iPlanet Portal Server: Mobile Access Pack Administration Guide: Chapter 2 Configuring Mobile Clients

Previous Contents Index Next

iPlanet Portal Server: Mobile Access Pack Administration Guide

Chapter 2 Configuring Mobile Clients

The iPlanet Portal Server: Mobile Access Pack uses a client detection module to identify what device the user is using to access your portal site. The Mobile Access Pack software uses data objects from the iPlanet Portal Server.
This chapter describes the attributes involved in defining a mobile client and explains the following steps for setting up and changing mobile client definitions:

Setting Up a Mobile Client Type

Editing Client Attributes

Removing Support for a Mobile Client

Understanding Client Attributes

Client attributes in the iPlanet Portal Server profile service provide client-specific information to the Mobile Access Pack server. The following attributes are required:

Mobile client type. The clientType attribute as an arbitrary string with a list of name-value pairs. Each client type string must be unique.

This attribute serves as an index to the rest of the data for a client.

User agent for the mobile client. The userAgent attribute stores a search string. The string is compared to the user agent attribute in the HTTP header to determine the mobile client type. The client detection module compares the userAgent string of registered client types to the userAgent attribute in the HTTP header of the client that is accessing Portal Server. The longest string is matched.

Content type for the mobile client. The contentType attribute contains the HTTP header value and identifies the format of the content.

If client detection is disabled, the default client type is used.

File type. The fileIdentifier attribute indicates what file type is supported by the mobile client.

Path to mobile client-specific content files. The filePath attribute identifies the path to the client-specific data files. These include template files and JSP files.

For client-specific file lookup, the search is based on the mobile client type's filePath attribute.

Character set. The charset attribute identifies which character sets are supported by the mobile client.
A number of optional attributes are available. They define a mobile client's behavior and formatting requirements. These include:

counterName, which adds a counter to the URL.

escapeWML, which handles content that contains special characters, such as apostrophes (`) for clients with a WML contentType.

escapeXML, which handles content that contains special characters, such as apostrophes (`) for clients with an XML contentType.

ignoreHostHeader, which causes the user's desktop to ignore the host's header. This may be required if the client uses HTTP/1.0, because some HTTP/1.0 clients set the host header improperly.

genericHTML, which indicates whether the mobile client accepts HTML.

lineLength, which defines how many character can appear on a single line of a mobile device's display.

maxSize, which indicates the approximate number of bytes to send to the mobile device.

Setting Up a Mobile Client Type

You must set up a unique client type property for each mobile device that you want to support.

Note
The Mobile Access Pack software is configured for these client types:

Nokia 7110

Siemens S35

Panasonic P503 i

To set up a new client type, complete the following steps:

As root, log in to the Administration Console and select the Manage Platform Settings link from the left frame to display the Portal Server Platform Settings page.

Select the Client link to display the Client Profile page.

Select Add to display the Add Client Type Data list on the Component Attributes page.

From the Add Client Type Data list, select a data object to display it in the Property text box.

In the Property text field, provide the appropriate value for the data object.

Tip
You must add required data objects. You can add other data elements that are appropriate for the client type in this field also. These data objects are stored as attributes.
Use this format:
data_object=value
For example:
fileIdentifier=wml
The client type value must be unique across all client types. This example uses a mobile device name and model number to create a unique client type:
clientType=nokia_7110

Select Add for each data object.

The newly defined data element appears in the Add Client Type Data list.

When your Client Type Data List is complete, select Submit and then select Continue.

Select the Manage Domains link from the left frame.

Select the link for your server's domain.

Select the icon next to the Applications heading to display the Applications list.

Select the Desktop link to display the profile for the desktop.

Select Show Advanced Options.

In the Client Specific Available Providers text box, specify the client type and list the channels that are to be available to the user of this mobile device.

Tip
Use this format:
clientType|channel
For example:
wml|iwtXMLProvider;iwtWirelessBookmarkProvider
To specify multiple channels, use a semicolon.

Select Add to include the information in the Client Specific Available Providers list.

In the Client Specific Selected Providers text box, specify the client type and list the channels that are to be displayed by default the first time the user accesses the portal site using the specified mobile device.

Tip
Use this format:
clientType|channel
For example:
wml|iwtUserInfoProvider
To specify multiple channels, use a semicolon.

Select Add to include the information in the Client Specific Selected Providers list.

Select Submit and then Continue.

Editing Client Attributes

You can add, change or delete the attributes that define mobile client behavior.

Adding Client Attributes

To add an attribute to an existing client type, complete the following steps:

As root, log in to the Administration Console and select the Manage Platform Settings link from the left frame to display the Portal Server Platform Settings page.

Select the Client link to display the Client Profile page.

From the Configured Client Types list, select the client type you want to add data to.

Your selection is highlighted and appears in the Client Type text field.

Select Edit to display client type data on the Component Attributes page.

In the Property text field, specify the data property you want to add.

Tip
Use this format:
data_object=value
For example:
fileIdentifier=chtml

Select Add.

The new data objects appears in the Modify Client Type Data list.

Select Submit and then select Continue.

Changing Client Attributes

To modify an attribute for a client type, complete the following steps:

As root, log in to the Administration Console and select the Manage Platform Settings link from the left frame to display the Portal Server Platform Settings page.

Select the Client link to display the Client Profile page.

From the Configured Client Types list, select the client type you want to change.

Your selection is highlighted and appears in the Client Type text field.

Select Edit to display client type data on the Component Attributes page.

From the Modify Client Type Data list, select the data object to modify.

In the Property text field, modify the data property.

Tip
Use this format:
data_object=value
For example:
fileIdentifier=chtml

Select Edit.

The new data objects appears in the Modify Client Type Data list.

Select Submit and then select Continue.

Removing Client Attributes

To delete an attribute from an existing client type, complete the following steps:

As root, log in to the Administration Console and select the Manage Platform Settings link from the left frame to display the Portal Server Platform Settings page.

Select the Client link to display the Client Profile page.

From the Configured Client Types list, select the client type you want to change.

Your selection is highlighted and appears in the Client Type text field.

Select Edit to display the Modify Client Type Data list.

From the Modify Client Type Data list, select the data object you want to remove.

Select Delete.

Select Submit and then select Continue.

Removing Support for a Mobile Client

You can delete a mobile device from the list of configured client types. This step is irreversible, and performing it can make it impossible to use that mobile device to access your portal site.
To remove a mobile device from the list of configured clients, complete the following steps:

As root, log in to the Administration Console and select the Manage Platform Settings link from the left frame to display the Portal Server Platform Settings page.

From the Configured Client Types list, select the client you want to remove.

The selected client is highlighted and appears in the Client Type text field.

Select Delete.

Select Submit and then select Continue.

Select the Manage Domains link from the left frame.

Select the link for your server's domain.

Select the icon next to the Applications heading to display the Applications list.

Select the Desktop link to display the profile for the desktop.

Select Show Advanced Options.

From the Client Specific Available Providers list, select the client you want to remove.

The selected client is highlighted and appears in the Client Type text field.

Select Delete.

From the Client Specific Selected Providers list, select the client you want to remove.

Select Delete.

Select Submit and then select Continue.

Previous Contents Index Next
Copyright © 2001 Sun Microsystems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Last Updated November 20, 2001