Administration Guide

This chapter provides an overview of the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server. It describes the content lifecycle and provides an overview of the Catalog Manager, Fulfillment Manager, and Vending Manager components. It describes the automatic content validation process that takes place when content is submitted to the Content Delivery Server.

This chapter also describes how to log in to the Catalog Manager and Vending Manager administration components.

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Sun Java System Content Delivery Server

The Sun Java System Content Delivery Server is a high-performance software solution that lets operators manage the complexity of delivering virtually any type of wireless content over-the-air (OTA) to their subscribers. The Content Delivery Server separates content aggregation, presentation, and delivery into two distinct managers, the Catalog Manager and the Vending Manager. With these managers, operators can centrally manage content, customize multiple subscriber interfaces, and provide fast downloads.

The following figure provides a high-level overview of the Content Delivery Server.

1. The content provider creates an application and submits it to the Catalog Manager using the web-based Developer Portal.

2. The Catalog Manager validates the content.

3. The Catalog Manager administrator publishes the content, making it available to the Vending Manager.

4. The Vending Manager administrator selects content published from the Catalog Manager and stocks the content, making it available to subscribers.

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Catalog Manager

The Catalog Manager is the content aggregator or warehouse. It manages all the content coming from the developer community. After the content is authorized, the Catalog Manager makes the content available to the Vending Managers. The Vending Managers then sell the content to their unique subscriber community.

The Catalog Manager supports any type of content. The Catalog Manager administrators define the type of content that they want to accept for their enterprise.

The Catalog Manager administrator manages these functions:

• Submitted and published content
• Supported mobile devices
• Content provider access and pricing
• Vending Manager access and content
• Administrator access

The following figure provides a high-level overview of the role of the Catalog Manager in the lifecycle of an application. It also illustrates the Catalog Manager processes.

1. Developers submit content to the Catalog Manager. The Catalog Manager runs an automated validation process on the content to ensure there is no malicious content and that the content matches the supported devices.

2. The content goes to the Submitted Content section of the Catalog Manager for review by the administrator. The administrator reviews the content and, if required, edits the content and modifies the pricing and category assignments. The administrator can accept or reject the content.

3. The Catalog Manager publishes the content, which makes it available to the Vending Manager.

Catalog Manager Processes

As shown in the previous figure, the Catalog Manager manages content submitted by developers and controls which Vending Managers access which content. The Catalog Manager is responsible for the following functions:

• Automated Content Validation
• Content Management
• Device Management
• Account Management
• Plan Management

Automated Content Validation

The Sun Java System Content Delivery Server performs an automated validation of content. If an application fails at any stage of validation, it is not submitted to the Catalog Manager.

Content validation includes the following tasks:

• API Filtering. The API Filter checks that the APIs used in the MIDlet application are allowed. Developer Plans define the set of APIs allowed. When a developer submits content, the API Filter checks the APIs used by the submitted application. If any API is not allowed by the Developer Plans associated with the developer, the content fails.
• Instrumentation. The instrumentation process inserts code into the MIDlet application to interpret the pricing model assigned. For example, the inserted code interprets whether the application is priced per download, on first download only, by subscription, or any combination of these.

The instrumented code maintains licensing information on the device and periodically communicates with the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server to verify that the subscriber is authorized to run the application. If a license has expired, the subscriber is given the opportunity to renew the license.

• Customized Steps. You can customize the validation process to meet the needs of your organization. You can disable selected processes or add processes as needed. For example, you might want to add a step to obfuscate an application. Obfuscation makes the code difficult to understand when it is decompiled and can reduce the size of the Java Archive (JAR) file.

Content Management

Once content passes the automated validation process, it goes to the submitted content section for review by the Catalog Manager administrator. This section describes the content and categories managed by the Catalog Manager:

• Submitted Content. The administrator reviews submitted content and, if required, edits the content and modifies the pricing and category assignments. The administrator can accept or reject the content.
• Published Content. After accepting the content, the administrator publishes the content to make it available to the Vending Manager.
• Categories. Content categories are central to content management. They are logical containers or buckets that hold the content managed by the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server. The Catalog Manager uses content categories to control Vending Manager access.

See Managing Content for more information.

Device Management

The Catalog Manager defines the devices and the device capabilities supported by the Content Delivery Server. As a Catalog Manager administrator, you can add new devices, delete devices no longer supported, and edit the characteristics and capabilities of any device model. Managing Devices describes how to manage the devices supported for your network.

Account Management

Accounts define access to the Catalog Manager. The Catalog Manager has three types of accounts:

• Vending Manager. A Vending Manager Account is for a specifically-branded Vending Manager that stocks content from the Catalog Manager. It is associated with one or more Vending Plans.
• Developer. Developer Accounts are for corporations or individuals that submit content to the Catalog Manager. Developer Accounts are associated with one or more Developer Plans.
• Administrator. Administrator Accounts are for individuals who administer the Catalog Manager.

See Managing Accounts for more information.

Plan Management

The Catalog Manager uses the following plans to control content submission for developers and content access for Vending Managers:

• Vending Plans. Vending Plans define the categories that a Vending Manager can access. Vending Plans can contain a nested hierarchy of other Vending Plans. Each Vending Manager Account is associated with one or more Vending Plans.
• Developer Plans. Developer Plans define the set of APIs that developers can use in applications that they submit. Profiles define the classes in a specific library that developers can use. A Developer Plan contains one or more Profiles.

