Chapter 6. Airbeam Smart; Introduction; Airbeam Package Builder - Symbol PPT 8800 Product Reference Manual

AirBEAM Smart

Introduction

The AirBEAM Smart product allows specially designed software packages to be transferred
between a host server and Symbol wireless handheld devices. Before transfer, AirBEAM
Smart checks and compares package version, so that only updated packages are loaded.
AirBEAM Smart resides on radio-equipped client devices, and allows them to request,
download, and install software, as well as to upload files and status data. Both download
and upload of files can be accomplished in a single communications session. The ability to
transfer software over a radio network can greatly reduce the logistical efforts of client
software management.
In an AirBEAM Smart system, a network-accessible host server acts as the storage point
for the software transfer. The AirBEAM Smart Client uses the industry standard FTP or
TFTP file transfer protocols to check the host system for updates, and if necessary, to
transfer updated software.

AirBEAM Package Builder

In a typical distributed AirBEAM system, software to be transferred is organized into
packages. In general, an AirBEAM package is simply a set of files that are assigned
attributes both as an entire package and as individual component files. The package is
assigned a version number, and the transfer occurs when an updated version is available.
An AirBEAM package can optionally contain developer-specified logic to be used to install
the package. Installation logic is typically used to update client device flash images or radio
firmware. Examples of common AirBEAM packages would include packages for custom
client application software, radio firmware and AirBEAM Smart Client software.
Once these packages are built, they are installed on the host server for retrieval by the
handheld device. The AirBEAM Package Builder is a utility used to define, generate and
install AirBEAM packages to a server. The packages are then loaded from the server onto
a client device equipped with an AirBEAM Smart Client executable.
For detailed instructions on how to define, generate and install AirBEAM packages to the
server, refer to the AirBEAM Package Builder Product Reference Guide, p/n 72-55769-xx.
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