How to send notifications in seven simple steps

To send notifications, you need to follow the general steps below. Each of these steps is described in detail later in this chapter.

1. If you want to send secure notifications, request a certificate from a Certificate Authority.

To send secure notifications, you must request and install a server certificate from a Certificate Authority that is approved by the UP.Link server provider. To request a certificate on Windows, you must use the CertMaker utility provided with the UP.SDK.¹ To use CertMaker, choose CertMaker from the Start>Programs>UP.SDK menu. Then choose Create Request from the Certificate menu and follow the instructions.

To request a certificate on UNIX, use the upcerreq (sdk_installdir/bin/upcerreq) utility. To get syntax information for it, type upcerreq -h.

For detailed instructions on CertMaker and upcerreq, see the "Notification Utilities" chapter of the UP.SDK Tools and APIs Reference.

CertMaker and upcerreq generate a public-private key pair and a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). You copy and paste this CSR into the WWW-based certificate request form provided by the Certificate Authority. The Certificate Authority returns an email response containing a certificate, which you should save and install as described in the next step.

2. Install the certificate.

To install a certificate on Windows, you use CertMaker again. Choose Install Certificate from CertMaker's Certificate menu and follow the instructions.

To install a certificate on UNIX, use the sdk_installdir/bin/upcerins utility. For more information on upcerins, invoke it with the -h option or see the UP.SDK Tools and APIs Reference.

CertMaker and upcerins use the certificate email and the private key file to create an output certificate (.pem) file. You'll use the .pem file when you call UP.SDK tools and APIs to send secure notifications.

3. Get the subscriber IDs of the UP.Link subscribers to whom you would like to send notifications.

To send notifications to a subscriber, you must know the subscriber's ID. To get the ID, you can check the HTTP headers for requests from the UP.Phone. For more information, see Retrieving subscriber, device, and UP.Link information. You can also ask the subscriber or the UP.Link server administrator for the ID.

If you have a UP.Phone or you have registered your UP.Simulator on an UP.Link server, you can view your subscriber ID by choosing Settings from the home card and then choosing Subscriber ID.

4. Make sure your corporate firewall allows you to send notifications.

Make sure that your corporate firewall allows you to send packets to the notification port you will be using (TCP destination port 3356 for secure notifications or TCP destination port 4445 for non-secure notifications).

5. Use the UP.SDK tools and libraries to send notifications.

You can use the following tools and libraries to send notifications:

• The Language-independent Component Object Model (COM) library. This library is available on Windows only.

• The C++ notification library (available on UNIX/Solaris only).

• The command-line notification utility, sdk_installdir/bin/upnotify.

The COM and UNIX C++ notifications libraries are discussed in detail later in this chapter. For more information on the upnotify utility, run it with the help (-h) option or see the "Notification Utilities" chapter of the UP.SDK Tools and APIs Reference.

6. Use the UP.SDK tools and libraries to check the status of notifications you have sent.

The UP.SDK tools and libraries all allow you to check the status of notifications you have sent. They also allow you to remove pending notifications.

7. Make sure your application complies with the user interface guidelines for notifications.

The user interface guidelines for notifications are described in User interface guidelines for notifications.

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Requesting Verisign certificates

Verisign currently provides information and instructions for obtaining certificates at the following URL:

https://digitalid.verisign.com/server_ids.html

Before you request a real certificate, it is recommended that you request a free test certificate. You can use the test certificate to prototype and test your application. Verisign provides information about test certificates at the following URL:

http://digitalid.verisign.com/test_server_ids.html

Test certificates are typically issued immediately on request. However, they are valid only for a short time (normally two weeks from when they are issued).

After you display one of the Web pages listed above, select Unwired Planet in the Server Software Vendor scroll list. The Web site will provide you with all the necessary instructions. It includes a form into which you paste the CSR that you created in the steps in the previous section.

If you use Verisign's Web form to request a certificate, after you have completed the certificate request, you will be prompted to install the certificate in your browser. Although you might want to do it anyway, this step is not required for you to use the certificate for notifications.

Instead of using a Web form to request a certificate, you can email the CSR directly to Verisign. The email address for a test certificate is:

test-request-id@verisign.com