as is done in Converged Application Server.

Overview of the SIP Servlet Container

Figure 2-2 shows the logical layers of a Converged Application Server SIP Servlet Container. The five layers shown from the bottom are what are known as the SIP stack, the functionality of which is defined in RFC 3261 and the associated RFCs that extend the base protocol.

SIP, being a transaction-based protocol, has a well-defined transaction layer. SIP requests are always followed by one or more provisional Responses and one final response, with the exception of the ACK which has no response. The transaction machinery is designed to keep track of the provisional and final responses.

Figure 2-2 shows the message processing layers in the Converged Application Server SIP Servlet container which are the following from top to bottom: Dialog Management Layer, Transaction Layer, Message Parser, the Transport Layer, and the bottom layer comprising of TCP, UDP, and TLS.

Figure 2-2 Message Processing Layers in the Converged Application Server SIP Servlet Container

Surrounding text describes Figure 2-2 .

SIP Dialog Handling

A dialog is a point-to-point session between two SIP endpoints that is uniquely identified by a dialog identifier. Not all SIP requests create dialogs. However, the ones that do create dialogs have a well-defined mechanism of establishing and tearing down the dialog (INVITE, SUBSCRIBE/NOTIFY, REFER).

The SIP stack shown in this diagram is not strictly in accordance with RFC 3261. It differs from the specification in that there is a layer called Transaction User (TU) above the Transaction layer, and the dialog management layer is not explicitly a layer in 3261. The “Dialog layer” is a very visible constituent of a SIP Servlet container because the dialogs correspond roughly to the SipSession objects. In Figure 2-2, the TU layer is actually split between the Dialog management layer and the big Container block.

The primary purpose of the Container is to host SIP Servlet applications that are written to the container's SIP Servlet API implementation. It exposes objects like SipServletRequest, SipServletResponse, different types of Sessions, facilities such as Timer, Logging, and so forth.

Although SIP is a human-readable, text-based protocol, and is well-defined in RFC 3261, writing SIP applications can be a challenging task. The SIP Servlet API is designed to make it very easy for application developers to build SIP applications. While the SIP Servlet API allows access to all the headers present in a SIP Request, it does not require applications to understand or modify all of them for correct protocol behavior. Also, there are some headers that are strictly off limits for applications. The SIP Servlet API defines the so-called “system headers” which are to be managed only by the container. These headers include From, To, Call-ID, CSeq, Via, Route (except through pushRoute), Record-Route, and Contact. Applications can add attributes to the Record-Route header and Contact header fields in all request messages, as well as 3xx and 485 responses. Additionally, for containers such as Converged Application Server that implement the reliable provisional responses extension, RAck and RSeq are also considered to be system headers. The system header management performed by the container offloads a tremendous amount of complexity from applications.

The From, To, Call-ID, and CSeq message headers collectively identify a given SIP dialog. The SIP Servlet container keeps track of the dialog state and dialog-related data for the hosted applications. The SIP Servlet API container is responsible for managing Record-Route, Contact, and Via headers because the network listen points, failure management, multi-homing, transport switching, and so forth are also handled by the container. Applications can participate in the routing decisions of a Request emanating from the container by explicitly modifying Request-URI or adding Route headers with pushRoute. As a result, applications have no responsibility for resource management. The SIP Servlet API draws heavily from Java EE standardization and common practices, such as the declarative usage of container features like security, mapping, environment resources, and so forth.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of the SIP Servlet API is the API itself. The SIP Servlet API abstracts a large number of complex SIP tasks behind intuitive constructs. The Proxy interface, representing the proxy functionality in SIP, is an excellent example. A proxy can:

  • Be stateful or stateless.

  • Recurse automatically (send Requests automatically) on getting a 3xx class response to the Contact address(es) in the Response.

  • Use Record-Route to ensure that subsequent requests also go through it.

  • Act as a forking proxy to proxy to multiple destinations, either in parallel or in sequence.

