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Development and remote installation of Java service for the Android Devices

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Development and remote installation of Java service for the Android Devices

By: Apriorit

About the Author

Apriorit is an Ukrainian software development company.

Apriorit develops its own products as well as provide offshore development and QA services in the areas of advanced system programming, driver development, software for devices.

One of the key values of Apriorit’s specialists is knowledge generation and sharing of experience.

Learn more about Apriorit and its experience at Apriorit Official site

(ArticlesBase SC #1127620)

Article Source: – Development and remote installation of Java service for the Android Devices

Written by:
Igor Darkov, Software Developer of Device Team, Apriorit Inc.

In this article I’ve described:

How to develop simple Java service for the Android Devices; How to communicate with a service from the other processes and a remote PC; How to install and start the service remotely from the PC. 1. Java Service Development for the Android Devices

Services are long running background processes provided by Android. They could be used for background tasks execution. Tasks can be different: background calculations, backup procedures, internet communications, etc. Services can be started on the system requests and they can communicate with other processes using the Android IPC channels technology. The Android system can control the service lifecycle depending on the client requests, memory and CPU usage. Note that the service has lower priority than any process which is visible for the user.

Let’s develop the simple example service. It will show scheduled and requested notifications to user. Service should be managed using the service request, communicated from the simple Android Activity and from the PC.

First we need to install and prepare environment:

Download and install latest Android SDK from the official web site (http://developer.android.com); Download and install Eclipse IDE (http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/); Also we’ll need to install Android Development Tools (ADT) plug-in for Eclipse.

After the environment is prepared we can create Eclipse Android project. It will include sources, resources, generated files and the Android manifest.

1.1 Service class development

First of all we need to implement service class. It should be inherited from the android.app.Service (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/app/Service.html) base class. Each service class must have the corresponding <service> declaration in its package’s manifest. Manifest declaration will be described later. Services, like the other application objects, run in the main thread of their hosting process. If you need to do some intensive work, you should do it in another thread.

In the service class we should implement abstract method onBind. Also we override some other methods:

onCreate(). It is called by the system when the service is created at the first time. Usually this method is used to initialize service resources. In our case the binder, task and timer objects are created. Also notification is send to the user and to the system log: public void onCreate() { super.onCreate(); Log.d(LOG_TAG, “Creating service”); showNotification(“Creating NotifyService”); binder = new NotifyServiceBinder(handler, notificator); task = new NotifyTask(handler, notificator); timer = new Timer(); } onStart(Intent intent, int startId). It is called by the system every time a client explicitly starts the service by calling startService(Intent), providing the arguments it requires and the unique integer token representing the start request. We can launch background threads, schedule tasks and perform other startup operations. public void onStart(Intent intent, int startId) { super.onStart(intent, startId); Log.d(LOG_TAG, “Starting service”); showNotification(“Starting NotifyService”); timer.scheduleAtFixedRate(task, Calendar.getInstance().getTime(), 30000); } onDestroy(). It is called by the system to notify a Service that it is no longer used and is being removed. Here we should perform all operations before service is stopped. In our case we will stop all scheduled timer tasks. public void onDestroy() { super.onDestroy(); Log.d(LOG_TAG, “Stopping service”); showNotification(“Stopping NotifyService”); timer.cancel(); } onBind(Intent intent). It will return the communication channel to the service. IBinder is the special base interface for a remotable object, the core part of a lightweight remote procedure call mechanism. This mechanism is designed for the high performance of in-process and cross-process calls. This interface describes the abstract protocol for interacting with a remotable object. The IBinder implementation will be described below. public IBinder onBind(Intent intent) { Log.d(LOG_TAG, “Binding service”); return binder; }

To send system log output we can use static methods of the android.util.Log class (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/util/Log.html). To browse system logs on PC you can use ADB utility command: adb logcat.

The notification feature is implemented in our service as the special runnable object. It could be used from the other threads and processes. The service class has method showNotification, which can display message to user using the Toast.makeText call. The runnable object also uses it:

public class NotificationRunnable implements Runnable { private String message = null; public void run() { if (null != message) { showNotification(message); } } public void setMessage(String message) { this.message = message; } }

Code will be executed in the service thread. To execute runnable method we can use the special object android.os.Handler. There are two main uses for the Handler: to schedule messages and runnables to be executed as some point in the future; and to place an action to be performed on a different thread than your own. Each Handler instance is associated with a single thread and that thread’s message queue. To show notification we should set message and call post() method of the Handler’s object.

