Application Servers
Defining
Mobile Computing Application Server
We would like to define "Mobile Computing Application Server
(MCAS or simple MAS)" as a software program which runs in a server and provides the following functionality:
-
Application level logic
that handles business functions involved in a particular organization
(e.g. how to handle information requests from sales personnel in the
field) and its integration with backend database or business application systems
such as mainframe financial accounting systems, manufacturing systems,
inventory, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and emerging CRM
(Customer Resource Management) systems
-
Presentation services for
the Mobile client device (handheld computers, notebook, PDA, etc) i.e.
application server takes raw data from database applications/queries and
transforms the data on a specific thin client (or a thick client like
a PC) considering its presentation space characteristics and limitations. This
is also called GUI (Graphical User Interface) in some cases though
some handheld are more like older text terminals than PC. It includes breaking the messages into smaller chunks, filtering
redundant information, and even logically compressing the data , etc.
-
Transaction services, in
some cases - including multi-threading for heavy volumes and
persistency i.e. recovery across session failures
-
Application programming level
interfaces (APIs) with specialized communications protocols
An application server may be
considered as part of a multi-tier (mostly three tier) architecture.
Conventional tiers are:
-
First tier - A thin client
based on handheld devices or a thick client on a PC - typically a
browser-based interface in the Web context
-
Middle tier consists of
business applications on a set of servers - communications and
business applications
-
Third Tier - backend
legacy data base systems and mission-critical ERP systems on a large
server or mainframe

Are All Application Servers
Same and Provide the Same Functionality?
Actual implementations of
Application Server varies from one vendor to another. Some
application servers are generic web servers with an
SDK (Systems Development Kit) or API capability to pull data from
enterprise database systems and send it to a browser-based client software
in a handheld device. Other
application servers provide a business application with
customization capability in a horizontal application, such as e-mail,
sales force automation or field service representative computer-aided
dispatch application. Still other
mobile application servers are based on WAP protocol. Depending on
the heritage of the vendor and their core expertise, you can categorize application servers in the
following broad classes:
-
Generic application
servers with a web-based SDK - e.g. Netscape, Microsoft, Sun, SilverStream,
BEA - may have support for handheld devices and wireless
networks strapped on (or bolted on) to the basic application server
-
Database vendors'
Application Servers - e.g. Oracle 9i and Sybase's iAnywhere
Application server
-
Data synchronization
vendors - e.g. Puma, Synchrologic, Extended Systems
-
Specialized Mobile or Web Computing Application Servers - IBM's WebSphere
-
Mobile Specific
Application Servers - e.g. Aligo, Air2Web,
Contec Mobile Application
Server (aimed at carriers), Aether System
(aimed at enterprises)
-
WAP-centric Application
servers - Nokia's WAP Server - not a true Application server, in
IT sense
-
E-mail centric Application
Servers - Microsoft's Mobile Information server, EdgeMail Application Server
It
is important to note that not all application servers are strong in all
the functions that you may need in a general-purpose application server.
Therefore, you must evaluate the key criteria that your application
requires. As an example, application server from Oracle may be strong on integration with
databases but not necessarily as strong on interfaces with a variety of
handheld devices and wireless networks. It may be the right choice if your
environment is primarily Oracle-centric and it supports the particular
device and network that you may have chosen.
General
Advisory About Mobile Application Servers
-
Mobile Application server market
has already become quite saturated - a cue to
startups. "Pick a niche role, develop the niche functionality
around the big players' application servers (IBM, Netscape, Microsoft,
Oracle and Sun). Do not become a me-to player and expect to
survive" - MobileInfo Editor
-
Role of specialized mobile application
servers in large enterprises will decrease unless they can co-exist with generic
application servers. In MBE (medium enterprises businesses) and SOHO,
these application-specific servers will be more popular. Ultimately, they will get bundled under the major
generic application servers, MobileInfo.Com thinks.
-
Transaction services are key for future
role in pervasive computing model of mobile applications.
LIST OF
POPULAR APPLICATION SERVERS (alphabetical
order)
1. Aether Application
Services
Aether Systems (merged with Riverbed) is an early leader in the
exploding field of wireless data, providing real-time data communications
and transactions services that operate over multiple wireless data
networks, devices and back-end corporate data systems. In
MobileInfo's assessment, they do understand the requirements of a
comprehensive and sophisticated application server in the wireless arena.
They are now focusing on becoming a wireless ASP (Application Solution
Provider). Go to Aether Systems
Riverbed site for a review of their products and services.
