I was thinking now about using a well-known DNS prefix and using the WiFis default DNS Suffix to load the initial config. Once a config has been loaded though, it will not ever use that server again (unless the new config points to itself, but would recommend against this to minimize the chance or introducing rogue configurations).
On Aug 3, 2:52 pm, Kostya Vasilyev <kmans...@gmail.com> wrote: > I can think of a few solutions. > > 1 - Discover the web service automatically. For example, through UPnP > (don't know if there is a client library for Java). Or - this is a hack > - set up your server at a known address, relative to the client's > network. That is, network is xxx.yyy.zzz.0/24 -> look for your server at > xxx.yyy.zzz.251. > > 2 - Bootstrap configuration with another server, that just points to the > real one. This could be a separate machine, running a web server, and a > Wifi access point daemon. It would be configured by the client just once > to give out your real web server address. > > Then, with a new phone, a network technician installs your program on > the phone, starts it, and enables Wiif. That's it - your service > discovers Wifi connectivity, connects to the bootstrap server (since its > signal is strongest - assume it physically sits right next to the > technician) and gets initial configuration from there. At this point > your app would know the real server. > > 3 - Create a separate .apk with configuration, build pre-defined ones > for your clients. The main app would request the configuration by > broadcasting an intent and receiving the server name back also by using > an intent. > > 4 - Use a simple configuration file, stored in a well-known location on > the memory card. > > -- Kostya > > 03.08.2010 22:30, droidbm пишет: > > > > > Scenario: > > > Customer purchases hundreds of licenses for software app (and > > accompanying back end). This client software is highly customizable as > > to what, when, and where it reports and to the customers liking > > (literally hundreds of settings and tweaks). The client software polls > > for config changes through a web service call. However, customers are > > asking for a way to have their sys admins deploy the app apk and > > config for their environment(s) with out having to install the app, go > > to a settings page, and type in the config web services URL on > > hundreds of devices. Essentialy, they want a way (like we have on our > > other platforms) to deploy a customizable initial config with all the > > right communication settings. Since there isn't a file manager or .Net > > XML config files or anything similar to help facilitate this in > > android, I looked at embedding a raw resource, but that has to be done > > at development time by the developer. I then saw that one could (from > > a package name) find the installation apk file on the device and open > > it as a ZipFile, but adding a file to the apk also fails the signing > > check if done post development. Since the app has no UI, there isn't a > > place to have a PreferencesActivity, and it doesn't fix the real > > problem of giving the sys admin the ability to have a turn-key install > > of the apk. I hope this clarifies what I'm trying to accomplish. > > > On Aug 3, 12:53 pm, TreKing<treking...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> On Tue, Aug 3, 2010 at 10:53 AM, droidbm<droi...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >>> I have no way of knowing customer environment settings at apk build > >>> time so SharedPreferences as you described is out. > > >> If the customer > > >>> (possibly with an accompanying utility) could unzip the apk, adjust > >>> the settings file, and then deploy it, but I ran into signing issues > >>> with both raw resources and directly reading the apk as a zip. > > >> I'm getting confused. So your customer is someone who is going to set up > >> the > >> app and then turn around and re-distribute it? > > >> I don't see how you can pre-configure an app when you don't know the > >> pre-configurations ... > > >> And you WANT them to be able to muck with your APK after you've signed it > >> and handed it over? How is this any better than a UI where they set this > >> up? > > >> You may want to further clarify and elaborate on your use case. I for one > >> am > >> not sure about what you're really trying to do here. > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> TreKing<http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> - Chicago > >> transit tracking app for Android-powered devices > > -- > Kostya Vasilev -- WiFi Manager + pretty widget --http://kmansoft.wordpress.com -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
