Glossary

access points

An access point is the address monitored by the Async Listener. Using the System Manager, you can create the following type of access points.

• Site Access Point —Enables access to all the asynchronous applications.

• Application Category Access Point — An access point associated with one or more application link categories. See also application link category.

actionable message

An interactive push message sent from the Oracle Application Server Wireless instance to a user's device. Actionable messages are sent through SMS, e-mail and Instant Messaging and can be acted upon by users. Other, non-actionable messages are in final form once delivered to a user's device, prohibiting users from replying to these messages.

adapter

A dynamically loaded Java class that acquires content from an external source, such as a Web site or a database, and converts the content into Mobile XML. Pre-built adapters include the Web Integration adapter, SQL adapter, and Strip adapter.

Adapter Result format

A general, user interface-independent content format. Content in Adapter Result format requires conversion to Simple Result format before it can be converted to the final target format.

antenna

Each tag has at least one antenna. On the other side of the communication link, the reader must also have an antenna. Some readers can drive multiple antennae at the same time. Depending on the protocol, frequency and application, these antennae vary from thin strips of metal laid across a surface, to a portal doorway antenna that is meters tall

application link

Sometimes referred to as an application, an application link is pointer to a master application. The master application defines the core properties of the application link. Using application links, Content Managers customize and publish master applications.

application link category

Application Link Categories, which are sets of applications, support Premium SMS and Reverse Charge SMS. For example, in PremiumSMS, each set of applications having the same premium level can be put into an application link category.

Async Listener

The Async Listener, a client of the Messaging Server, interprets and processes the e-mail and SMS requests. See also Premium SMS and Reverse Charge SMS.

bookmark

A link from a service to an external, device-compatible data source that does not require OracleAS Wireless processing.

chip

A silicon chip, with embedded memory, is used in a tag. The chip implements the wireless protocol and access functions to its embedded memory. Note that in active tags, this is not a single chip but an entire board.

Customization Portal

A Web-based interface (also referred to as the Wireless Customization Portal) that end users access to select services and configure their device portal. Users access the Customization Portal from their desktop computers.

daemon

A background process that performs a specified operation in response to certain events or at specified times.

device

An object that describes either a physical device, such as a cellular phone, or an application, such as email. There is a default device transformer for each device. For the Oracle Sensor Edge Server, a device is an end point of a sensor-based architecture, such as an RFID reader, a dry contact, a laser diode, carousel, or a robotic picker.

device transformer

A transformer that converts content from Simple Result format into the target format.

DOM Interface

Document Object Model. The interface that allows programs and scripts to access and transform processed XML documents.

DTD

Document Type Definition. A file in an XML document that defines how the application presenting the document should interpret the XML document.

end user

A person who accesses a OracleAS Wireless service from a client device.

HDML

Handheld Device Markup Language. A reduced version of HTML designed to enable wireless pagers, cellular phones, and other handheld devices to access Web page content.

IMAP

Interactive Mail Access Protocol. A hierarchical mail storage and retrieval structure.

HTML

HyperText Markup Language. The document format that defines the page layout, fonts, and graphic elements, as well as the hypertext links to other documents on the Web.

JNDI

Java Naming and Directory Interface. A set of APIs that provide directory and naming functionality to Java applications.

JSP

JavaServer Pages. A technology based on Java servlets which separates the functions of Web page layout and content generation. JavaServer Pages technology enables the creation of server-generated Web pages incorporating dynamic content.

LDAP

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. Protocols for accessing directories. The LDAP protocols support TCP/IP.

master application

The core implementation of an OracleAS Wireless application. The master application invokes a specific adapter, and identifies the transformer used to convert content for the target device.

Messaging Server

The Messaging Server is the component that delivers messages and notifications by interfacing with the Async Listener and Notification Engine and a messaging gateway to deliver messages.

MIME

Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions. A mail type that defines the message structure for different 8-bit character sets and multi-part messages.

Mobile Portal

The interface where mobile device users access their Oracle Application Server Wireless applications.

Notification Engine

The Notification Engine, a client of the Messaging Server, processes the notifications dequeued from the Notification Event Collector and sends them to the Messaging Server for ultimate delivery to users.

Oracle Application Server Wireless XML

A set of DTDs and XML document conventions used by the OracleAS Wireless to define content and internal objects.

Oracle Sensor Edge Server

The server that resides between all of the readers and the application middle tier. It is responsible for interfacing with all of the readers and sending normalized data back to the application server.

Premium SMS

The Async Listener enables users of SMS-enabled phones to access content from the Internet. To request such an application, a mobile user sends a message containing SMS keywords describing the application to an Async account using a short address (a number) known as the Large Account. The SMS keywords identify the application (for example, ST for stock quote applications.) The message goes through the network of a PremiumSMS operator to retrieve the content supplied by the Content Provider, whose system listens for the SMS message sent to the Large Account. The Content Provider processes the message and returns the requested information as a message to the user, who is charged a premium on top of the standard SMS transport rate for mobile device-issued requests. The content provider and Premium SMS operator (or carrier) both share this premium.

provisioning adapter

The adapter used to create, modify, and delete user objects in the OracleAS Wireless repository.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

RFID is the use of small transponders with embedded Electronic Serial Numbers (ESNs) or memory, which transmit identifiers across one or more frequencies.

read

The process of retrieving data stored on an Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag by sending radio waves to the tag and then converting the waves the tag sends back into data is known as a read.

reader

A reader reads from, and writes to, the tag (or tags) to which it is connected. Readers usually have serial interfaces used to communicate with a host computer. There is no widely-accepted standard for this protocol.

reader field

The area of coverage for a reader. If tags are outside of a reader field, then they cananot receive radio waves and cannot be read. See also tag.