See Managing Plans for more information.

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Fulfillment Manager

The Fulfillment Manager controls and delivers content to subscribers through a high-performance and cost-effective download architecture. The following figure provides a high-level overview of the Fulfillment Manager processes.

No administration tasks are associated with the Fulfillment Manager.

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Vending Manager

The Vending Manager handles selling and pricing content. Vending Managers are generally configured to serve separate enterprises. A single Catalog Manager can serve multiple Vending Managers.

The Vending Manager manages content published by the Catalog Manager. Content stocked on the Vending Manager is available for subscribers to download.The Vending Manager also controls subscriber access and purchase pricing, and provides daily statistical reports on the Content Delivery Server.

The Vending Manager administrator manages the following functions:

• Stocked content
• Subscriber access and subscriber licenses
• Purchase pricing and trial periods
• Administrator access
• Statistical reports

In addition to the Vending Manager administrator, the Content Delivery Server can have Vending Manager Customer Care Agents. Customer Care Agents have limited administrator privileges. A Customer Care Agent manages the following functions:

• Subscriber access and subscriber licenses
• Statistical reports

The following figure provides a high-level overview of the role of the Vending Manager in the lifecycle of an application. It also illustrates the Vending Manager processes.

1. The Catalog Manager publishes content and makes it available to the Vending Manager.

2. The Vending Manager administrator accesses the content published by the Catalog Manager. The administrator can change the subscriber pricing of the content, assign it to a new category, and change the properties of the content.

3. The Vending Manager administrator stocks the content and makes it available to the subscriber. The administrator uses Subscriber Plans to define the content categories that subscribers can access.

Vending Manager Processes

The previous figure illustrates the Vending Manager processes. The Vending Manager is responsible for the following practices:

• Content Management
• Plan Management
• Account Management
• Reporting

Content Management

The Catalog Manager publishes content to the Vending Manager. The Vending Manager is responsible for stocking this content to make it available to the subscriber. The Vending Manager administrator can change the subscriber pricing of the content, allow trial usage, and assign the content to a new category. The administrator can also change the category assignments and add new categories to control subscriber access to content. See Managing Catalog Content for more information.

Plan Management

The Vending Manager uses Subscriber Plans to control subscriber access to content. Each Subscriber Account is assigned to one or more Subscriber Plans. Subscriber Plans determine what content a subscriber can access and download.

A Subscriber Plan is mapped to selected categories in the Vending Manager. The content in the selected categories is made available to plan members. If content is in a category that is not supported by the Subscriber Plan, the subscriber cannot access it for download. See Managing Subscriber Plans for more information.

Account Management

Accounts define access to the Vending Manager. The Vending Manager is responsible for two types of accounts:

• Subscriber. Subscriber Accounts are for individuals who subscribe to a service plan that provides them with the download service. Each Subscriber Account is associated with one or more Subscriber Plans. See Managing Subscriber Accounts for more information.
• Administrator. Administrator Accounts are for individuals who administer the Vending Manager. There are two administrator roles: Administrator for administrators with full privileges for administering the Vending Manager, and Customer Care Agent for administrators with privileges for viewing content and managing subscribers. Administrator Accounts can be disabled when you do not want an individual accessing the Vending Manager. See Managing Vending Manager Administrator Accounts for more information.

Reporting

The Vending Manager provides daily statistical reports that enable you to view and track application download information and usage statistics downloads. See Viewing Reports for more information.

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Administration Consoles

Administer the Catalog Manager using the Catalog Manager administration console. You administer the Vending Manager using the Vending Manager administration console. These consoles are accessed through a web browser.

Developers can submit content to the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server using the Developer Portal. Subscribers can download content from the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server using the Subscriber Portal from either a PC or a mobile device.

Browser Requirements

The administration consoles can be run with:

• Internet Explorer 6.0
• Netscape Navigator^TM 7.0
• Firefox 1.0

Accessing the Administration Consoles

To access the Catalog Manager and Vending Manager administration consoles for the first time, use the default login ID and password that were created when you installed the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server. The default values for the Login ID and Password are admin and admin.

Change the password after you initially log in (note that the password is case sensitive). After you log in to the Catalog Manager and Vending Manager, you can add additional accounts as needed. See Adding a Catalog Manager Administrator Account and Adding a Vending Manager Administrator Account for more information.

To log in to the Catalog Manager, follow these steps:

1. Start the Catalog Manager.

For information on starting the Catalog Manager, see the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server Installation Guide.

2. From a browser window, enter the following address:

http://localhost/admin/main

The Catalog Manager Log In page is displayed.

3. Enter your administrator name and password.

4. Click Log In.

1. Start the Vending Manager. For information on starting the Vending Manager, see the Sun Java System Content Delivery Server Installation Guide.

2. From a browser window, enter http://localhost/vsadmin/main.

The Vending Manager Log In page is displayed.

3. Enter your administrator name and password.

4. Click Log In.

Administration Guide

819-3209-10

Copyright © 2005, Sun Microsystems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.