Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Priyank Patel
Information Technology
Gujarat University
Gujarat, India
I. INTRODUCTION
A third player was Unwired Planet's who developed • Security Layer: Wireless Transport Layer Security
Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML). In 1997 the (WTLS).
WAP forum was founded. The forum’s main aim was to bring • Transport Layer: Wireless Datagram Protocol
together the various technologies by a standardised protocol. (WDP).
WAP is a collection of various standards to be used when
Each stack overlaps with the stack below. This stack
developing such wireless systems. It is not a single entity. architecture makes it possible for software manufacturers to
develop applications and services for certain stacks. They may
II. WAP PROTOCOL STACK even develop services for stacks which are not specified yet.
The basic construction of WAP architecture can be The WAP stack is an entity of protocols which cover
explained using the following model. The order of the the wireless data transfer. The diagram above shows the order
independent levels – which are a hierarchy - has the advantage of the different stacks and their protocols. This includes the
that the system is very flexible and can be scaled up or down. stacks responsible for the layout as well as the stacks
Because of the different levels – or stacks - this is called the resposible for the actual data transfer. The highest level or
"WAP Stack", which is divided into 5 different levels. stack is the one which deals with the layout.
The specifications for the transfer layer are in the Fig 2. WAP Architecture
Wireless Transaction Protocol (WTP). Like the User
Datagramm Protocol (UDP), the WTP runs at the head of the A. Programming Model
datagramm service. Both the UDP and the WTP are a part of
the standard application from the TCP/IP to make the
The WAP Programming Model, closely aligned with
simplified protocol compatible to mobile terminals. WTP
the Web Programming Model, uses the Pull Model, (which is
where the client requests content from the server). However,
WAP also extends the Web architecture by adding telephony Protocol Gateway – The protocol gateway translates requests
support with WTA and enabling a Push Model, where a server from a wireless protocol stack (e.g., the WAP 1.X stack—
can proactively send content to the client. WSP, WTP, WTLS, and WDP) to the WWW protocol stack
(HTTP and TCP/IP). The gateway also performs DNS
Applications and content are presented in standard lookups of the servers named by the client in the request
data formats, and are browsed by applications known as web URLs.
browsers. The web browser is a networked application, i.e., it ontent Encoders and Decoders – The content encoders
sends requests for named data objects to a network server and translate WAP content into compact encoded formats to
the network server responds with the data encoded using the reduce the size of data over the network.
standard formats.
User Agent Profile Management – User agent profiles
describing client capabilities and personal preferences
[UAProf] are composed and presented to the applications.
B. Feature/Performance-Enhancing Proxies
PKI – The set of security services that enable the use and
management of public-key cryptography and certificates
[WPKI], [WAPCert].
Secure Transport – At the Transport Services layer protocols Fig 8. Example WAP 1.X Gateway
are defined for secure transport over datagrams and Fig 8 depicts the protocol stacks for the original
connections. WTLS is defined for secure transport over WAP architecture. The WAP Gateway converts the
datagrams. WTLS and TLS are defined for secure transport hypermedia transfer service between the datagram-based
over connections. TLS is the preferred method for secure protocols (WSP, WTP, WTLS, WDP) and connection-
transport over connections (i.e. TCP). See [WTLS] and oriented protocols commonly used on the Internet (HTTP,
[RFC2246] for more information. SSL, TCP).
B. Service Discovery
Fig 10. Example WAP Proxy Support for TLS Tunneling Figure 12. Dual Stack Support
Fig 10 depicts a WAP HTTP proxy that has While the previous configurations show single
established a connection-oriented tunnel to the web server protocol stacks for each of WAP configuration, Fig 12 depicts
(e.g., in response to a CONNECT command). This a device that supports both the 1.x and 2.x protocol stacks.
configuration is used to allow TLS to provide end-to-end This is useful in cases where a device needs to interoperate
security between mobile terminal and origin server. E- with both old a new WAP servers.
commerce is a compelling use case for end-to-end security.
