Google Cloud Messaging Cloud Connection Server and XMPP

Google Play Services ● This meeting is about Android 4.4 ● But this talk is not :-) ● Google Play Services is all that's needed

CCS ● Upstream messaging possible ● Permanent connection between servers – But Google keeps messages around a while ● XMPP instead of HTTP ● You cannot use it right away – You have to sign up for it

Flow of Events

Android Code

Sample Message I

Sample Message II

Benefits ● Reuses Connection – Battery friendly ● More messages in a shorter timeframe ● Android Client easier to develop – You need not care about queuing – No need to check for network availability ● Notification cancellation

Drawbacks ● XMPP is less known than HTTP ● Less information online about XMPP ● I have found only one maintained Java lib ● Less information online about CCS ● Manual ACK / NACK handling ● Proxy servers can be an issue ● No Cloud Services support (as of yet) – Not even Google App Engine!

Recommendation ● It's beta, so stay calm :-) ● Ideal for sending out many messages ● To a very large user base ● And for many return messages from device ● Do not trust the emulator!

What else ● Github links: https://github.com/writtmeyer/gcm_sample https://github.com/writtmeyer/gcm_server ● Blog post in the next days on grokkingandroid.com ● A big thank you to Dennis Geurts!

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