With the SIP Servlet API, all of these options are simple attributes of the Proxy object. The container-managed Proxy deals with all low level details like finding a target set (based on Request-URI or Route headers), applying RFC rules if a strict router is upstream or downstream, creating multiple client transactions, correlating responses, choosing the best response, and so forth.

Using the SIP Servlet API

This section describes additional important interfaces and constructs of the SIP Servlet API, and includes examples.

The SipServlet Object

The SipServlet class extends the GenericServlet class in the servlet base package. The service method dispatches the SIP message to either doRequest() or doResponse(), and in turn the requests are directed to the doXXX methods for Requests such as doInvite, doSubscribe, and so forth, or to doXXX methods for Responses such as doSuccessResponse and doErrorResponse.

The servlet-mapping element defined in the deployment descriptor can define the rule that MUST be satisfied before invoking a particular Servlet. The mapping rules have a well-defined grammar in JSR 116. Example 2-1 shows a mapping that invokes a Servlet only if the Request is an INVITE and the host part of the Request-URI contains the string “oracle.com”. See Appendix A, "SIP Servlet API Service Invocation," for more information on servlet mapping rules.

Example 2-1 Example Servlet Mapping Rule

pattern
  <and>
    <equal>
      <var>request.method</var>
      <value>INVITE</value>
    </equal>
    <contains ignore-case="true">
      <var>request.from.uri.host</var>
      <value>oracle.com</value>
    </contains>
  </and>
</pattern>

There is normally only one SipServlet object accessed by concurrent Requests, so it is not a place to define any call- or session- specific data structure. The doXXX methods in the application generally implement the business logic for a given request. Consider Example 2-2.

Example 2-2 Example SIP Servlet

1: package test;
2: import javax.servlet.sip.SipServlet;
3: import javax.servlet.sip.SipServletRequest;
4: import java.io.IOException;
5: public class SimpleUasServlet extends SipServlet {
6:   protected void doInvite(SipServletRequest req) 
7:      throws IOException {
8:     req.createResponse(180).send();
9:     req.createResponse(200).send();
10:  }
11:  protected void doBye(SipServletRequest req) throws IOException {
12:    req.createResponse(200).send();
13:    req.getApplicationSession().invalidate();
14:  }
15: }

Example 2-2 shows a simple UAS Servlet that is invoked on an incoming INVITE Request (triggered by a rule similar to the one defined in Example 2-1). The container invokes the application by invoking the doInvite method. The application chooses to send a 180 Response (line 8) followed by a 200 Response (line 9). The application does nothing with the ACK, which would be sent by the UAC. In this case the container receives the ACK and silently ignores it. If it were a stateful proxy it would have proxied it.

SIP Factory

As its name suggests, this class is used to create various SIP Servlet API objects such as Request, SipApplicationSession, Addresses, and so forth. An application acting as a UA can use it to create a new Request. Requests created through the factory have a new Call-ID (with the exception of a particular method for B2BUAs in which the application can chose to re-use the existing Call-ID on the upstream leg) and do not have a tag in the To header. The Factory object can be retrieved using the javax.servlet.sip.SipFactory attribute on the ServletContext.

See the "findme" example installed with Converged Application Server for an example of obtaining a factory object using SipFactory.

SIP Messages

There are two classes of SIP messages: SipServletRequest and SipServletResponse. These classes respectively represent SIP Requests (INVITE, ACK, INFO, and so forth) and Responses (1xx, 2xx, and so forth). Messages are delivered to the application through various doXXX methods defined in the SipServlet class.

SIP is an asynchronous protocol and therefore it is not obligatory for an application to respond to a Request when the doRequest(doXXX) method is invoked. The application may respond to the Request at a later stage, because they have access to the original Request object.

Both the SipServletRequest and SipServletResponse objects are derived from the base SipServletMessage object, which provides some common accessor/mutator methods such as getHeader(), getContent(), and setContent(). The SipServletRequest defines many useful methods for Request processing:

  • SipServletRequest.createResponse() creates an instance of the SipServletResponse object. This represents the Response to the Request that was used to create it. Similarly, SipServletRequest.createCancel() creates a CANCEL Request to a previously sent Request.

