Device and Application Provisioning Overview

Provisioning describes all activities used to setup the device and its applications, so it can interact with the Unwired Platform environment.

Device and application provisioning includes:

Distributing and installing the platform infrastructure components. Devices that require provisioning of infrastructure components include:
- Afaria clients for Windows, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry devices.
- Client runtime for messaging-based synchronization applications for Windows and Windows Mobile. No runtime is required for iOS.
- Security artifacts for encryption and SSO. See Device Security in the Security guide.
Distributing and installing the device application that interacts with packages that are deployed to the Unwired Server. For heterogeneous device provisioning support, Sybase recommends Afaria.
If you are using a replication application, setting up the device for push synchronization. See Setting up Push Synchronization for Replication.
If you are using a messaging application, registering the user devices using Sybase Control Center (each user then activates using the Sybase Settings application deployed in step 1).

Provisioning Methods by Application Type
Depending on the application type you are deploying, there are different methods to ensure all application and runtime artifacts are downloaded over-the-air (OTA), then stored or installed on the device, without requiring a physical connection the corporate LAN.
Provisioning with a Configuration File
In environments where Afaria is not used for mobile device management, you can use a file to provision the device application on BlackBerry, Android devices, or Windows Mobile or Win32 devices. iOS clients cannot be manually provisioned in this manner, as the application sandbox is not accessible.
Provisioning with Afaria
(Applies only to Online Data Proxy) Automate the process of provisioning applications by enabling a group of applications to be intially provisioned with a set of parameters from a configuration file using Afaria.
iOS Provisioning with APNS
Unlike the Afaria method of device provisioning, Apple provisioning is primarily performed by developers at the end of their development cycle, with some Sybase Control Center configuration performed by the administrator, and some device setup by the device user. Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) supports user notifications on iPhone devices.
BlackBerry Provisioning with BES
BlackBerry devices can be provisioned with BlackBerry servers in addition to the Afaria method.
Provisioning with Unwired Server
If you are not using Afaria, you can install the client application then connect to corporate LAN using WIFI or any other method of your choosing in order to provision devices with required files.
Setting up Push Synchronization for Replication
(Not applicable to Online Data Proxy)If your device application requires push synchronization, you must configure the device for server-initiated synchronization.