Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

Challenges in Accessing Internet through Wireless Network

Traditional Internet applications cannot run on mobile devices because of the following limitations:
Low bandwidth network High Latency network Limited connection stability Small display size Limited input facility Limited memory Limited processing power

Low bandwidth Size of an HTML page, including graphics 20 KB 3s Download time (56Kbps modem) Bandwidth of wireless network 9.6Kbps Download time for data on one page 17 s High latency At the expiry of retransmission timer value, the TCP layer resends the packet of data An average latency in a wireless network is around s but can be as high as 10s. This can cause a lot of retransmission causing severe congestion.

Objective
To bridge the gap between the mobile network and Internet Create a global protocol specification to work across differing wireless network technologies. Submit specifications for adoption by appropriate industry and standards bodies. Enable applications to scale across a variety of transport options and device types.

History of WAP

WAP is a global standard and not controlled by any single company, Ericsson, Nokia ,Motorola and unwired planet founded the WAP forum in the summer of June 26, 1997 with the initial purpose of defining an industry-wide specification for developing application over wireless communication networks.

What is the WAP Forum ?

WAP is a global standard produced by WAP forum founded in 1997 with the help of Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and Unwired Planet The organization established to create and constantly improve the WAP specification Over 450 members comprised of
Manufacturers representing over 95% of the worlds handsets Carriers representing over 200 million subscribers Leading Internet and wireless infrastructure providers PC software companies Other companies delivering solutions to the wireless industry.

The Goals of The WAP Forum

Ensure

interoperability Faster growth of the wireless market. Make accessing the Internet portable and convenient

Introduction
WAP:

Wireless Application Protocol

- Communication between a wireless device and a gateway, which in turn allows communication with internet- or intranet-based resources

WML:

Wireless Markup Language

- Derivative of XML used to create pages for wireless devices

Why WAP?

WAP is an open technology based on Internet technologies Allows competition - lower cost WAP is backed by major vendors Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola, Microsoft, IBM Future proof WAP Forum is open for all WAP is not take it or leave it Over one hundred companies have joined the WAP Forum WAP supports several wireless systems GSM, IS-136, CDMA, PDC etc. WAP has a layered architecture The same application can be used via several systems

What is WAP?

WAP is a application environment and set of communication protocol for wireless devices designed to enable manufacturer-, vendor-, technology independent access to internet and advanced telephony services. Makes it possible to access the Internet via wireless devices such as mobile phones etc. Set of rules governing transmission/reception of data by wireless devices (e.g. mobile phones). WAP defines its own set of protocols but models after existing web protocols.

WAP services
Banking accessing account statements paying bills Transferring money between accounts Finance Retrieving stock and share prices Buying and selling stocks and shares Shopping Buying everyday

WAP Services

Ticketing Booking or buying airline tickets Entertainment Retrieving restaurant details Looking up clubs Playing games Weather Retrieving local weather forecasts

WAP Architecture

GSM Network
0

Encoded Request Encoded Request

WAP Gateway WML Content

WML Content

Request

Origin 1 Server
HTML Content

Filter

Client
WML

WAP Gateway
WML Encoder

Web Server
CGI Scripts etc.

WMLScript WTAI

WSP/WTP

WMLScript Compiler Protocol Adapters

HTTP

Content

Etc.

WML Decks with WML-Script

The WAP Device

WAP device (Cellular phones) is part of wireless network. Contents received by WAP device are encoded in compact binary format of WML. WAP Device sends the WAP request to the WAP Gateway, which in turn translates WAP requests to WWW requests, so the WAP client is able to submit requests to the Web server. After receiving the response from the the HTTP Web Server, WAP Gateway translates Web responses into WAP responses or a format understood by the WAP client and sends it to the WAP Device.

The HTTP Web Server

Receive the request from WAP Gateway and process the request and finally sends the output to the WAP Gateway, which in turn the sends this information to the WAP device using it's wireless network. Only provides HTML contents and not understand WML HTTP response is sent to HTML filter.

HTML Filter
Typically

built into the WAP Gateway . Translates the HTML text into WML format.

WAP Gateway

WAP gateway acts as mediator between Cellular device and HTTP or HTTPS web server. Utilizes Web Proxy technology WAP gateway routes requests from the client(Cellular Phones) to an HTTP (or Web) server. The WAP gateway can be located either in a telecom network or in a computer network (an ISP).

WAP Gateway cont.