2. Airtuit's BlueMoon
Application server
3. Aligo
Application server
-
Aligo
- A Java-based Mobile Application Server - utilities, healthcare,
pharmaceutical, mobile workforce automation
4. Contec's (Started in
1999 - had a beta product in
2002) Mobile Application Server - aimed at carriers
5.
EdgeMail's Wireless Application Server
EdgeMail's Application Server is a Web based
software application that provides forms management and improved business
process over the Web. It is able to take the majority of business
processes that currently require physical information submission and
distribution and streamline the processes to online real-time processes
conducted over the Web, with no physical exchange of hardcopy and without
the time delay associated with the exchange of hardcopy. Go
to EdgeMail website for more information..
6.
@Hand Application Development Environment - Primarily a development
platform
The @hand Mobile Application Server provides
core infrastructure and support services including centralized
administration, connectivity management, back-end systems integration, and
data management. A subset of these core services resides locally on each
deployed device through @hand Mobile Clients. The @hand Mobile Developer
Studio provides a rapid application development environment that
simplifies some of the complexity of creating mobile applications by
providing a set of programming and data modeling tools (Visual Studio, Cod
Warrior, and Satellite Forms. Go to @Hand
site for more.
7. IBM
has two offerings :
7.1
IBM's WebSphere Application Server
Go to IBM's WebSphere
Application Server pages - part of its Enterprise Java Beans (EJB)
environment. MobileInfo recommends serious evaluation of this product by
users because it has the underpinnings of serious application server for
large enterprises. However, user organizations must be ready to
allocate enough resources to implement solutions based on this server.
7.2
Domino-based Application Server for Mobile devices -
Domino is an application server that is centered around workgroup and
e-mail-centric applications. IBM/Lotus and business partners have built
support for handheld and Windows CE devices. Go to Microsoft
Windows CE site for more information.
8. Jacada
Presentation Server for Palm
This server was announced in early 2000 by
Jacada - an Atlanta based company with development offices in Israel. It
addresses the needs of bringing mission-critical information from
enterprise systems to the web through handheld devices. For further
information, go to Jacada pages
on the server.
9. Microsoft Mobile
Information Server
10. Nokia's
WAP Application Gateway
Go to Nokia
WAP Application Server
11.
Oracle's Mobile Application Server - a mobile incarnation of 9i
Go to Oracle
Mobile Application server pages.
12.
Sybase's Mobile Application Studio 7.0
Go
to Sybase Application Studio 7.0 pages
13.
Everypath Mobile Application Server
Go
to Everypath
14. Air2Web's Application Server
14. VisionAir's Data Routing Engine (DRE)
Go
to DRE
15. Mobile
Data Synchronization-Based Application Servers
There are a number of vendors
who provide limited application server functionality through their
synchronization engines. The following vendors are predominant among
these:
15.1 Extended Systems
Extended Systems offer a
number of application server related functions. >more
info.
15.2 Mobile Application Link (MAL)
Mobile Application
Link is a communications standard for allowing handheld devices to
exchange data and applications directly with centralized applications in
the same way. It could be considered server implementation of HotSynch
or ActiveSynch technologies with the difference that original
implementation of the above-mentioned technologies was meant to exchange
data with desktop workstations - though enterprise or server-based
extension of same technology is either available or will be available
soon. Major vendors supporting MAL are AvantGo, Aether Systems,
Attachmate, Certicom, Puma and others. Original
code was developed by AvantGo but they have put the original version in
public domain. Go
to MAL site for more.
15.3
PointBase Data Synchronization Server
PointBase is offering a
small footprint pure Java tools for developing embedded systems data
management applications on the Internet. PointBase is headed by
ex-Oracle executives. Therefore it has strong database heritage.
PointBase Universal Synchronization Option (PointBase UniSynch option
and PointBase Device Edition provide the basic framework. Go
to PointBase site for more.
15.4
Puma
Puma is offering MAL based
server. Go to Puma
pages on MAL server.
15.5
Synchrologic's Application Server
Synchrologic's iMobile Suite
offers data management tools based on their synchronization engine. It
provides file distribution, database replication and software
distribution with a single interface. For more info, go to Synchrologic's
iMobile Suite page on this site.
15.6
Xchange Lynx Server from Jas Concepts
Jas
Concepts, Inc. develops middleware for distributed communications
systems. They have announced development of XChange Lynx Server
based on Mobile Application Link standard. The Java-based plug-ins will
support
-
data
collection and routing
-
web and
software distribution
-
connectivity
to the back office
-
profile
management
-
session
reporting and monitoring
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