1.2 IPC Service

Each application runs in its own process. Sometimes you need to pass objects between processes and call some service methods. These operations can be performed using IPC. On the Android platform, one process can not normally access the memory of another process. So they have to decompose their objects into primitives that can be understood by the operating system , and “marshall” the object across that boundary for developer.

The AIDL IPC mechanism is used in Android devices. It is interface-based, similar to COM or Corba, but is lighter . It uses a proxy class to pass values between the client and the implementation.

AIDL (Android Interface Definition Language) is an IDL language used to generate code that enables two processes on an Android-powered device to communicate using IPC. If you have the code in one process (for example, in Activity) that needs to call methods of the object in another process (for example, Service), you can use AIDL to generate code to marshall the parameters.

Service interface example showed below supports only one sendNotification call:

interface INotifyService { void sendNotification(String message); }

The IBinder interface for a remotable object is used by clients to perform IPC. Client can communicate with the service by calling Context’s bindService(). The IBinder implementation could be retrieved from the onBind method. The INotifyService interface implementation is based on the android.os.Binder class (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/os/Binder.html):

public class NotifyServiceBinder extends Binder implements INotifyService { private Handler handler = null; private NotificationRunnable notificator = null; public NotifyServiceBinder(Handler handler, NotificationRunnable notificator) { this.handler = handler; this.notificator = notificator; } public void sendNotification(String message) { if (null != notificator) { notificator.setMessage(message); handler.post(notificator); } } public IBinder asBinder() { return this; } }

As it was described above, the notifications could be send using the Handler object’s post() method call. The NotificaionRunnable object is passed as the method’s parameter.

On the client side we can request IBinder object and work with it as with the INotifyService interface.  To connect to the service the android.content.ServiceConnection interface implementation can be used. Two methods should be defined: onServiceConnected, onServiceDisconnected:

ServiceConnection conn = null; … conn = new ServiceConnection() { public void onServiceConnected(ComponentName name, IBinder service) { Log.d(“NotifyTest”, “onServiceConnected”); INotifyService s = (INotifyService) service; try { s.sendNotification(“Hello”); } catch (RemoteException ex) { Log.d(“NotifyTest”, “Cannot send notification”, ex); } } public void onServiceDisconnected(ComponentName name) { } };

The bindService method can be called from the client Activity context to connect to the service:

Context.bindService(new Intent(this, NotifyService.class), conn, Context.BIND_AUTO_CREATE);

The unbindService method can be called from the client Activity context to disconnect from the service:

Context.unbindService(conn); 1.3 Remote service control

Broadcasts are the way applications and system components can communicate. Also we can use broadcasts to control service from the PC. The messages are sent as Intents, and the system handles dispatching them, including starting receivers.

Intents can be broadcasted to BroadcastReceivers, allowing messaging between applications. By registering a BroadcastReceiver in application’s AndroidManifest.xml (using <receiver> tag) you can have your application’s receiver class started and called whenever someone sends you a broadcast. Activity Manager uses the IntentFilters, applications register to figure out which program should be used for a given broadcast.

Let’s develop the receiver that will start and stop notify service on request. The base class android.content.BroadcastReceiver should be used for these purposes (http://developer.android.com/reference/android/content/BroadcastReceiver.html):

public class ServiceBroadcastReceiver extends BroadcastReceiver { … private static String START_ACTION = “NotifyServiceStart”; private static String STOP_ACTION = “NotifyServiceStop”; … public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { … String action = intent.getAction(); if (START_ACTION.equalsIgnoreCase(action)) { context.startService(new Intent(context, NotifyService.class)); } else if (STOP_ACTION.equalsIgnoreCase(action)) { context.stopService(new Intent(context, NotifyService.class)); } } }

To send broadcast from the client application we use the Context.sendBroadcast call. I will describe how to use receiver and send broadcasts from the PC in chapter 2.

1.4 Android Manifest

Every application must have an AndroidManifest.xml file in its root directory. The manifest contains essential information about the application to the Android system, the system must have this information before it can run any of the application’s code. The core components of an application (its activities, services, and broadcast receivers) are activated by intents. An intent is a bundle of information (an Intent object) describing a desired action — including the data to be acted upon, the category of component that should perform the action, and other pertinent instructions. Android locates an appropriate component to respond to the intent, starts the new instance of the component if one is needed, and passes it to the Intent object.