    Note:

    The CANCEL is sent if the UAC decides to not proceed with the call if it has not received a response to the original request. Sending a CANCEL if you have received a 200 response or not received a 100 response would be wrong protocol behavior, luckily the SIP Servlet API steps up to rescue here too. The UAC application can create and send a CANCEL oblivious to these details. The container makes sure that the CANCEL is sent out only if a 1xx class response is received and any response >200 is not received.
  • SipServletRequest.getProxy() returns the associated Proxy object to enable an application to perform proxy operations.

  • SipServletRequest.pushRoute(SipURI) enables a UAC or a proxy to route the request through a server identified by the SipURI. The effect of this method is to add a Route header to the request at the top of the Route header list.

Another method of interest is SipServletRequest.isInitial(). It is important to understand the concept of initial and subsequent requests, because an application may treat each one differently. For example, if an application receives a Re-INVITE request, it is delivered to the Servlet's doInvite() method, but the isInitial() method returns false.

Initial requests are usually requests outside of an established dialog, of which the container has no information. Upon receiving an initial Request, the container determines which application should be invoked; this may involve looking up the Servlet-mapping rules. Some Requests create dialogs, so any Request received after a dialog is established falls into the category of a “subsequent” Request. Closely-linked with the dialog construct in SIP is the SipSession object (see "SipSession").

In the SipServletResponse object, one particular method of interest is createAck(). createAck() creates an ACK Request on a 2xx Response received for the INVITE transaction. ACKs for non-2xx responses of the INVITE transaction are created by the container itself.

SipSession

The SipSession roughly corresponds to a SIP dialog. For UAs the session maintains the dialog state as specified by the RFC, in order to correctly create a subsequent request in a dialog. If an application is acting as a UA (a UAC or a B2BUA), and after having processed an initial request wants to send out a subsequent request in a dialog (such as a Re-INVITE or BYE), it must use SipSession.createRequest() rather than one of SipFactory methods. Using a factory method would result in requests being created “out of dialog”.

The SipSession is also a place for an application to store any session-specific state that it requires. An application can set or unset attributes on the SipSession object, and these attributes are made available to the application over multiple invocations.

SipSession also provides the SipSession.setHandler(String nameOfAServlet) method, which assigns a particular Servlet in the application to receive subsequent Requests for that SipSession.

SipApplicationSession

The SipApplicationSession logically represents an instance of the application itself. An application may have one or more protocol sessions associated with it, and these protocol sessions may be of type SipSession or HttpSession as of JSR 116. Applications can also store application-wide data as an attribute of the SipApplicationSession.

Any attribute set on a SipApplicationSession object or its associated SipSession is visible only to that particular application. The SIP Servlet API defines a mechanism by which more than one application can be invoked on the same call. This feature is known as application composition. SipApplicationSession provides a getSessions() method that returns the protocol sessions associated with the application session. Figure 2-3 shows the containment hierarchy of the different sessions in the SIP Servlet API.

Figure 2-3 SipApplicationSession

Surrounding text describes Figure 2-3 .

The encodeUri(URI) method in the SipApplicationSession interface is of particular interest. This method encodes the SipApplication identifier with the URI specified in the argument. If the container receives a new request with this encoded URI, even if on a different call, it associates the encoded SipApplicationSession with this Request. This method can link two disparate calls, and it can be used in a variety of other ways. SipApplicationSession is also associated with application session timers (see "Application Timers").

Application Timers

The SIP Servlet API provides a timer service that applications can use. The TimerService interface can be retrieved using a ServletContext attribute, and it defines a createTimer(SipApplicationSession appSession, long delay, boolean isPersistent, java.io.Serializable info) method to start an application-level timer.

The SipApplicationSession is implicitly associated with application-level timers. When a timer fires, the container invokes an application-defined TimerListener and passes it the ServletTimer object. The listener can use the ServletTimer object to retrieve the SipApplicationSession, which provides the correct context for the timer's expiry.

