The IMPEL Messaging Framework

What is IMPEL?
The IMPEL Messaging Framework has been developed by DBSA to provide a generic technology platform for mobility and wireless solutions and supports both the RIM BlackBerry and Windows Mobile platforms.

As well as providing “pull” technology for end-users, allowing them to request and/or send information based on client-as-needs timing, IMPEL provides an implementation of “push” technology, which allows the server to send information to registered devices whenever that information changes.

This ensures that remote devices are kept up-to-date at all times whilst connected. This powerful, feature-rich framework, provides a robust, efficient and highly-viable platform on which to build and deploy the requirements of modern mobility solutions.

Why IMPEL?
In delivering wireless mobile enterprise applications, it is necessary to define a solution that is based upon a multi-tiered architecture. Such application architectures are similar to that of web-based enterprise applications, with the addition of a smart client application on the mobile device as opposed to the use of a web browser. As well as the smart client functionality, the ability to push data changes and other application specific messages to the device from the application server is inherent in the design of many mobile applications.

While technologies such as RIM’s BlackBerry MDS or Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 5.0 Message & Security Feature Pack provide the ability to push messages to mobile users, it is still necessary to define a solution for storing and forwarding messages reliably for custom applications.

The IMPEL Messaging Framework provides a generic but highly-reliable solution to the mobile messaging requirements described above. The Messaging Framework provides server and client components to handle the needs of each application.

How does IMPEL work?
The IMPEL Messaging Framework is split into two components, a client library to embed within custom applications and a web service component for delivering messages to the target application.

The IMPEL Messaging Framework client library is a suite of components built using Microsoft’s Visual Studio C# toolset for deployment on Windows Mobile devices and J2ME for deployment on RIM BlackBerry devices.

The IMPEL client supports the registering of new message types along with the process of converting messages to internal commands that are added to a persistent queue and ultimately executed based upon the order in which they arrived.

The IMPEL Messaging Framework web service has been created using Microsoft’s Visual Studio C# toolset and is powered by the Microsoft technologies of Windows Server (2000/2003), .Net Framework, IIS (5.x/6.x) and relies on a Microsoft SQL database instance to store application data.

The responsibility/role of the server component is to accept message requests for a specific user. Each message is stored in a server-side database prior to being sent to the nominated device via a “push” technology. The IMPEL server component tracks the success of the message delivery to the “push” gateway, maintains time outs and is responsible for resending messages if no acknowledgement has been received for a configurable period of time.

Integrating with IMPEL
The IMPEL Integration Interface is based on XML Web Services technology. Its role is to listen to either standard TCP/IP ports for SOAP messages or monitor folders for XML or CSV message files. These messages may contain either data in the form of text for distribution to one or more devices or indicate commands to be acted upon further by IMPEL.

All information received, whether commands or data, is stored in the server-side IMPEL MS SQL database. By storing the message content, no further impact occurs on existing systems. Impel then acts on the commands received and/or determines which information has changed and delivers only the changed information to the devices as requested, ensuring minimal impact on mobile bandwidth.

Want IMPEL to solve your wireless mobility needs?
For more than 15 years, DBSA has delivered systems targeted at mobile workforces. Working with mobile sales and field services, DBSA continues to innovate in delivering mobile solutions leveraging Java and .NET to provide applications for RIM’s Blackberry, Microsoft Windows Mobile and Palm platforms.

DBSA is becoming established as an industry leader in this area providing advice to leading telecommunication providers and multi-national organisations as they move into mobile solutions for their workforce and that of their clients.

Contact us NOW
Please contact us to have one of our wireless mobility experts discuss your current needs and provide further details on how DBSA and IMPEL can move your needs forward.

Downloads (These documents are in .pdf format) IMPEL Dispatch Engine Overview IMPEL End User Licence Agreement