VI. WIRELESS MARKUP LANGUAGE
WML works with the WAP micro browsers found on Compared to HTML documents, displaying WML
WAP devices. This browser is cognizant of the limited documents requires less processing power and memory.
capabilities of WAP devices such as small displays, limited Consequently, a WAP device can work with a less powerful
processing power, limited memory, narrow bandwidth (cheaper) CPU and the use of less power means that the
connection, and limited battery use without recharging. battery can operate longer without recharging. WML provides
support for limited graphics with a limited gray scale.
To address the limitations of WAP devices, WML
uses the metaphor of card decks, and each page is referred to C.What are Some Limitations of WML?
as a card. The card is the basic unit of navigation and user
Like HTML, WML does specify how the content is to be
interface. The user can view only card at a time. WML
displayed. Thus micro browsers on different WAP devices are
browsers read the whole deck (complete document) from the
likely to display the WML content differently.
server to minimize interaction with the server. Consequently,
when flipping (navigating) between the cards in a deck, the WAP devices such as WAP phones will not accept
browser does not contact the server. This eliminates delays large decks (1.4K for some WAP phones). There are many
(because each card contains very little text and users are likely variations between WAP phones, for example Screen sizes,
to move quickly from one card to another). keypads, and soft keys can be different. Consequently, WML
decks should be tested on at least the important WAP devices.
A WAP deck is the equivalent of a Web page, the
card being the portion of the Web page that can be seen on the This variation is similar to the variation found with
screen. Navigation within the cards of a deck is done within Web browsers and their platforms. The problem is harder in
the WAP device just as scrolling a Web page is done within case of WML because there are many more WAP devices
the Web device. (without contacting servers in both cases). than Web browsers and their platforms. Also, it is harder to
figure out the “least common denominator”, i.e., set of
An HTML writer does not worry about screen or
features that will work reasonably well on all or most WAP
display boundaries. Instead, the Web browser manages issues
devices.
relating to the screen boundaries. But a WML writer must be
aware of screen boundaries of WAP devices when writing VII. MULTIMEDIA MESSEGING SERVICE
code for cards.
The Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), as its
Web server requests are routed through WAP name implies, is intended to provide a rich set of content to
gateways proxies). A Web server may generate WML content subscribers in a messaging context. It supports both sending
for WAP devices or it may simply dish out HTML (XML). In and receiving of such messages by properly enabled client
case the Web server generates HTML (XML), the WAP devices.
gateways must convert the HTML (XML) to WML. Before
The Multimedia messaging service is viewed as a
sending the WML to the WAP device, the gateway non-real-time delivery system. This is comparable to many
compresses it to WMLC (the C in WMLC is for compressed). messaging systems in use today. Prime examples include
If the WML generated by the Web sever is WMLC, then the traditional email available on the Internet and wireless
compression step is skipped. messaging systems such as paging or SMS. These services
provide a store-and-forward usage paradigm and it is expected
B.What are the Advantages of WML? that the MMS will be able to interoperate with such
systems.Real-time messaging also exists in various forms. For
example, instant messaging available from various vendors or
various chat services (e.g. text, voice) are becoming popular.
Such services are not currently supported with the MMS
system but may be considered for future releases. VIII. WAP APPLICATION
A key feature of MMS is the ability to support Locationbased services – Realtime traffic reporting,
messaging activities with other available messaging systems. Event/restaurant recommendation
This is shown in Figure 2 below which shows an abstract view
of an MMS network diagram. It is expected that specific Enterprise solutions – Email access, Database access, “global”
MMS networks may have one or more such connections as intranet access – Information updates “pushed” to WAP
well as include specific messaging services not directly devices
represented (e.g. fax or voice mail systems).
Financial services – Banking, Billpaying, Stock trading,
Funds transfers
REFERENCES
[1] “Mobile Computing” by Ashok k telud kar
[2] “Mobile communications” by Jochen Schiller, Addison Wesley 2000