Configuring Apple Push Notification Service

Use Apple Push Notification Service (APNS) to push notifications from Unwired Server to the iOS application. Notifications might include badges, sounds, or custom text alerts. Device users can use Settings to customize which notifications to receive or ignore.

Prerequisites

Perform these prerequisites in the Apple Developer Connection Portal:

Register for the iPhone Developer Program as an enterprise developer to access the Developer Connection portal and get the certificate required to sign applications.
Create an App ID and ensure that it is configured to use Apple Push Notification Service (APNS).
Create and download an enterprise APNS certificate that uses Keychain Access in the Mac OS. The information in the certificate request must use a different common name than the development certificate development teams might already have. This is because the enterprise certificate also creates a private key, which must be distinct from the development key. This certificate must also be imported as a login keychain and not a system keychain and the developer should validate that the certificate is associated with the key in the Keychain Access application. Get a copy of this certificate.
Note: A new 2048-bit Entrust certificate needed for APNS.
Apple uses a 2048-bit root certificate from Entrust, which provides a more secure connection between Unwired Server and APNS. This certificate comes with the Windows OS, and is upgraded automatically with Windows Update, if it is enabled. This information is not part of the procedure that documents APNS support.

If Windows Update is disabled, you must manually download and install the certificate (entrust_2048_ca.cer). Go to https://www.entrust.net/downloads/root_index.cfm. For help on installing the certificate, see http://www.entrust.net/knowledge-base/technote.cfm?tn=8282.
Create an enterprise provisioning profile and include the required device IDs with the enterprise certificate. The provisioning profile authorizes devices to use applications you have signed.
Create the Xcode project ensuring the bundle identifier corresponds to the bundle identifier in the specified App ID. Ensure you are informed of the "Product Name" used in this project.
Use the APNS initialization code.

Developers can review complete details in the iPhone OS Enterprise Deployment Guide at http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/Enterprise_Deployment_Guide.pdf.

Task

Each application that supports Apple Push Notifications must be listed in Sybase Control Center with its certificate and application name. You must perform this task for each application.

Confirm that the IT department has opened ports 2195 and 2196, by executing:
telnet gateway.push.apple.com 2195
telnet feedback.push.apple.com 2196
If the ports are open, you can connect to the Apple push gateway and receive feedback from it.
Upload the APNS certificate to Sybase Control Center:
1. In the navigation pane, click Applications.
2. In the administration pane, click the Applications tab.
3. Select the application for which you want to enable APNS, and click Properties.
4. Click the Push Configurations tab and click on Add.
5. Configure all required properties, including the corresponding password and upload the certificate. See APNS Native Notification Properties in Sybase Control Center for Sybase Unwired Platform online help.
Deploy the iOS application with an enterprise distribution provisioning profile to users' iOS devices.
Verify that the APNS-enabled iOS device is set up correctly:
1. In Sybase Control Center, ensure the user has already activated the application and is connected to the Unwired Server, by looking for the corresponding entry in ApplicationsApplication Connections.
2. Validate that in the Application Connection ID, the application name appears correctly at the end of the string.
3. Select the user and click Properties.
4. Check that the APNS Device Token contains a value. This indicates that a token has passed successfully following a successful application activation
Verify that native notification is enabled for the user:
1. Select the user name and click Properties.
  - For Application Settings, ensure the Notification Mode property is set to either Only native notifications or Online/ payload push with native notification.
  - For Apple Push Notifications, ensure the Enabled property is set to True.
Test the environment by initiating an action that results in a new message being sent to the client.
If you have verified that both device and server can establish a connection to the APNS gateway, the device receives notifications and messages from the Unwired Server. If you configured Online/ payload push with native notification, allow a few minutes for the delivery. If the device is offline and the message is pending in messaging queue, Unwired Server triggers the native push notification mechanism to send the Pending Items to the device via APNS. See Reviewing the Pending Items Count for Messaging Applications in System Administration.

Note: Notifications require a connection to APNS on port 5223. This port is not always routed through the firewall on corporate wireless networks.
To troubleshoot APNS, use the SUP_HOME\Servers\Unwired Server\logs\server log file.