SIP Servlet Application Example: Converged SIP and HTTP Application

In terms of the SIP Servlet API, a converged application is one that involves more than one protocol, in this case SIP and HTTP. Example 2-3 presents an example of a simple JSP page which can be accessed through an HTTP URL.

Example JSP Showing HTTP and SIP Servlet Interaction

Example 2-3 Example JSP Showing HTTP and SIP Interaction

1:      <html>
2:      <body>
3:      <%
4:        if (request.getMethod().equals("POST")) {
5:         javax.servlet.sip.SipFactory factory = 
6:           (javax.servlet.sip.SipFactory) application.getAttribute(javax.servlet.sip.SipServlet.SIP_FACTORY); 
7:         javax.servlet.sip.SipApplicationSession appSession =
8:            factory.createApplicationSession();
9:         javax.servlet.sip.Address to = 
10:          factory.createAddress("sip:localhost:5080");
11:        javax.servlet.sip.Address from = 
12:          factory.createAddress("sip:localhost:5060");
13:        javax.servlet.sip.SipServletRequest invite =
14:           factory.createRequest(appSession, "INVITE", from, to);
15:        javax.servlet.sip.SipSession sess = invite.getSession(true);
16:          sess.setHandler(“sipClickToDial");
17:        //invite.setContent(content, contentType);
18:        invite.send();
19:       }
20:     %>
21:     <p>
22:     Message sent ...
23:     </p>
24:     </body>
25:     </html>

The JSP shown in Example 2-3 would need to be packaged in the same application as a SIP Servlet. The entire application is a skeleton of a click-to-dial application (called sipClickToDial), where by clicking on a Web page you initiate a SIP call.

The HTTP Servlet creates a SIP Request from a factory and sends it to a SIP URI. When an HTTP POST Request is sent to the HTTP Servlet it obtains the SipFactory on line 5-6. Next, it creates an application session (line 7-8). The application session is the center piece for all of the application's SIP and HTTP interactions. The overall purpose is to send out a SIP Request, which is done in lines 13-14, but first the application creates the From and To headers to be used when forming the INVITE request.

On line 16 the application assigns a handler to the SipSession that is associated with the INVITE Request that was created, and this ensures that the Response sent by a UAS that receives the request is dispatched to a SIP Servlet for processing.

SIP Servlet Application Example: SUBSCRIBE and NOTIFY

In the example shown in Example 2-4 below, the application receives a SUBSCRIBE Request and sends out a NOTIFY Request. The application then waits for the notification recipient for three seconds, and if does not receive a success response (a 2xx class response), then it may take some other action (for example, log a message).

Example 2-4 Example of SUBSCRIBE and NOTIFY Handling

1:        public class Sample_TimerServlet extends SipServlet
2:        implements TimerListener {
3:        private TimerService timerService;
4:        private static String TIMER_ID = "NOTIFY_TIMEOUT_TIMER";
5:        public void init() throws ServletException {
6:          try {
7:            timerService = 
8:              (TimerService)getServletContext().getAttribute
9:                    ("javax.servlet.sip.TimerService");
10:         } 
11:         catch(Exception e) {
12:           log ("Exception initializing the servlet "+ e);
13:         }
14:       }
15:       protected void doSubscribe(SipServletRequest req)
16:       throws ServletException, IOException {
17:         req.createResponse(200).send();
18:         req.getSession().createRequest("NOTIFY").send();
19:         ServletTimer notifyTimeoutTimer = 
20:           timerService.createTimer(req.getApplicationSession(), 3000, 
21:               false, null);
22:         req.getApplicationSession().setAttribute(TIMER_ID, 
23:             notifyTimeoutTimer);
24:       }
25:       protected void doSuccessResponse(SipServletResponse res) 
26:       throws javax.servlet.ServletException, java.io.IOException {
27:         if (res.getMethod().equals("NOTIFY")) {
28:           ServletTimer notifyTimeoutTimer =      
29:       (ServletTimer)(res.getApplicationSession().getAttribute(TIMER_ID));
30:           if (notifyTimeoutTimer != null) {
31:             notifyTimeoutTimer.cancel();
32:             res.getApplicationSession().removeAttribute(TIMER_ID);
33:           }
34:         }
35:       }
36:       public void timeout(ServletTimer timer) {
37:         // This indicates that the timer has fired because a 200 to
38:         // NOTIFY was not received. Here you can take any timeout 
39:         // action. 
40:         // .........
41:         timer.getApplicationSession().removeAttribute
("NOTIFY_TIMEOUT_TIMER");
42:       }   
43:     }