We should describe 2 components for our service:

NotifyService class is described in the <service> tag. It will not start on intent. So the intent filtering is not needed. ServiceBroadcastReceived class is described in the <receiver> tag. For the broadcast receiver the intent filter is used to select system events: <application android:icon=”@drawable/icon” android:label=”@string/app_name”> … <service android:enabled=”true” android:name=”.NotifyService” android:exported=”true”> </service> <receiver android:name=”ServiceBroadcastReceiver”> <intent-filter> <action android:name=”NotifyServiceStart”></action> <action android:name=”NotifyServiceStop”></action> </intent-filter> </receiver> … 2. Java service remote installation and start 2.1 Service installation

Services like the other applications for the Android platform can be installed from the special package with the .apk extension. Android package contains all required binary files and the manifest.

Before installing the service from the PC we should enable the USB Debugging option in the device Settings-Applications-Development menu and then connect device to PC via the USB.

On the PC side we will use the ADB utility which is available in the Android SDK tools directory. The ADB utility supports several optional command-line arguments that provide powerful features, such as copying files to and from the device. The shell command-line argument lets you connect to the phone itself and issue rudimentary shell commands.

We will use several commands:

Remote shell command execution: adb shell <command> <arguments> File send operation: adb push <local path> <remote path> Package installation operation: adb install <package>.apk

I’ll describe the package installation process in details. It consists of several steps which are performed by the ADB utility install command:

First of all the .apk package file should be copied to the device. The ADB utility connects to the device and has limited “shell” user privileges. So almost all file system directories are write-protected for it. The /data/local/tmp directory is used as the temporary storage for package files. To copy package to the device use the command: adb push NotifyService.apk /data/local/tmp Package installation. ADB utility uses special shell command to perform this operation. The “pm” (Package Manager?) utility is present on the Android devices. It supports several command line parameters which are described in the Appendix I. To install the package by yourself execute the remote shell command: adb shell pm install /data/local/tmp/NotifyService.apk Cleanup. After the package is installed, ADB removes the temporary file stored in /data/local/tmp folder using the “rm” utility: adb shell rm /data/local/tmp/NotifyService.apk. To uninstall package use the “pm” utility: adb shell pm uninstall <package> 2.2 Remote service control

To be able to start and stop the NotifyService from the PC we can use the “am” (Activity Manager?) utility which is present on the Android device. The command line parameters are described in the Appendix II. The “am” utility can send system broadcast intents. Our service has the broadcast receiver which will be launched by the system request.

To start NotifyService we can execute remote shell command:

adb shell am broadcast –a NotifyServiceStart

To stop the NotifyService we can execute remote shell command:

adb shell am broadcast –a NotifyServiceStop

Note, that the NotifyServiceStart and NotifyServiceStop intents were described in the manifest file inside the <receiver> … <intent-filter> tag. Other requests will not start the receiver.

Appendix I. PM Usage (from Android console) pm [list|path|install|uninstall] pm list packages [-f] pm list permission-groups pm list permissions [-g] [-f] [-d] [-u] [GROUP] pm path PACKAGE pm install [-l] [-r] PATH pm uninstall [-k] PACKAGE The list packages command prints all packages. Use the -f option to see their associated file. The list permission-groups command prints all known permission groups. The list permissions command prints all known permissions, optionally only those in GROUP. Use the -g option to organize by group. Use the -f option to print all information. Use the -s option for a short summary. Use the -d option to only list dangerous permissions. Use the -u option to list only the permissions users will see. The path command prints the path to the .apk of a package. The install command installs a package to the system. Use the -l option to install the package with FORWARD_LOCK. Use the -r option to reinstall an exisiting app, keeping its data. The uninstall command removes a package from the system. Use the -k option to keep the data and cache directories around after the package removal. Appendix II. AM Usage (from Android console) am [start|broadcast|instrument] am start -D INTENT am broadcast INTENT am instrument [-r] [-e <ARG_NAME> <ARG_VALUE>] [-p <PROF_FILE>] [-w] <COMPONENT> INTENT is described with: [-a <ACTION>] [-d <DATA_URI>] [-t <MIME_TYPE>] [-c <CATEGORY> [-c <CATEGORY>] …] [-e|--es <EXTRA_KEY> <EXTRA_STRING_VALUE> ...] [--ez <EXTRA_KEY> <EXTRA_BOOLEAN_VALUE> ...] [-e|--ei <EXTRA_KEY> <EXTRA_INT_VALUE> ...] [-n <COMPONENT>] [-f <FLAGS>] [<URI>] Resources used: Android Installation Guide.

http://developer.android.com/sdk/1.5_r2/installing.html

Android Developer reference.

http://developer.android.com/reference/classes.html

Jesse Burns. Developing Secure Mobile Applications for Android.

https://www.isecpartners.com/files/iSEC_Securing_Android_Apps.pdf

Designing a Remote Interface Using AIDL

http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/aidl.html

Retrieved from “http://www.articlesbase.com/programming-articles/development-and-remote-installation-of-java-service-for-the-android-devices-1127620.html”

(ArticlesBase SC #1127620)

Apriorit -
About the Author:

Apriorit is an Ukrainian software development company.

