Push requests   A push request is a row of values in a result set that tells a Notifier that you want to send a push notification to a device. Push requests cause server-initiated synchronizations to occur. Any database application can create push requests, including the Notifier. For example, a push request could be created using a database trigger that is activated when a price changes. See Push requests.

A MobiLink Notifier   A Notifier is a program integrated into the MobiLink server. It frequently checks the consolidated database for push requests. You can control how often the Notifier checks for push requests by specifying its properties. You must specify business logic to check for push requests, and to determine which devices should be notified. A push notification is sent to a device when the Notifier detects a push request. See Notifiers.

A MobiLink Listener   A Listener is a program that runs on a device. It receives push notifications from the Notifier, then uses a message handler to filter messages and initiate an action. In a typical application, actions are synchronization calls, but applications are capable of performing other actions. You can configure the MobiLink Listener to act differently on push notifications from selected server sources, or on push notifications that contain specific content.

On Windows devices, the MobiLink Listener is an executable program that you configure with command line options. To receive push notifications, the device must be turned on and the MobiLink Listener must be running. See MobiLink Listener utility for Windows devices (dblsn).

A light weight poller   A light weight poller is a device application that polls for push notifications at a specified time interval. Using a light weight poller is an alternative to setting up a gateway, and is recommended because it does not require a persistent connection to the server, and can help extend battery life.

The MobiLink Listener is a light weight poller that you can configure using MobiLink Listener command line options. Alternatively, you can use the light weight polling API to create your own light weight poller.

See:

• Setting up light weight polling options
• Light weight polling API

A gateway (An alternative to a light weight poller)   A gateway provides a Notifier interface for sending push notifications to a device. Gateways are an alternative to light weight pollers. You can send messages using a device tracking gateway, a SYNC gateway, a UDP gateway, or an SMTP gateway. See Gateways and carriers.