In Example 2-4, the Servlet itself implements TimerListener so that it will be notified of the timeout. The example starts by obtaining the TimerService from the ServletContext in lines 7-9. The timer is then set for 3000 ms (3 seconds) upon receiving the SUBSCRIBE request on line 20. Note that the timer could be set at any stage. There is also an option to attach an object to the timer. The object could be used as an identifier or an invokable message at a later stage. This sample simply associates the timer with a literal.

After sending the NOTIFY the application creates the timer and saves its reference in the SipApplicationSession for later use on line 22.

If the application receives a 200 response to the NOTIFY, it can then extract the timer reference and cancel the timer (line 25). However, if no response is received in 3 seconds, then the timer fires and the container calls the timeout() callback method (line 36).

Converged Application Server Profile API

The IMS specification defines the Sh interface as the method of communication between the Application Server (AS) function and the Home Subscriber Server (HSS), or between multiple IMS Application Servers. The AS uses the Sh interface in two basic ways:

The user data available to an AS may be defined by a service running on the AS (repository data), or it may be a subset of the user's IMS profile data hosted on the HSS. The Sh interface specification, 3GPP TS 29.328 V5.11.0, defines the IMS profile data that can be queried and updated via Sh. All user data accessible via the Sh interface is presented as an XML document with the schema defined in 3GPP TS 29.328.

The IMS Sh interface is implemented as a provider to the base Diameter protocol support in Converged Application Server. The provider transparently generates and responds to the Diameter command codes defined in the Sh application specification. A higher-level Profile Service API enables SIP Servlets to manage user profile data as an XML document using XML Document Object Model (DOM). Subscriptions and notifications for changed profile data are managed by implementing a profile listener interface in a SIP Servlet.

Figure 2-4 Profile Service API and Sh Provider Implementation

Surrounding text describes Figure 2-4 .

Converged Application Server includes only a single provider for the Sh interface. Future versions of Converged Application Server may include new providers to support additional interfaces defined in the IMS specification. Applications using the profile service API will be able to use additional providers as they are made available.

Using Document Keys for Application-Managed Profile Data

Servlets that manage profile data can explicitly obtain an Sh XML document from a factory using a key, and then work with the document using DOM.

The document selector key identifies the XML document to be retrieved by a Diameter interface, and uses the format protocol://uri/reference_type[/access_key].

Table 2-1 summarizes the required document selector elements for each type of Sh data reference request.

Table 2-1 Summary of Document Selector Elements for Sh Data Reference Requests

Data Reference Type Required Document Selector Elements Example Document Selector

RepositoryData

sh://uri/reference_type/Service-Indication

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/RepositoryData/Call Screening/

IMSPublicIdentity

sh://uri/reference_type/[Identity-Set]

where Identity-Set is one of:

  • All-Identities

  • Registered-Identities

  • Implicit-Identities

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/IMSPublicIdentity/Registered-Identities

IMSUserState

sh://uri/reference_type

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/IMSUserState/

S-CSCFName

sh://uri/reference_type

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/S-CSCFName/

InitialFilterCriteria

sh://uri/reference_type/Server-Name

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/InitialFilterCriteria/www.oracle.com/

LocationInformation

sh://uri/reference_type/(CS-Domain | PS-Domain)