Apriorit develops its own products as well as provide offshore development and QA services in the areas of advanced system programming, driver development, software for devices.

One of the key values of Apriorit’s specialists is knowledge generation and sharing of experience.

Learn more about Apriorit and its experience at Apriorit Official site

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Open Source Technology: The Cost At The Enterprise Level

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Open Source Technology: The Cost At The Enterprise Level

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Open Source Technology: The Cost At The Enterprise Level

By: Jeff Merritt

About the Author

Jeff Merritt

(ArticlesBase SC #891004)

Article Source: – Open Source Technology: The Cost At The Enterprise Level

Abstract

Open source software has generated much interest, especially in the wake of a slow economy.  This has forced many Information Technology (IT) departments to cut back on spending.  One of the main reasons open source technology is being considered by more IT departments is because open source technology is perceived as being free of charge.  While that perception is not all together true, this article will discuss an example of the real cost savings of open source technology as an enterprise system solution.  All costs related to the implementation of an open source server operating system including the hardware costs to run the operating system software, training costs to setup the operating system software, support cost to maintain the operating system software, and staff salary to administer the operating system software will be recognized in this article. 

Open Source Technology – The Cost at the Enterprise Level

     Open source refers to any program whose source code is made available for use or modification as users or other developers see fit. (Historically, the makers of proprietary software have generally not made source code available.)  Open source software is usually developed as a public collaboration and made freely available (Open Source, 2008).  When companies are deciding on whether to use open source products versus commercial products the benefits of both choices are apparent.  Commercial products typically favor visible features (giving marketing advantage) over hard to measure qualities such as stability, security and similar less glamorous attributes. Some experts describe this phenomenon as quality versus features (Benefits of Using Open Source, n.d.).  This paper examines the enterprise level cost of an open source technology system.  Different factors discussed in this paper include the cost of open source software, the cost of open source hardware, the cost of open source training to support this platform, and the salary requirements for open source administrators.  For the purpose of this paper, the total cost of ownership of an open source production database server will be discussed in detail.

     There are many different distribution options or ‘flavors’ a technology manager can choose from that are considering an open source operating system.  Linux is about freedom and choice, so one has plenty of freedom to choose the flavor of Linux that best fits the business needs (Linux Distributions, n.d.).  Common flavors of Linux include:

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Mandrake Linux The Fedora Project The Debian Project Knoppix SUSE Linux Slackware Linux MEPIS Linux Ubuntu Linux Xandros PCLinux OS Linspire

     Jim Klein (2009) writes that Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can be defined as all of the costs of acquiring and maintaining a network of computers. This includes the cost for Hardware and software technology – client computers, servers, software, printers, networking equipment, external service providers

Direct labor – those responsible for purchasing, training, implementation, management and support of the computer environment Indirect labor – time spent by users in training, dealing with computer and networking issues, and effect of computer or network down-time.

     Red Hat Linux is one of the most supported Linux operating systems on the market.  Red Hat provides operating systems for the individual users as well as the large enterprises.  When pricing operating systems it’s very important to know the hardware that this operating system will reside on.  For example, it makes a difference if this operating system is a dual processor or a quad processor.  For the purpose of this paper, the server we want to install Red Hat on is a quad Intel processor.  Because this server is a production server, 24/7 support is required.  According to Red Hat, the best license option for this configuration is the ‘Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform, Premium Subscription’ (Server Operating Systems, n.d.).  When you subscribe to a Red Hat subscription, you’re renting the use of that software.  With the Premium Subscription of Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Platform you get the following:

Unlimited CPU processors Unlimited virtualized guests Red Hat global File System and Cluster Suite Web and phone-based comprehensive support 24×7 coverage 1 hour critical response (4 hour normal response time) Red Hat Network Update Product Updates Installation and documentation media Covered under the Open Source Assurance program Server applications to include ISV applications, Apache, Samba, nfs, ftp, Tomcat, MySQL, and PostgreSQL

     For the purpose of this paper the server this Red Hat software will run on will be a Dell PowerEdge Energy Smart Quad Core Intel Xeon L5410 server.  This server comes with 8 Gig of ram and 3 73 gig hard drives.  The cost of this server is 50.00 (Dell, Select Components, n.d.).  This hardware is approved by Red Hat as a supported hardware platform. 

