Re: Changes to Protocol Docs - a Summary

[Steve Cooper <scoop@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Can I just check which parts of this are going to be mandatory and which
optional.

I haven't followed the whole thread but with each added piece of
protocol it makes it more and more difficult to fit this type of logic
into an embedded device.  The original aim of xPL was to make it simple
enough that end products could talk native xPL but it looks like we are
going more down the road of PC side gateway apps with all the added
functionality being thrown in.

If it's all mandatory then we may find that a whole bunch of apps become
obsolete over night and there won't be the time or perosnal to update them.

S.

Ian Lowe wrote:
> This is an attempt to summarise the discussions of the last few days -
> if I have misstated anything, please feel free to post a correction. I
> have also dug out a couple of back thoughts from previous discussions
we
> have had that didn't come to anything.
>
> For the record, I am in agreement with everything stated in this
email.
>
> ===============================================================
> 1) Discovery mechanism
>
> It is proposed to add an additional extension of the hbeat.app schema,
> hbeat.request.
>
> The hbeat.basic schema will remain unchanged, and is intended as the
> simplest heartbeat protocol for devices/standalone apps. hbeat.basic
> remains "one way".
>
> hbeat.app will be extended to include hbeat.request - this xpl-cmnd
> message, when received by an application, will cause the application
to
> send a standard heartbeat message.
>
> To avoid the possibility of network congestion, hbeat.request should
not
> be issued more than once in a 30 second period.
>
> ===============================================================
> 2) Rapid Startup
>
> When an application using hbeat.app starts, it will send heartbeat
> messages at a faster rate of 1 per 3 second interval.
>
> When the app recieves it's heartbeat back (indicating that it has
> succesfully joined the xPL network) this will drop to the normal
> heartbeat rate (as specified in the hbeat.app message's
"interval"
> field)
>
> If no succesfull heartbeat has been received (ie, a fault condition
> exists, such as no hub present) the heartbeat rate will drop to a
lower
> rate of 1 per 30 second interval after an initial 90 seconds.
>
>
> ===============================================================
> 3) Device Information
>
> It is proposed that the production of an xml fragment describing a
> vendor's applications is now a required condition of being assigned a
> vendor ID. The XML fragment should describe the various triggers and
> commands that are provided by, or accepted by the applications.
>
> This fragment should contain information for each version of an
> application, where functionality has changed between versions.
>
> To support the use of this information, all heartbeat messages
> (hbeat.basic as well as hbeat.app) should be amended to include a
> "version=" tag. Version numbers should contain only numbers
and the
> decimal point character "."
>
> ===============================================================
> 4) Extended Heartbeat information
>
> Applications using the hbeat.app heartbeat schema may, at the
developers
> option, include additional information tags within the heartbeat
> message. This is supported by the protocol at present, however, where
> this information is provided it *must* be described within the
vendor's
> xml fragment so that this extended information is available to all
> management apps within the xPL network.
>
> ===============================================================
> 5) Case of xPL Message elements
>
> It is proposed that the xPL protocol document be amended to reflect
> common usage - it has been stated on several ocassions that structural
> elements of xPL messages (anything within the header and all
"name="
> elements) should be in lower case only.
>
> At present, this is enforced within the various development frameworks
> but not explicitly stated within the Protocl document.
>
> ===============================================================
>
> How's that for a draft?
>
> Ian.
>
>
>
>
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