Real Time Location System (RTLS)

A technology that uses radio-frequency to produce real-time location information for tagged items.

repository

An Oracle database which stores all of the OracleAS Wireless objects, such as users, groups, adapters, and applications.

request

A query to initiate a desired OracleAS Wireless service. Requests are submitted on behalf of end-users to the OracleAS Wireless server.

request manager

The OracleAS Wireless component that processes requests for services. The request manager authenticates the user, submits the request to the OracleAS Wireless core, and retrieves the device type and any presentation settings. The request manager also forwards converted content from the transformer to the user.

request object

An XML document representing a request for service.

result transformer

A transformer that converts content from Adapter Result format format into Simple Result format.

Reverse Charge SMS

Reverse Charge is a billing model which charges the service premium to the mobile subscriber on the result SMS message, rather than on the service request itself. Mobile users, requesting applications through multiple channels, such as IVR (interactive voice response) or the Web, receive the service result as an SMS message. For example, when a user wants to access an article on the Web, the user must first complete and submit a web form requesting his SMS address before receiving an SMS message containing the authorization code needed to access the article. In this case, the user is charged a transport fee and a service premium for the SMS result message conveying the authorization code.

Usually with SMS, the sender of an SMS message is charged. With ReverseCharge, however, the party receiving the message is charged a transport fee and a service premium. The amount of the service premium depends upon which service the mobile user requests; each service has its own associated tariff class. To ensure the correct billing information, the application provider supplies the ReverseCharge operator with the Large Account and the tariff class of the service upon generating the service result SMS message.

RMI

Remote Method Invocation. A standard for creating and calling remote objects. RMI allows Java components stored in a network to be run remotely.

sample repository

The initial OracleAS Wireless repository, which includes pre-built objects such as transformers, adapters, and devices.

Service Manager

The visual interface for creating and managing OracleAS Wireless users, user groups, adapters, transformers, and services.

short name

A site-wide, unique name that identifies an OracleAS Wireless application. Device users invoke applications by sending messages to the site address with short names for the requested applications in the body or subject line of the message. For example, a user requests a stock quote application by sending a message to a site address (such as ask@oraclemobile.com) with the short name of the stock quote application (stk) in the body of the message.

Simple Result format

A content format that contains abstract user interface elements such as text items, menus, forms, and tables.

source format

The original format of content retrieved from an external data source by a OracleAS Wireless adapter. For example, the source format of Web page content is HTML.

SQL adapter

An adapter that retrieves and adapts content from any JDBC-enabled data source.

Strip adapter

An adapter that retrieves and adapts Web content dynamically.

strip level

The class used by the strip adapter to process markup tags in source content.

stylesheet

An XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) instance that implements content presentation for XML documents. OracleAS Wireless transformers can be either XSLT stylesheets or Java programs.

tag

(Also known as an RFID tag. ) A single unit that contains a chip, one or more antennae, and a power source. If it is battery-driven or from a external source, the tag is an Active Tag. If the power source is inductive-based (which means that it relies on photoelectric effect to generate power from remotely generated radio waves), the tag is a Passive Tag. A tag containing data that cannot be changed is a read-only tag.

TTML

Tagged Text Mark-up Language. A lightweight version of HTML suitable for most PDAs.

target format

The format required to deliver data to a specific type of client device.

Thin HTML

A minimal version of HTML implemented by a transformer in the starter OracleAS Wireless repository. Thin HTML does not include support for frames, JavaScript, or other advanced features.

transformer

A OracleAS Wireless object that converts content returned by the OracleAS Wireless adapters. Result transformers convert Adapter Result documents into Simple Result documents. Device transformers convert Simple Result documents into the target format.

user agent

An object that associates an end user with a device type.

user group

A OracleAS Wireless object that represents a set of users that are grouped together based on common criteria such as interests, subscription level, or geographic location.

VoxML

A markup language that enables the use of voice to interface with applications.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol. A wireless standard from Motorola, Ericsson, and Nokia for providing cellular phones with access to email and text-based Web pages. WAP uses Wireless Markup Language (WML).

Web Integration adapter

An adapter that retrieves and adapts Web content using WIDL files to map the source content to OracleAS Wireless XML.

WIDL

Web Interface Definition Language. A meta-data language that defines interfaces to Web-based data and services. WIDL enables automatic and structured Web access by compatible applications.

WIDL file

A file written in Web Interface Definition Language that associates input and output parameters with the source content that you want to make available in a OracleAS Wireless service.

WML

Wireless Markup Language. A markup language optimized for the delivery of content to wireless devices.

XML

eXtensible Markup Language. A flexible markup language that allows tags to be defined by the content developer. Tags for virtually any data item can be created and used in specific applications, allowing Web pages to function like database records.

XSLT

Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations. A language for transforming one XML DTD into another XML DTD.