     The skill sets required to support an open source environment requires a person who completely understands how each component in an environment works.  In most environments this person’s title would be a Linux administrator.  A capable Linux administrator will have a variety of skills.  Jay Beal (2004) provides skill sets a Linux Administrator should have would include security, operating system hardening, software installation, hardware installation, system assessment, troubleshooting, and intelligence gathering (Essential Linux Skills, 2004).

     Security in any environment is essential.  A Linux administrator must understand that any port on any server is venerable to an attack.  Every port must be accounted for and the Linux administrator needs to know what log files are tracking all port traffic.  Those log files need to be monitored daily for malicious attacks.  In case an attack occurs, a Linux administrator should know how to recover from a server that has crashed.

     Most default server installations install more services that are generally needed.  A Linux administrator needs to be aware of the purpose of the server and understand specifically what services need to be running and just as important, what services do not need to be running.  Those services that do not need to be running should be shut down and the Linux administrator needs to recognize these services and shut those services down along with the ports they use.

     At some point, the server may need software and/or hardware upgrades.  A Linux administrator needs to be prepared to apply upgrades or patches for software upgrades.  Those software patches may require more hardware in order to run optimally.  In this case a Linux administrator needs to be comfortable upgrading the hardware if there is a need to do so. 

     Finally, the Linux administrator needs to be able to assess the system and if there is concern, research the problem and find the solution.  Because open source software is mostly supported by the ‘community’, it can be tedious to find solutions to complex problems.  If the Linux administrator is fortunate, support is paid for when the subscription is obtained.  If support is not paid for, the Linux administrator has to rely on good research skills to solve the problem.

     Finding a good Linux administrator to administer the open source environment is hard to do.  When you do find them, it is obvious that they are in great demand by the salary requirements they are demanding.  A seasoned Linux administrator that is industry certified will demand as much as k – 120k per year if he/she is considered a full-time employee (Salary Search, n.d.).  Linux contractors range from .00 – 0.00 per hour. 

     One of the benefits of having an open source environment is training courses are usually reasonably priced.  The only difficulty is finding a training center that specializes in open source technology training.  Most 3-day classes will range anywhere from 00 to 00 dollars per class.  Most 5-day classes will range from 00 – 00 dollars per class.  If your Linux administrator is a good self-learner there are many options online that he/she can take advantage of.  Many websites offer free online training videos and free training manuals for anyone interested in taking advantage of them.

     As it is evident, the notion of open source technology being free is far from true.  However, many experts agree that the total cost of ownership is less than it would be if commercial software was being used.  Dan Orzech (2002) writes that the cost of Linux is roughly 40% that of Windows, and only 14% that of Sun Microsystem’s Solaris based on a study of various operating systems over a 3 year period.  Below is a table that summarizes the total cost of ownership for a typical open source database environment.

Total Cost of Ownership
(Annual)

Description of Service

Cost

Linux OS Software including Premium Support

99.00 per year

Linux Administrator

0,000 per year

Ongoing Training

00.00 per year

Total Cost

2,799.00 per year

Total Cost of Ownership

(One-Time Cost)

Server Hardware

50.00 purchase price

Total One-Time Cost

50.00

     As one can see from the table above, open source technology is not free.  Open source proponents and proprietary companies disagree on the total cost of ownership. Proponents claim that even if open source requires more expertise, the TCO is ultimately lower.  Companies claim that the required expertise is daunting and the other costs of proprietary solutions are exaggerated (Open Options, 2005).  Yes, there are some ways that prices could be cut.  The Linux administrator could be contracted out on an ‘as needed’ basis.  It is also possible to purchase a server with fewer features and less processors if cost was a factor when purchasing hardware.  Training could be kept to a minimum or even limited to online training only.  Even with all this being said, the myth that open source technology is free just is not a true statement, especially in a production environment.  However, open source technology is the preferred technology in many IT shops for reliability reasons. 

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Netgear WGR614 Open-Source Wireless-G 4-Port Router – Designed for Linux Developers & Open Source Experts!

• Netgear WGR614 Open-Source Wireless-G 4-Port Router General Features: 4-port wireless router
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This Netgear WGR614 Open-Source Wireless-G 4-Port Router delivers open source code for Linux developers and hobbyist! Because of the open-source code the router uses, you can create firmware for specialized applications such as gaming, VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), security or increased signal strength!This 4-port wireless router delivers up to 54 Mbps maximum data transfer rate and offers greater flexibility with dual detachable antennas! Additionally, the Wireless-G router delivers up t

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