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/LocationInformation/CS-Domain/

UserState

sh://uri/reference_type/(CS-Domain | PS-Domain)

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/UserState/PS-Domain/

Charging information

sh://uri/reference_type

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/Charging information/

MSISDN

sh://uri/reference_type

sh://sip:user@oracle.com/MSISDN/


Converged Application Server provides a helper class, com.bea.wcp.profile.ProfileService, to help you easily retrieve a profile data document. The getDocument() method takes a constructed document key, and returns a read-only org.w3c.dom.Document object. To modify the document, you make and edit a copy, then send the modified document and key as arguments to the putDocument() method.

See "Using the Profile Service API (Diameter Sh Interface)" in Converged Application Server Diameter Application Development Guide for more information.

Monitoring Profile Data

The IMS Sh interface enables applications to receive automatic notifications when a subscriber's profile data changes. Converged Application Server provides an easy-to-use API for managing profile data subscriptions. A SIP Servlet registers to receive notifications by implementing the com.bea.wcp.profile.ProfileListener interface, which consists of a single update method that is automatically invoked when a change occurs to profile to which the Servlet is subscribed. Notifications are not sent if that same Servlet modifies the profile information (for example, if a user modifies their own profile data).

Note:

In a replicated environment, Diameter relay nodes always attempt to push notifications directly to the engine tier server that subscribed for profile updates. If that engine tier server is unavailable, another server in the engine tier cluster is chosen to receive the notification. This model succeeds because session information is stored in the SIP data tier, rather than the engine tier.

Actual subscriptions are managed using the subscribe method of the com.bea.wcp.profile.ProfileService helper class. The subscribe method requires that you supply the current SipApplicationSession and the key for the profile data document you want to monitor. See "Using Document Keys for Application-Managed Profile Data" for more information.

Applications can cancel subscriptions by calling ProfileSubscription.cancel(). Also, pending subscriptions for an application are automatically cancelled if the application session is terminated.

Example 2-5 shows sample code for a Servlet that implements the ProfileListener interface.

Example 2-5 Sample Servlet Implementing ProfileListener Interface

package demo;
    import com.bea.wcp.profile.*;
    import javax.servlet.sip.SipServletRequest;
    import javax.servlet.sip.SipServlet;
    import org.w3c.dom.Document;
    import java.io.IOException;
    public class MyServlet extends SipServlet implements ProfileListener {
      private ProfileService psvc;
      public void init() {
        psvc = (ProfileService) getServletContext().getAttribute(ProfileService.PROFILE_SERVICE);
      }
      protected void doInvite(SipServletRequest req) throws IOException {
        String docSel = "sh://" + req.getTo() + "/IMSUserState/";
        // Subscribe to profile data.
        psvc.subscribe(req.getApplicationSession(), docSel, null);
}
      public void update(ProfileSubscription ps, Document document) {
        System.out.println("IMSUserState updated: " + ps.getDocumentSelector());
      }
    }

The ProfileListener interface is handled similar to the TimerService provided by JSR 116 for application timers. Multiple Servlets in an application may implement the ProfileListener interface, but only one Servlet may act as a listener. The SIP deployment descriptor for the application must designate the profile listener class in the set of listeners as shown in Example 2-6.

Example 2-6 Declaring a ProfileListener

<listener>
<listener-class>com.foo.MyProfileListener</listener-class>
Declaring a ProfileListener
</listener>
<listener>
  <listener-class>com.foo.MyProfileListener</listener-class>
</listener>

Converged Application Server Software Development Kit

The Converged Application Server SDK consists of the Converged Application Server executable and a selection of example applications available as source code and deployable binaries. The Converged Application Server SDK may be executed on any standard Windows or Linux workstation. When used in conjunction with an IDE, common tasks such as the writing and modification of Java code, setting of break-points, tracing and profiling are easily performed.

It is possible to use Converged Application Server in conjunction with virtually any of the popular development tools commonly used to develop Java and Java EE applications.