Acts both as a client and as a server in the network(WAP Proxy). Typically has Protocol gateway : translates requests from the WAP protocol stack to WWW protocol stack Content encoders and decoders : translate WAP content into compact encoded formats to reduce the size of data over the network

It allows content and applications to be hosted on standard WWW servers and developed using proven WWW technologies such as CGI scripting

What is Micro Browser

To fit into a small wireless terminal , WAP uses a micro Browser. A Micro Browser is a small piece of Software that makes minimal demands on hardware, memory and CPU. It can display information written in restricted mark-up language called WML. Optimizes the web browser for wireless environment . Allows WAP handsets to browse contents in standard data formats.

WAP Protocol

Bearers
Differing levels of quality of service with

respect to throughput, error rate, and delays WAP protocols are designed to compensate for or tolerate these varying levels of service WDP specification lists the bearers that are supported and techniques used to allow WAP protocols to run over each bearer

Wireless Datagram Protocol (WDP)

The WAP datagram protocol (WDP) is the Transport layer that sends and receives messages via any available bearer network, including SMS, USSD, CDPD, IS136 packet data, and GPRS. Operates above the data capable bearer services supported by various network types. Provides a common interface to the upper layer protocols and hence they function independent of the underlying wireless network.

Function of The WDP

The function of the WDP is to provide a stable environment so that any of the underlying bearers can operate using WAP. WDP can be adapted to different bearers with different services however the services offered by WDP remains constant thus providing a continuous interface to the upper layers of the WAP stack.

Wireless Transport Layer Security (WTLS)

Based on industry-standard Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol Optimized for use over narrow-band communication channels Features: Data integrity Privacy Authentication Denial-of-service protection

Wireless Transaction Protocol (WTP)

The WAP transaction protocol (WTP) layer provides transaction support, adding reliability to the datagram service provided by WDP. WAP is message oriented. Light weight transaction-oriented protocol Three classes of transaction services Unreliable one-way requests Reliable one-way requests Reliable two-way request-reply transactions

For WTP to work, the following factors are important:

The handheld device is within coverage area of base agent. The handheld device is turned on and has a power and is reliable. Resources are adequate especially with the CPU and memory. WTP settings are correctly inputted. The WTP Management Entity makes sure the above factors are valid during the transaction session.

The WAP session protocol (WSP) layer provides a lightweight session layer to allow efficient exchange of data between applications. Application layer with a consistent interface for two session services
Connection-oriented service that operates above the transaction layer protocol (WTP) Connectionless service that operates above a secure or non-secure datagram service (WDP)

Wireless Session Protocol (WSP)

Optimized for low-bandwidth bearer networks with long latency

WSP provides the following services:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Opens a session of communication between client and server. Establishes a protocol and negotiation between client and server. Exchanges encoded data between client and server. Exchanges request and replies between client and server. Supports several asynchronous transmission of data.

Wireless Application Environment (WAE)

General-purpose application environment based

on a combination of WWW and mobile telephony technologies. It defines the user interface on the phone. It contains WML and WTA (Wireless Telephony Application). Primary objective interoperable environment.

WAE includes a micro-browser (Client software designed to overcome challenges of mobile handheld devices that enables wireless access to services such as Internet information in combination with a suitable network) server environment which provides WML WML script WTA Content formats

Wireless Application Environment (Contd.)

ADVANTAGES of WAP
open standard, vendor independent network-standard independent transport mechanismoptimized for wireless data bearers application downloaded from the server, enabling fast service creation and introduction, as opposed to embedded software

DISADVANTAGES of WAP
Small screens: For web phones, there's an incredibly small viewing area; palmtops are barely better. Speed of access: All devices have slow access. Limited or fragmented availability: Wireless web access is sporadic in many areas and entirely unavailable in other areas. Price: Many technology limitations are being addressed by higher-end devices and services. But the entry price for a good wireless web palmtop with decent display, keyboard, and speed is easily $700 to $900, not including monthly access. Lack of user habit: It takes some patience and overcoming the learning curve to get the hang of it -- connecting, putting in an address, typing. Users just aren't used to the idea and protocol yet.

Editors and Emulators

WAP

application developers generally use WAP Emulators to test their documents. An emulator (or Simulator) is a program that runs on your computers that shows you how your document will appear and function on a wireless device

Future of WAP
The future of WAP depends largely on whether consumers decide to use WAP devices to access the web, and also on whether a new technology comes along that require a different infrastructure that WAP. On the technological side , it is true that mobile phone data speeds will get faster.

Future of WAP
If

the WAP Protocols were to be as successful as transmission control Protocol (TCP)/Internet Protocol(IP), the boom in mobile communications would be phenomenal. the WAP browser should do for mobile internet what Netscape did for the internet.